1. Wall sit:
Wall sits focus on improving the strength of your thighs, especially your quadriceps muscles.
Equipment needed: none
Muscles worked: quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes
Place your back against a sturdy wall about two feet away from you.
Bend your knees and lower your buttocks so that your knee joints form a 90-degree angle. The way you hold your body should be similar to how you sit in a chair.
Hold this position for 15 seconds or more. Make sure you keep your hips and shoulders in contact with the wall and your knees above your ankles.
Do 2-3 rounds.
To maintain this position, you will feel your thighs become more tense and fatigued.
Experiment with shifting your weight back and forth between your toes and heels. By coming down on your heels you will target your glutes, while by coming down on your toes you will target your quadriceps.
Just make sure you don’t let your knees go past your toes, and when you put your weight on your toes, don’t put too much pressure on your knees.
2. High plank hold:
The high plank grip is an effective way to engage many muscles in the body.
Equipment needed: none; optional yoga mat
Muscles worked: abdominals, quadriceps, buttocks, arm muscles, chest and shoulders
Start with a kneeling pushup with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Press your hands into the ground and straighten your knees, pushing down on the balls of your feet to lift your body into a high plank position. Your body should feel like you’re in the upward position of a pushup. Make sure your hands and shoulders are aligned, your legs are straight, and your core is engaged.
Hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds or as long as you can maintain proper form. Repeat two more times.
3. Side plank:
The side plank is excellent for engaging the obliques, located on the sides of your midsection.
Equipment needed: none; optional yoga mat
Muscles worked: shoulder stabilizers, hip abductors, glutes, obliques, quadriceps, and serratus anterior
Maintain a straight posture with your feet, knees, and hips stacked while you lie on your left side. With your forearm on the ground beneath your shoulder, bend your left elbow.
Push your left forearm into the ground to lift your torso and hips off the ground. Keep your core tight and make sure you draw a straight line from your head to your heels.
Raise your right arm directly into the air or keep it at your side.
Hold this position for 10 or more seconds. Then, switch sides.
If you want a bigger challenge, try the side plank with your lower arm straight.
4. Low squat:
Technically, you can perform most isometric exercises while keeping your body still during the contraction. Here’s what we mean, using the squat as an example.
Equipment needed: none
Muscles worked: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Your toes can be pointed out slightly if that’s more comfortable, with your hands on your hips or held straight out in front of you.
Slowly push your hips into a sitting position while bending your knees. Avoid pushing your knees forward.
Continue lowering until your buttocks are slightly below knee level. If you can’t go any further, lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your feet planted with your heels down and your spine long without slouching forward.
Hold this position for 10–30 seconds. Then, return to the starting position.
Do 3-5 rounds.
5. Overhead hold:
Overhead holds test the muscular endurance of the shoulder girdle.
Equipment needed: Light to medium weight required (start with a 5-10 pound plate, a dumbbell or kettlebell, or even just two cans of soup. Increase weight as needed).
Muscles worked: upper trapezius, shoulder girdle muscles, triceps, core
Extend your arms above your head and keep your weight still. Make sure you engage your core.
Make sure you keep your arms fully extended and in line with your shoulders. Bending your arms will involve different muscles (biceps and triceps).
Hold the weight overhead for 20-30 second intervals. However, stop first if you are worried about losing weight.
Do 2-3 rounds.
Increase the challenge by standing on one leg while holding the weight.
6. Glute bridge:
This exercise will quickly become a favorite for anyone looking to improve their glute strength.
Equipment needed: none; optional yoga mat
Muscles worked: hamstrings and glutes, core muscles
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms at your sides. Your heels should be 12-16 inches from your butt.
Press through your heels, brace your core and push your pelvis up while squeezing your glutes. Make sure your ribs don’t flare during this movement. Keep your tail bone slightly tucked, abs engaged, and feet flat on the floor.
You will feel your glutes and hamstrings begin to fatigue. Resist the temptation to lower your hips or arch your back.
Complete 2-3 rounds of a 30 second hold.
7. V-sit:
The V-sit helps you work on core stability while building core strength.
Equipment needed: none; optional yoga mat
Muscles worked: abs and hip flexors
Sit on your butt with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
As you engage your core, straighten your legs to lift your feet off the floor, creating a “V” shape with your body and legs. You can keep your arms at your sides to make the exercise easier, or extend them directly overhead to make it more difficult. Keep your back straight and avoid hunching your shoulders. Continue breathing during the exercise.
If maintaining a straight leg position makes it difficult to keep your spine long or works your hip flexors overtime, bend your knees slightly to lengthen your back and engage your abs more.
Hold this position for 15 seconds or as long as you can while maintaining the correct position.
Do 2-3 rounds.
8. Calf raise and hold:
Calves are commonly forgotten, but it is important to keep them strong. Instead of doing regular calf raises, moving up and down, in this exercise you will hold the top position of the calf raise.
Equipment needed: none, a retaining wall optional
Muscles worked: calves (gastrocnemius, soleus)
Stand with your feet hip distance apart. You may want to stand about 2 feet from a wall for support.
With your hands on your hips (or resting lightly against a wall for support), push through the balls of your feet and lift your heels off the ground.
Hold this position for 20-30 seconds.
Do 2-3 rounds.
For an added challenge, try doing it on one foot. Then switch sides.
Tips for performing isometric exercises:
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your isometric exercises:
Focus on good form: To prevent injuries and train your muscles effectively, pay attention to your form. Once you can no longer perform the exercise with correct form, the exercise is finished.
Actively contract your muscles: While performing the exercise, pay particular attention to the contraction of the muscles. This will help ensure proper form and activate your muscles better, allowing for greater gains in strength and endurance.
Breathe: It is common to forget to breathe during isometric exercise. Make sure you breathe throughout the entire exercise.
Do not overdo it: It can be tempting to hold onto a position as long as possible, especially if you’re new. However, this can be very taxing on the body and can cause injury. Instead, it’s best to prioritize correct form.
If an exercise doesn’t feel right for you, it’s probably best to skip it. If you are recovering from an injury, always listen to the advice of your physical therapist, doctor, trainer or other healthcare provider.
The bottom line:
If you’re looking for variety in your workouts, you could try adding some isometric exercises. These exercises are designed to keep the body in one position for a specific period of time, which can help build muscle strength and endurance.
They are ideal for people who are looking for low-impact exercise, have limited space, are recovering from an injury (under the advice of a healthcare professional), or are looking for a different type of fitness challenge.
Always remember that these exercises can be adapted to your current fitness level. For example, if 20-second planks are too challenging, reduce them to 10 seconds and then increase them as you get stronger over time.
If you’re bored with your exercise routine, isometric exercises might be just what you need.