Isometric Exercises for a Toned Body

Isometric exercises as defined by Wikipedia are "a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction". In simple layman’s terms this means isometrics are a static pose held for a period of time in order to contract and build lean muscles for a toned body.

This form of strengthening should be in addition to other methods of strengthening and toning muscles and should not be the only means you use. It can help you tone your entire body and can be an important part of your overall strength training routines. You can use static contractions for the upper body, lower body, back and abdominal muscles. Some common workouts that use static poses include Yoga, Pilates and Kegel workouts just to name a few.

Resistance
When performing these contractions you are strengthening and toning by providing resistance to the muscles and joints. Your own body weight is the most common form of resistance for this type of workout. Other items used for resistance include a structural item such as a wall or door.

You can also use free weights or weight machines by holding the weight in a fixed or static position for your isometric exercise. Even resistance bands can be used so long as you are able to hold the position to provide the resistance to your muscles.

Static versus Movers
When performing strength training routines most people think of lifting weights, dumbbells or using a resistance band. In this form of training you are moving different parts of the body. For instance, when doing a bicep curl using dumbbell weights you are moving your forearms up and down using the weight as resistance. This is what is called a "mover" or an isotonic exercise. With isotonic you are keeping the resistance or tension the same (the weight of the dumbbell) but are changing the muscles length as you move your arms.

As stated earlier, isometrics would keep both the resistance and the joint muscle static, meaning no movement while performing the exercise. While both forms of strengthening methods will help build and tone muscles there are some differences between static contractions versus a moving contraction. With a "mover" you are moving your muscles and therefore are strengthening the full range of the muscle.

With static contractions, you are increasing strength at the specific joint angles with the additional joint angles strengthened to a lesser extent. While isotonic workouts are best for increasing strength for the full range, isometrics are best for gaining maximum strength at the joint angle.

Types of Isometric Exercise
As mentioned above, Yoga, Pilates and Kegle exercises are some of the most common means of applying this method of strengthening. However, you do not need to attend a yoga class or buy a Pilates DVD to benefit from the static contraction of muscles to incorporate this into your weekly workout routines. In fact, you can take many common toning moves that you know and do today and turn them into a non-mover, or static contraction, by simply holding the pose.

A good example would be abdominal toning. For instance, take the traditional crunch. Done as an isotonic you would move by crunching up lifting your shoulders off the ground. But as a static contraction you would lift your shoulders and hold the pose for a count of 10 to 60 seconds and repeat 3 to 6 times. Many other common abdominal movements can also be altered to be static contraction. Here are several abdominal workouts with instructions including several isometric abdominal exercises.