An isometric exercise is a form of strength training which involves contracting your muscles against a resistance without any visible movement in your limbs or joints. Also known as a static contraction, isometric exercises are typically low impact and extremely joint-friendly making them a useful addition in many training plans.
Regular isometric exercises can be performed against heavy weights or by pushing and pulling against immovable objects such as a wall, floor or door frame. They can also be performed by contracting your muscles against your own bodyweight which provides a super simple anytime, anywhere strength training stimulus.
Some of the best bodyweight isometric exercises include: wall sits, prisoner lunges, plank holds, bent arm push up holds, side planks and bridge holds. Check out the images below for example of these moves in action or visit the exercise library for full instructions.
Wall Sit
Prisoner Lunge
Plank Hold
Bent Arm Push Up Hold
Side plank
Bridge Hold
As you can see by reconfiguring your body position relative to gravity there are all sorts of effective bodyweight isometric exercises which you can perform at home or outdoors! For simple plan on how to incorporate these moves (and many others) into your workouts click on the button below to download your complete Gymless Strength Training Program.