Don't Ignore or Overlook Isometric Exercises!

Isometrics are simply exercises that don’t require any movement at all, just muscle contraction. A favorite isometric move of mine, the horse stance, comes from Kung-Fu. You simply spread your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, keeping your toes pointed forward. Drop down until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Now, simply hold it there as long as you can. Don’t forget to breathe deeply. You can hold this position against the wall, as seen in season one of The Ultimate Fighter.

Here is a favorite secret isometric exercise of mine. It tones and shapes your buttocks, and you can do it anywhere. It is very, very simple. Just squeeze your butt as hard as you can. Big deal, right? The key is to relax all the other muscles (especially your lower back) and concentrate only on your buttocks. Squeeze and contract as hard as you can, then release. Squeeze and release, squeeze and release. Or, breathe in, squeeze as hard as you can while breathing out, hold that contraction while you inhale, then squeeze even harder while breathing out. Your goal is to increase the force of the contraction upon each exhalation. Try it while waiting in line at the food store or the bank (while not being obvious!).

Try this one: stand in a horse stance facing a wall. Get a small pillow and hold it on your forehead as you press your forehead into the wall. With the pillow pinched between your forehead and the wall, put your hands down on your hips (to get them out of the way). Now, push as hard as you can for as long as you can, using as much of your body as possible. This develops the muscles you would use to plow headfirst into somebody. It is great for football players, martial artists, and anybody learning self-defense. You can also do this exercise with your palms pushing on the wall instead of your forehead (again, great for football players and martial artists).

If you haven’t realized it by now, isometrics and muscle control go hand-in-hand. The art of muscle control requires strict, focused contraction of each individual muscle. The difference is that isometrics tends to focus on large muscle groups while muscle control focuses on controlling each muscle separately. A skilled muscle controller has spent time contracting and relaxing each muscle in his body, and is able to make the muscles appear as though they are “dancing” across the body. It is fascinating to watch. Isometrics are a great foundational block upon which to build your muscle control exercises so start there if you desire to learn muscle control.

As with the other natural exercise systems, isometrics offer a wide range of exercises; you just need creativity!

Jump to the Bodyweight Calisthenics Page Back to Natural Exercise Page Take Me Back to the Home Page!