8 Isometric Exercises For Overall Body Strengthening

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ome on, let’s do a quick activity…Press your hands together into a prayer position as hard as you can for 20 seconds. Did you feel the tension in your chest, shoulders, and arms? But your arms didn’t move at all, correct? There you did an isometric exercise…

Do you think that shedding a pool of sweat every time you workout, lifting heavy, or running miles is the only way you can get fit? Not at all, the latest fitness trend can get you fit without even moving your muscles.

Isometric exercise can be as effective as your cardio/weight lifting, and the interesting part is that ‘isometric exercise’ can be performed by all, regardless of age/medical conditions.

Give this blog a quick read-through to learn more about the trending exercise…

ISOMETRIC EXERCISE

Isometric exercise is a static workout technique in which your body does not move but instead involves muscle engagement without movement. This type of exercise creates muscle tension by being in a single position; rather than through a range of muscle movement.

Unlike the Isotonic exercise that involves dynamic muscle contractions (example: swimming, walking), Isometric exercise doesn’t have body movements (example: if you were to do a wall push up, hold a bicep curl, squats, deadlifts, or bicep curls, say for 30 seconds, that would an isometric exercise).

Isometric exercises are different from regular strength training workouts in that they require you to hold a contraction without any movements in surrounding joints.

BENEFITS OF ISOMETRIC EXERCISE

The low-impact exercises don’t put your joints at a risk, improve muscle strength and force production through holding poses.

Isometric exercise helps fight age-related muscles loss, provides the highest amount of muscle activation, reduces the recovery time of muscles, increases body flexibility.

DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES

1. Sit erect on a chair, grab weights in both hands and hold the dumbbells at your sides.
2. Holding the dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, raise your arms outwards and upwards to shoulder level.
3. Ensure your shoulder blades are neutral.
4. Hold the position for 20-30 seconds.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Repeat the exercise for ten rounds with 20-30 second contraction holds each time.

Benefits: Works your deltoids, traps, stabilizes and strengthens shoulder joints

SHOULDER PRESS

1. Stand straight, holding your dumbbells at shoulder height with an overhand grip, palms facing forward, and elbows flared out.
2. Maintain a neutral spine, fully extend your arms overhead.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to your shoulders, hold the position for 20-30 seconds.
4. Extend your arms straight up.
5. Repeat the exercise for ten rounds with 20-30 second contraction holds each time.

Benefits: Works shoulders, triceps, upper back, glutes, and chest

SQUATS

1. In an Isometric squat, there is no excessive expansion or contraction of the muscles.
2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly pointing out.
3. Push your hips back, lower your knees and your body to come into a squat position.
4. See that your thighs and chest are upright and parallel to the ground.
5. Hold the isometric squat position for 20-30 seconds. Create as much tension in your quads, glutes, hamstrings and move back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise for ten rounds with 20-30 second contraction holds each time.

Benefits: Works your quads, erector spine, tones legs, glutes

GLUTAL BRIDGE

1. Lie flat on the ground with your arms at your sides.
2. Lift your hips with your upper back held firm on the ground, core held tight, and feet flat on the ground.
3. Hold your body weight on the heels and hold the pose for 30 seconds.
4. Keep your core engaged, squeeze your glutes and maintain a straight line from knees, hips, and shoulders.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise for ten rounds with 20-30 second contraction hold each time.

Benefits: Works your core, hamstrings, and improves flexibility of pelvis.

PULL UP HOLD

1. Stand under a pull-up bar.
2. Hold the bar in an overhand grip with your hands slightly further than shoulder-width apart.
3. Lift your feet from the floor so that you’re hanging from the bar.
4. Keep your elbows pulled down, and shoulder blades squeezed in.
5. Hold the position for 30 seconds and then lower your body back down to the starting position. Repeat the exercise for ten rounds with 20-30-second contraction holds each time.

Benefits: Works upper body, targets back muscles, biceps, abs, and lats

V-CRUNCH

1. Start by lying on your back, and stretch your arms behind your shoulders.
2. Lift your upper back, your arms, head, neck, and shoulder off the floor, lift your legs to point to the ceiling, and stretch your arms to reach your shin.
3. Your legs should be held at a 45-degree angle, and lean your upper body back to a 45-degrees.
4. When your body forms a V-shape, hold the crunch for 20-30 seconds.

Repeat the lowering and lifting action for ten rounds with 30 seconds of hold each.

Benefits: Works abs and hips

WALL SITS

1. Stand with your back against a sturdy wall.
2. Walk your feet out about 2 feet in front of you; so that your legs form a 90-degree angle.
3. You can place your hands on your thighs or stretch out straight.
4. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds.
5. Straighten your legs and come back to a standing position.
6. Perform ten rounds with 20-30 seconds hold each

Benefits: Improves strength of your thighs, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abdominal muscles

REAR LEG LIFTS

1. Stand tall holding onto a sturdy object like a chair, railings, or table.
2. Shift your body weight on your left foot and lift your right leg straight back behind you.
3. Lift your right foot as you can without leaning your torso too forward.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the motion, hold for 20-30 seconds.
5. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite leg. Perform ten rounds on each leg with 20—30 seconds contraction hold each.

Benefits: Works thighs, core, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, improves body balance and flexibility

Isometric exercises take very little work, require little to no equipment, they don’t eat up all your time either!

If you have been used to rushing through exercises, please hold on; because that’s what isometric exercise demands...these static exercises are perfect for the fantastic you…

Also read: 6 Best Whole Body Kettlebell Workout For Women

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