Isometric Exercises - Tips and Tricks

Isometric exercises are a form of exercise in which although great force may be applied to a muscle, that muscle never actually contracts and therefore the limb in questions never moves. Let's say you are pressing your arm against a wall. As you cannot move the wall and you are simply straining against it with your arm this is an isometric contraction. This is in direct contrast to other forms of exercise such as weight lifting. With weight lifting you are moving a weight with your limbs. As there is movement with your limbs, the muscle is contracting. The advantage of isometric exercises are as follows:

-They can exhaust and work all of your muscle fibers in seconds
-They take less time to perform
-They are very safe
-They are incredibly effective at building strength and muscle definition
-They are easy to learn

However although isometric exercises are easy to learn they are very difficult to perform properly. What follows are some tips you can use so that you can get the most out of a program of isometric exercise.

Always breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Our bodies are designed to breathe in air through our noses for a reason. Not only does the nose purify the air before it reaches our delicate lungs it also ensures that it is at the right temperature. Nose breathing also has a calming effect on the body. When you breathe through your mouth your body assumes that you are in panic mode and this stresses the entire body. When you are stressed you will not get the most out of an isometric exercise (or any other kind) workout routine.

Really use your mind and think about what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish as you perform the isometric contraction. Imagine that your muscles are getting bigger and that blood is gushing into them. Know that you are getting stronger and more defined. In order to get the most out of any system of isometric exercises you need to work your mind just as much as your body.

This is borne out in some observations that the old time strongman Maxick made during the early part of the last century. He was watching some stone masons perform their work and although they were constantly engaged in extremely tough physical labour their muscles were not that big. Maxick realized this was because they were so focused on the job at hand, not on their muscles. If you want to get the most out of any exercise, not just the isometric variety, you need to focus your mind with laser like intensity.

Always follow this breathing procedure when performing an isometric exercise. Breathe in through your nose for 3 to 4 seconds while you apply tension to the muscles you are working. Next hold that tension for 7 to 12 seconds as your breathe out through your mouth making a "SSSSSSSS" sound. When that is done breathe in again through your nose as you relax your muscles. By following this procedure and not holding your breathe your will ensure that your blood pressure remains constant and does not spike unnecessarily.

One of the concerns with isometric exercises is that they really raise the blood pressure to dangerous levels. This is only true if you hold your breathe. Of course, this is true for ALL forms of physical exertion. Even activities such as raking leaves or shoveling snow can raise your blood pressure. The key to keeping this under control is to always breathe.

I should add that these tips work for all forms of exercise, not just isometric exercises. Good luck!