It almost seems too simple. Muscles and strength can be built without equipment, without dynamics and without movement. The secret is isometric exercises. This strength training without equipment ensures a well-trained body using just the tension of the muscles and various static positions. Does it work? We already know the basics from childhood.
The classic handstand is a typical example of this specific training. Also the push-up. What do you need to consider when doing shoulder exercises or abdominal training in this way? We have put together the most important aspects of the topic for you here.
Define muscles through isometric exercises?
Most of us associate weights, special training equipment and intensive training sessions with muscle growth. In classic strength training, such as in cycling, training effects are achieved by stretching or contracting muscles . Pushing and pulling movements introduce their own dynamics.
As a rule, you have to overcome resistance with weights such as dumbbells or on training equipment. Isometry exercises or isometric strength training are characterized by completely different elements. The training effect is achieved statically and by holding a position using body tension .
Building muscle statically - is that possible?
To build muscle, you don't need any weights, resistance or classic strength exercises. Conscious intramuscular tension is enough to create more muscles. More strength can also be built up or, depending on the intensity of the training, the current strength level can be maintained. Interestingly, this type of training can achieve success in muscle building training very quickly.
Benefits of static training
There are benefits to training isometrically .
It is interesting, for example, that ...
- The training units can be developed from any starting level of strength and muscles. That's why a certain amount of isometric tension exercises are now firmly integrated into rehabilitation training. Many training processes can be carried out lying down and pave the way to the later, dynamic elements. Especially after injuries, individual muscle groups can be trained in isolation and adapted step by step to increasing requirements .
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Endurance and maximum strength can be trained at the same time. The cardiovascular system is also challenged when a certain body position has to be maintained for a longer period of time. This strengthens your fitness while at the same time defining your muscles.
- Particularly stabilizing areas of the muscles benefit. It is ideal to train isometrically in the torso or abdominal area. In addition to the superficial muscles, you also reach the deep muscles with training .
- This special type of static training can help to strengthen the focus for the sports sessions on a mental level. If you want to hold a body position, inner concentration is essential for you. In this way, each exercise promotes your mental focus on yourself, your own body, your willpower and training success.
Are there any disadvantages?
Static training basically has many advantages . However, there are also aspects to consider that can have negative effects.
- The isometric tension in the muscle reduces blood circulation. Every time you train, certain metabolic products are created. These are transported less well statically than during a dynamic exercise session. This can lead to hyperacidification of the affected muscles. That's why many athletes train alternately isometrically and dynamically. With this variety they try to prevent muscles from sticking together in the worst case scenario. Strength training professionals prepare for extreme challenges by maintaining intramuscular tension for a long time.
- With this type of training, the interaction between individual muscles is neglected. Rather, individual areas are only trained in isolation. In many sports, the coordination and interaction of the individual muscles is important. This functional range is not achieved by isometric strength training . This effect also suggests alternating isometric and dynamic work on the muscles.
In some areas, for example in the torso, the interaction of different muscles is not important. These muscle parts achieve their stabilizing function through static positions and in isolation. This is another reason why isometric training is particularly suitable for strengthening these muscle areas. In addition to the core muscles, the hand and forearm muscles also stabilize. This is one of the reasons why a push-up is a classic example of isometric training.
- Amateur athletes in particular often complete one or another static exercise while holding their breath. This can lead to an increase in blood pressure . This is not a fundamental disadvantage of isometric training sessions , but rather incorrect breathing behavior. If in doubt, have an experienced trainer show you how to breathe optimally when training statically.
Isometric exercises: what should you pay attention to?
In addition to the correct breathing technique, it is important for isometric units to recover adequately after training. You know this from dynamic training units . Even if things are static, regeneration is an issue. Do not underestimate the intensity of the training elements, which may seem harmless at first glance. The intensity of the load via intramuscular tension can be significant.
Beginners in particular tend to only concentrate on holding a position isometrically for as long as possible. Remember to carry out all training sessions correctly. The right technique can lead you to success.
If you hold a position for a long time but do not perform the position correctly, you are not training the correct muscle areas. They may even harm themselves by tensing up. Overall, you should not go beyond your personal endurance limit with static training that seems so simple.
Static exercises can be gradually increased to suit your personal performance level. There is another factor that contributes to success in building muscle. Your diet comes into focus.
Building muscle doesn't just depend on muscle training. Only if your muscles have enough building material will muscle gain be promoted. What do muscles need? You need protein, or the smallest protein building blocks, the amino acids . In order to better understand muscle growth, it is worth taking a look at the processes behind these processes.
1. Isometric exercises initially involve overwhelming demands
We often don't want to admit it to ourselves, but it can hardly be denied: behind building muscle there is intense strain on the muscle . This harsh demand causes the muscle in shock to prepare and adapt for further events of this type. Growth requires a stimulus.
While the stimulus occurs, the muscle does not grow. It grows in the subsequent regeneration phase. If we want to define and build muscle , the load is just as important as the subsequent recovery. There should be between 48 and 72 hours after intensive training between the stress on a muscle group. Sufficient sleep plays a big role overall.
2. Stress and muscle damage
Intense stimuli stress the muscles. For example, when a muscle contracts, certain proteins come together. These are torn apart again when they expand, especially under heavy loads. The muscle is damaged. The subsequent adaptation process ensures that the muscle strengthens and, from our point of view, grows during the regeneration period . Sufficient protein is essential for the healing process and subsequent muscle growth .
3. Protein synthesis
In a complex process, mechanical stress caused by isometric strength training or weight training , for example, also triggers a type of chemical stress in the muscle. These stresses activate certain genes. These ensure that the process of protein synthesis intensifies. Protein synthesis means that (more) protein is formed as a building material for the muscles on the basis of amino acids.
4. Amino acids: Indispensable nutritional components when building muscle
The need for protein (protein) can vary in different life situations. On average, an intake of 0.8g per kilogram of body weight is recommended . The need can increase during intensive physical exertion, illness or old age. It is often found that we consume enough protein through a varied diet .
However, increased demand values, which can be very individual, are not taken into account. Vegan or vegetarian diets can also mean that we do not always absorb all of the amino acids through normal foods. What is particularly relevant here is the supply of the essential protein building blocks.
The human body cannot produce these building blocks itself. They have to be taken in again and again through food.
- leucine,
- isoleucine,
- lysine,
- methionine,
- threonine,
- phenylalanine,
- Valine and
- Tryptophan.
5. Scientific studies on the importance of protein for building muscles
Scientists have investigated how additional protein can affect muscle building . They confirm the important role that protein supply plays in muscle growth.
It is known that the essential amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine, the BCAAs, activate certain enzymes for protein synthesis after physical exertion.
You should pay particular attention to getting enough protein when you are on a diet. The dreaded yo-yo effect is a result of inadequate protein intake while restricting calories. In this deficiency situation, the body tends to rely on the body's own protein in the muscles.
In this way you do not promote muscle building , but rather the breakdown of muscle. This also reduces the body's basal metabolic rate. If you consume more calories again after a diet, the organism burns less energy due to the reduced muscle mass. In the end, the scale shows more than before the calorie-reduced diet.
Training isometrically: What are typical exercises?
There are a number of exercises that are particularly easy to perform statically and can achieve intensive training results. In principle, you can do isometric strength training separately from other exercise sessions, for example after an injury or during rehab. But you can also integrate isometric exercises into dynamic training routines .
This variety of training forms often offers the body particularly intense stimuli. For strength training without equipment, you often need little preparation and little space. However, we have already noted that you should learn how to perform each exercise correctly . If necessary, also under the guidance of a trainer.
There are a variety of interesting training units, such as shoulder exercises and additional exercise elements to stabilize the core muscles during strength training in cycling. We have put together some exercise sequences here to give you some inspiration.
There is one more thing we would like to draw your attention to: When it comes to isometric exercise series , the number is usually not important. Every single exercise counts because it is carried out very intensively by holding the position. This is also where isometric training differs from dynamic training. Think about the different sets of a dumbbell workout.
Isometric exercises examples: classics and variations
There is now literature that offers exciting and very effective examples of isometric exercise series. You can also find interesting static exercise elements online and in the repertoire of trainers in the gym. Here you can set your own priorities to train certain muscle areas , for example the core muscles or the shoulder area.
Likewise, some exercise elements aim to train larger muscle areas at the same time. Anyone who is enthusiastic about yoga will also find what they are looking for with certain forms of yoga . Many types of yoga contain at least static elements. Yin yoga focuses on long-term exercise poses that combine tension, stretching and relaxation. This is not only an interesting workout for the muscles, but also for the surrounding connective tissue (fascia).
Training isometrically - there is something for everyone:
- Classic for the whole body
- Shoulder training with therapeutic demands
- Static impulses for the knee area
- Challenging abdominal training
- Units to strengthen the neck muscles
- For advanced users for full body training (small aids required)
If you were asked about the effectiveness of static training sessions , your answer might be: My training can be more isometric . Using intramuscular tension to build muscles is not an insider tip. Integrate these easy-to-do exercise units regularly into your sporting activities.
In combination with dynamic units, stretching and sufficient regeneration, you can achieve considerable static success in many muscle areas. Stability benefits from static exercise elements, particularly in the abdominal and torso area. Isometric exercises are very effective and make you mentally strong.