Best Examples of Isometric Exercises


As definition of isometric isometric holds of late, we have written a lot of articles about isometric exercises. Many of our articles we have explained what they are and what isometric contraction really means. We know that many people understand what concentric and eccentric contractions are but most people are not that familiar with isometric contraction. In this article, we will focus on examples of isometric exercises that you can easily do just about anywhere. We will also talk about how you can take your standard gym exercises and turn them into isometric workouts. So after reading this article, the reader will have a really good understanding of how to utilize isometric exercises.

The Isometric Squat

This is probably the most famous isometric exercise that there is. It is very famous for a lot of different reasons. It is famous because it is very easy to do and because just about all of us have done it in a PE class. It is also very easy to learn and can be made very difficult by holding this position for very long time or by adding weight to it. You can also add more stress, more positive stress and more of a burn by doing an even lower squat position.
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So to do this exercise you basically just do a standard squat and make sure that your what is isometric exercise lower leg and your upper leg or any 90° position compared to each other. This is basically holding a horizontal squat. Another variation is to take your squat as deep as you can go and hold that deep position. You can add dumbbells or a barbell to this to work your muscles even more.

The Plank

Too many people work out their abdominals and their core muscles as if it were a bicep. The truth about your core muscles is that they are support muscles they are a bicep, they aren't a power muscle they are a support muscle. Yes, you can develop a very dynamic core but it won't be like building super quads by doing squats. One of the very best isometric exercises focuses on the core muscles. You have probably tried this exercise or you have probably seen it done. The plank is a very easy exercise to learn but a very difficult one to master. Nothing will have your body shaking and burning with pain like the powerhouse plank. You performed this by holding your body with nothing but your toes and your forearms on the ground. Matter fact, stop reading this article right now and give it a try for two minutes come back after you have tried it.

So you can see, these are pretty good examples of isometric exercises that you can pretty much do anywhere you are. You can stop right now and try any one of them. It's a great way to tone your body, to get stronger in these positions and to build a really powerful body. So give it a try and you will see for yourself.. [Read more…]