What Are Isometrics?

Article by Jackie Burgmann

What Are Isometrics? – Health – Fitness

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Isometrics are another way to get your resistance training. It would appear that it is not a widely known form of exercise. But for the many people that have limited mobility due to injury or illness, isometric exercises can be the answer. Isometrics are used quite often in rehabilitation or for pain management for people with these types of ailments. Isometrics are also great exercises for the elderly to help them with basic strength and mobility. As a matter of fact, many accomplished younger strength athletes use Isometrics to supplement their other weight lifting routines. It really is an unsung hero for many.

Isometrics entail contracting the muscle but not changing the length it. The simplest way to do an Isometric exercise is to push against an immoveable object, like a wall or post or pull on an immovable object without letting your body move toward the object.

Examples of isometric contractions are as follows:

Stand between a doorframe. To work your deltoids, push both hands out against the door frame and hold. The muscle is contracting at this stage but is not changing in length (ie. not shortening nor lengthening). Or push up against the top of the door frame with your hands to work your shoulders.

Work your quadriceps by sitting in chair facing the wall and pushing against the wall with the ball of your foot and hold that push for several seconds. You can choose to do one long hold or several shorter ones to make a set.

To work your chest muscles, stand with your arms straight out in front of you (do not lock your elbows), press your palms into each other and again, hold for several seconds, or hold for a shorter period of time and do this several times.

Find a ledge or countertop at about hip level that you can hook your fingers under that is anchored down. Hook your fingers under the ledge, pull up and hold the contraction. Face towards the ledge to work your biceps, face away from the ledge to work your triceps.

Use a free weight and hold it in a semi-contracted but motionless state for several seconds. You may choose to repeat the contraction several times for a set, or just once for a more extended period of time. You can do this with almost any regular weights exercise by holding the contraction rather than doing the several moving reps you’d normally do.

Basically any exercise you do that involves tensing or contracting the muscle without moving it can be considered an Isometric exercise.

One of the convenient things about Isometric exercises is that they can be done almost anywhere. You don’t even really need an immoveable object to push against or pull as long you can make your muscles tense and hold the contraction for several seconds.

People with high blood pressure are cautioned about using Isometric exercises because the act of holding the contractions for extended periods of time can actually cause an increase in your blood pressure during the exercise. Be careful not to hold your breath during these exercises. Normal breathing should always be maintained throughout the muscle contraction.

Check out my true story about how the ultimate fitness manual “The Truth About Abs” by Mike Geary helped me get my “Six Pack Abs”.

About the Author

Jackie Burgmann is a Registered Weight Trainer and Registered Personal Trainer who also runs a popular fitness-oriented video blog using the pseudonym Girlwithnoname at Girlwithnoname.com

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The following video is an example of a static or isometric Bicep Curl at the point of maximal contraction. The weight of 242lbs provides an approximate gauge as to the resistance the muscle is under. For more a longer explanation of what Isometrics are and how they work, visit Isometric-Training.com
Video Rating: 1 / 5

Isometrics Exposed

Well, there are both pros and cons to isometrics.  I’ll go into both.

The cons:

1.  Many people just like the atmosphere of a gym.

If you enjoy the social atmosphere of the gym, talking shop with others during your workout, or need that interaction to actually get you to DO your workout, then Isometrics is probably not for you. And, let’s face it, many people do like the competition and other social aspects of a gym.

2.  Many people have plenty of time.

My mother, for instance, goes to the gym and loves it.  She has plenty of time and isn’t concerned about gaining muscle mass.  Her general fitness routine is fun for her and, being retired, she has as much time as she wants to spend there.

3.  Many people have the money to spend on exercise equipment and/or the gym membership.  And gas to and from the gym.  You get the idea.

4.  Some people just want to stick with what they know…  And since isometric training is basically unknown to the majority of people today, they just pass on it.

The Pros:

1.

Isometrics is very time efficient. To get the same or better workout, it takes A LOT less time than other methods.  The basic idea is this:  The key to building muscle is to stimulate all of the muscle fibers to the point of exhaustion (bringing you to the point where you can’t push or pull with the muscle any more).  This exhaustion tells your body to build new, bigger muscle tissue.  This takes some time using the weight training and body-weight methods, because you are lifting the weight through the full range of motion.  Take for example a bench press.  You push up the weight from the chest till your arms are fully extended.  But your muscles aren’t exhausted yet.  That’s why you have to do more repetitions to exhaust the muscles.  Same with push-ups or dips.  And then once you reach that “muscle failure” (muscle exhaustion), that is the part of the exercise that causes the muscle to grow.  Isometric exercises, however, starts by creating the tension at that critical, peak point.  Now hold that tension with all your strength and focus for several seconds, then relax.  That’s it. 

Isometrics stimulates each muscle fiber at that critical point from beginning to end of the exercise.

So there is no wasted time.  It’s totally efficient. And many people report a complete workout is done in about 10 minutes!

2.  Do them almost anywhere.  Actually, I can’t think of any place you can’t do them.  I know of someone who worked on his abs while waiting in line somewhere!  I like privacy, but it can be done at work while sitting or standing.  Anywhere will suffice.

3.  No equipment is needed.  There is no chin-up bar, no weights, nor any apparatus of any sort.  Because you don’t need those things for a full power workout that builds incredible strength. 

So, judge for yourself.  If you like the gym and the results you get there, then keep doing it!  If you don’t mind the time and money spent with traditional exercise routines, then more power to you!  BUT, if you want even bigger muscle size and/or strength gains, with less time and money spent to get them, then check into isometrics.  I believe you’ll be glad you did.

Find More Do Isometric Exercises Work Articles

Strength Training is Important For Weight Loss

Article by Chris Morris

Losing weight requires a person to moderate the amount they eat, reduce eating unhealthy foods and exercise. Exercise should involve both cardiovascular as well as strength training activities. Weight lifting will tone muscles and help firm up your body after all that weight is lost. Working out the muscles as the weight comes off will help eliminate the flabby feeling and look one get as they lose weight.

Strength training can involve weights, isometric exercises, machines or even rubber bands. There are many ways to engage your muscles as you exercise. One of the most popular and well-known is using barbells and weight plates. You can get a full body exercise by performing bench press, shoulder press, curls, squats and lunges among many other variations. Dumbbells or barbells can be used for any or all of these movements.

A person’s body weight can also be used to strengthen and tone your body. Push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups are well-known exercises. There is a huge variety of additional exercises that you can perform as well such as dips for the tricep muscles, squats and lunges with your hands locked behind your head, front and side plank for your core, etc. The list is long and varied and really your imagination is the only thing limiting you from developing an exercise using only your body weight.

Weight machines are popular especially for those just beginning with weight training. The machines reduce the possibility of injury as the movements are self contained. You can easily adjust the amount of weight used to lift with a simple adjustment of the key. You will need to make sure you read the recommended positioning of your body for the exercise. Control and deliberate lifting of the weight is important to get the most out of the activity. If you are in a gym or health facility, the trainers should be able to show you how to use the equipment.

One of the more interesting tools are resistance bands. These are basically big rubber bands with varying amounts of resistance as you pull them. You can maneuver the bands to do most any exercise from chest exercises similar to bench presses with weights to arm curls. The bands are very adaptable and once you get used to the movements they can definitely help tone your muscles. You will simply have o task for assistance or read the manual to get the most out of the exercises.

Muscle toning with weights is an important part of your goal of losing weight and getting in shape. There are many types of exercises and movements that can be done to firm up your body.

Isometrics For Powerlifters & Strongmen

In your sport, the name of the game is strength, right? Let those bodybuilders have all the posing trunks, pro-Tan, dieting, and high-repetition sets that they want. You know that your goal isn’t related to how you looking in glittery posing trunks, and you darn sure aren’t concerned about what five judges in suits care about your physique. No, your goals involve lifting very heavy objects. Maybe it is the weights you like to lift. Maybe you want to find the highest total for bench press, deadlift, and squat that your body is capable of making. Or, maybe powerlifting isn’t your thing, and strongman competition is. If the idea of moving a 300 pound Atlas stone over your head, or pulling a bus further than anyone else in a competition is your goal, then you certainly want more strength.

If your goal is strength, then you’ve probably tried every routine under the sun in your last five years of training, right? You know the basic training staples of each sport, and you’ve probably done them, and then some! There’s a good chance you have exhausted every possible idea you have for making strength gains.

At this point, your options probably include gaining a great deal more weight (placing you in a higher and therefore more competitive weight class) or resorting to anabolic steroids, which can have health risks and may violate the rules of the confederation in which you compete. Is there another way to boost your strength levels without taking these routes? Yes there is!

Isometric training is a protocol which can help you to improve your strength levels in all of the essential lifts. Defined simply, isometric lifting involves locating then executing a static hold in three different positions against an immovable object.

For example, you might begin with the standard standing pectoral butterfly stretch against the cable machine. You are at full extension, and incapable of moving the rack, obviously. After holding that flex and pressing as hard as possible for 30 seconds, move to the middle range of the stretch. Add another 30 seconds of complete tension – pressing with everything you have against a weight you obviously know will not move. Finally, finish that “set” with another 30 seconds of the final locked out position.

The idea behind isometric training is that you will give the muscle an infinite workload of resistance in the three main positions of a lift in which you want to improve. It’s very effective when used in conjunction with post-training stretching. You can emulate just about any lift you can imagine, simply by contorting your body against some equipment in the gym, or in your home or office, when time is short. Muscle coordination benefits tremendously, which allows for greater contraction, strength, and concentration when you’re actually conducting the movements the isometric stretching was designed to mirror.

Mix isometric into your training following the three major lifts of deadlift, bench press and squats. You might just discover it allows you to break a plateau and increase your strength levels without resorting to steroid use or weight gains. Get pressing!

www.varietytrainer.com This is my wife Trina doing an isometric hold in a seated row position with an emphasis on trying to keep in a scapular retraction position. She did two sets of these to failure as the finishers of her workout.

Isometric Exercise Books – Secret to Your Isometric Workout?

The popularity of isometric exercise books has been increasing lately. In fact, John Peterson, author of Isometrics Power Revolution has made a living writing isometrics exercise books. Read this article and learn why Iso exercise books alone, may not be the answer to your strength training and fitness goals.

When you think of isometric exercise books you may be tempted to think of the famous Charles Atlas Dynamic Tension Course. While Mr. Atlas utilized isometrics as part of his training program, the dynamic tension course was a combination of body weight and iso-exercises (isometrics are commonly referred to as “Iso or Iso’s”). Personally, I have found isometric exercisers to be more effective than freehand Iso’s. Some individuals like, Mr. John Peterson have stated that isometric exercisers don’t work because of “retroforce.”

In all my extensive research I have not found any evidence, in medical journals or scientific studies about the validity of the claim of “retroforce.” The fact of the matter is that isometric exercise equipment IS more effective than any freehand exercises that you could find in an isometric exercise book.

I do believe that isometrics free hand exercises have their place.

Perhaps, you are driving or you are sitting at your desk at work. Well, if you’re driving focus on the road not on building your muscles. And if you’re going to exercise or do isometrics at your desk you can still easily take your isometrics exerciser with you.

Most isometrics books will cost you as much as an Iso-Exerciser. Most of these books will cost you about $ 30.00. On the other hand, a good quality Iso-exerciser will run you just under $ 50.

With many of these companies you get the added benefit that they will often include with the “static contraction exerciser,” (as they are sometimes referred to as) a free hand isometric training program.

So for the price of one good isometrics exercise book, you get two tools to help you accomplish your strength training and bodybuilding goals.

topfatlossmyths.com This 7-day home workout requires no special equipment, so you can complete it in your home or office. Home Workout Program Day 7 – Isometric Workout And Stretching Visit www.TopFatLossMyths.com to discover the top 10 fat loss myths

Strength Training Exercise Ideas

It is a well known fact that strength training is ideal for toning up, strengthening muscles, making our bodies injury resistant and boosting our metabolism.

However, when you go into your gym you will be faced with two choices. Do you use the strength training machines, or the ‘free’ weights? There are advantages and disadvantages to using both, and in this article we outline the pros and cons.

Strength training machines are ideal for beginners, as they are much easier to use. The body is supported, and as the weights are moved in a controlled motion along a fixed track, it is very difficult to lift them incorrectly.

The body is automatically in the right position for lifting, so the likelihood of injury is much less. Also machines allow you to isolate certain muscle groups, which is a flexibility free weights lack. Machines are ideal for anyone recovering from an injury due to the extra support they give.

They are much easier to use then the free weights, as there are often clear instructions displayed- there are usually diagrams so that you can see the exact group of muscles you will be working.

It is also easier to track your progress with machines.

They are very convenient as they require very little setting up, and are a lot less intimidating for beginners than the racks of free weights.

The disadvantage of using machines is that they can be somewhat limited, in that each one exercises only one muscle group. You will need to switch to different machines to exercise all the muscle groups. This can be very time consuming, especially if your gym is busy and you have to wait.

Machines don’t always offer a natural body movement, as certain muscles are isolated. This goes against the natural body function of using several muscle groups simultaneously to support the body through each movement.

They can be too supportive, which means that only one muscle group is being worked at any one time.

The metabolic rate and amount of calories burnt may not be as great as using free weights.

If you are considering weights for a home gym, strength training machines take up a lot of room, and you are likely to need several different ones for a full workout. They can also be very expensive.

Free weights include dumbbells and bars to which different weights can be attached. Free weights have some advantages over machines; they are a lot more versatile as you are not restricted to just one range of motion. This means that you can alter how you lift slightly in order to work a different muscle group.

Free weights workouts are generally done standing, meaning that you are working more than one group of muscles at a time, as the other muscles work to support your weight whilst you lift. Using free weights will also improve your coordination and balance as your body works to stabilize you.

You can give yourself a total body workout with just a few sets of dumbbells, without the need to move from machine to machine. Free weights take up a lot less space than machines, and are a lot cheaper.

The main disadvantage of using free weights is that it is much easier to injure yourself using them than using a machine. Free weights require more skill and balance.

It is more difficult to know exactly what muscle groups you are working with each exercise. There are no clear instructions, so you will need to be shown how to use them effectively; this is especially important if you plan to use them at home.

As the free weights don’t follow a fixed track, it can be too easy to do the movement incorrectly, which could lead to injury. Free weights are responsible for far more injuries than machines and you have to be vigilant against getting into sloppy lifting habits.

That’s what the mirrors at the gym are for- not to admire your physique but to check that you are lifting correctly and maintaining a good posture.

Both options have their uses in helping you realize your fitness goals, and many people incorporate both into their routines. If you are a beginner or suffering from an injury, using machines would probably be best. Whichever you decide, make sure that you are given a proper instruction to using strength training equipment before you start.

How To Do Muscle Training

Article by Soli Katir

The best way to strain muscles and injure yourself is to jump right into tapping without stretching or warming up. When you use muscle training in your routine, you are building muscle mass. This is an important step in maximizing core muscle training as it allows the trainee to complete those last so important reps of the exercise which contribute the most to building size and strength.

Although a muscle trained in this way will develop in strength and size if fails to integrate the action holistically. If you wish to learn how to transform your workout into a more effective fat burning and muscle training process with out the time consumption, let a professional help design you a program you can do on your own. Unless you are a body builder, too much muscle training or overtraining can make you bigger than you wanted.

There are also many benefits to muscle training as well. After this time, it may be necessary to employ the services of a professional facial muscle trainer to “retrain” your facial muscles to work in their originally intended way.

Leapups train muscles to remember how to jump, thus drastically helping to increase vertical leap. A resistance training program can be used to train muscle groups generally not included in walking. They were the ones who were able to push themselves to heroic dimensions so that every fiber of every muscle trained was feverishly worked to the max.

I can guarantee that if you follow this build muscle program, you’ll see the results that you desire. The next step for your build muscle program is to get on a healthy diet. During your 4 week how to gain weight and muscle program, you must eat like you’ve never eaten before.

Lifting: The backbone of a how to gain weight and muscle program is weight lifting. Therefore, while you are on a lose weight program, you must also be on a build muscle program. There is an abundance of info about how to start and conduct a building muscle program, but without a desire to achieve, you are doomed to certain failure.

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Isometric Exercise Examples

How you benefit from isometric exercise depends on what style you use. The first is the isometric exercise where you push or pull against an immovable object. The second type is where you hold a weight steady with out moving it. Both types of isometric exercise are held for a period of time, usually 5 to 10 seconds.

The difference between the two is pushing against an object will increase strength but not increase muscle size. When you use a weight in a static hold, this will increase strength and build muscle. Doing isometrics without the weights has many uses such as a supplement to a weight lifting program or for rehabilitation.

When using a weight for isometric exercises, hold the weight at different points in the normal range of motion. For example if you are doing curls, do a 10 second hold at the bottom, mid range and top positions.

With isometrics the muscle is only strengthened at that part of the movement you are holding the weight, that’s why you should vary the positions. The same would hold true for the bench press and any other exercise.

The same theory holds true for body weight exercises. You can do push-ups and hold at the bottom, mid-range and top positions for 10 seconds. Try Pull-ups this way by pausing at three points on the way up or on the way down. As you get stronger you can hold the weight or push against an object for longer periods of time. If you are not doing isometrics you are missing out on a good supplemental exercise.

Find More Isometric Exercise Articles

Body Weight Workouts for a Strong and Sexy Body

Article by Joey Atlas

Bodyweight workouts are very misunderstood and under-estimated ways of enhancing muscle tone and strength. Many trainers and fitness seekers can’t see past traditional bodyweight workouts consisting of push-ups, pull-ups and dips.

Both men and women can follow body weight workouts and get great results that are in line with fitness goals ranging from slimming, shaping and toning to strengthening and lean muscle building.

A big hurdle for most people to get over when considering body weight workouts for fitness is the question of, “How can a body weight workout routine replace one that uses weight training and machines?”

It is easy to see how psychology can be an obstacle in trying to help people understand that properly structured bodyweight workouts can be better than traditional weight-lifting and exercise machine workouts. Traditional workouts offer many variations, almost endless actually. Where as bodyweight workouts rely on creativity mixed with a good understanding of how the body functions and what exercises stimulate healthy and safe fitness progress.

Many fitness pros believe that body-weight workouts offer just a limited amount of exercise options and are very general at best, meaning that there is no ability to target and isolate specific muscle groups during a bodyweight workout. This is a big mis-perception that prevents many fitness success stories from ever becoming a reality.

Here’s the reason why. When people get into the ‘health club mentality’ of only being able to workout with equipment, weights and machines, they set themselves up for many episodes of ‘falling off the program’ and failing. Bodyweight workouts eliminate this excuse.

Here’s an example where bodyweight workouts are a million times more effective than regular old gym workouts. You go on vacation or you go out of town on business, or maybe to visit family for several days. So many times these events become excuses for people not sticking to their fitness plan because they ‘couldn’t go to a gym’. With a well-rounded, bodyweight workout program this excuse is not valid.

The right body weight workouts can be done anywhere and anytime. They can be done at home, the office, a fiend’s house or even on a play-ground. And in terms of effectiveness – I can only say through personal experience with my own bodyweight workouts and those of the people who I have trained that when planned properly and followed consistently, bodyweight workouts can be even more effective than most weight lifting or machine based workout programs.

Body weight workouts offer ‘fitness veterans’ – a refreshing, eye-opening alternative to the those repetitive weight and machine training programs. Even more importantly, bodyweight workouts offer sedentary fitness beginners a safe, non-intimidating and effective method for starting a home based fitness program with a high probability for success.

Whether you are just beginning or you’ve been ‘pumping the weights’ for some time now, give some consideration to the benefits and advantages of properly structured body weight workouts and how they can help you move forward in your fitness and conditioning goals. Open up your mind to the possibility of a bodyweight workout being a part of your overall fitness plan and see what happens. You’ll be very pleased and maybe a bit surprised with the results you experience.

Why You Need To Have A Good Diet And Exercise Regime For Weight Loss.

Article by Shirl Wynn

When undertaking a weight loss regime a lot of attention is given to food and cooking which is necessary. A lot of people do not execute an exercise regime as well. But food intake and exercise go hand in hand for everyone’s general well-being.

When you exercise your body improves by burning fat and developing your circulation and metabolism. Exercising constantly will improve your body in removing toxins by way of the sweat glands and lymph nodes. This in turn will help to balance blood sugar levels.

Clinical studies confirm that lazy people who do not exercise have untoward insulin outcome to moderate levels of carbohydrate. What this means is that exercise will not only help you to lose weight but to keep it off as well.

There are two types of exercise aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic exercise has one predominant aim and that is to elevate the heart rate. This will in turn cause your body to use more oxygen thereby giving all your cells a fresh supply of oxygen. Being inactive many cells will be oxygen impaired but after exercise they will be invigorated and as a result you will feel fine.

When commencing a new aerobic workout it is wise that you seek advice from your doctor or physician. You must start carefully giving your body time to adapt to the new routine.

With any type of exercise you must warm up and stretch your muscles to prevent straining them. Suggestions for exercise are walking, swimming, golf, tennis and dancing. These activities will get your heart pumping without putting too much strain on your body.

Set yourself little goals and increase them gradually and your body will respond accordingly.

Any exercise which is not aerobic is called anaerobic exercise and these will build muscle mass such as weightlifting and strength training. Working with weights is critical in losing weight. When you lose fat you will need to take the place of it with muscle to become lean. Isometrics and resistance training are good excellent weight bearing exercises which will help in improving bone density, posture and increase fat burning.

To lose weight effectively and safely along with the food intake you must have an exercise routine otherwise you will not succeed in producing the lean body you want.

So you are probably asking yourself what is the right diet and weight routine for you? The answer is quite clear, it is the one you will keep doing long-term. This will not be easy as you need a whole attitude change to implementing new things and a new mindset. The next question you need to ask yourself is what is your motivation to keep with the program when you do not feel like it.

Some tips to help would be to exercise with a friend or family member where you share your journey with each other egging each other on.

Creating a log book or diary recording your progress is a must so that you can see your development and see what works for you as well as what does not work. Take a photograph of yourself each month in your swim suit so you have a visual picture of the change in your body form. This will definitely help you with inspiration.

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