Tag Archives: isometric

Squat and Hold

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I have a lower body exercise I would like you to try for the Home Exercise of the Week.  It’s called the Squat and Hold.

The Squat and Hold is an isometric exercise that targets all the major muscles of the lower body – quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.  The isometric aspect of this exercise will build strength and endurance.  The muscles of the back will be working as well and If you raise your arms out in front of you then you will also be working your shoulders.

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing the Squat and Hold properly.

  • squat down pushing your hips back and arching your back up slightly until your thighs are parallel to the floor
  • sit your weight on your heels and keep your knees directly over your ankles
  • raise your arms out in front of you to shoulder height and retract your shoulder blades
  • keep your head up and maintain this position for 30 to 60 seconds

There will be a great amount of lactic acid buildup in the muscles so this will burn!  Make sure you are taking in deep even breaths to get the most amount of oxygen to your muscles.  This will help flush out the lactic acid and help you get through the entire set.

Oftentimes the simplest move can bring the greatest results so make sure you add this great isometric strength and endurance building exercise to your routine!

Stability Ball Plank

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Get your core fired up with this Home Exercise of the Week!  The Stability Ball Plank is a more advanced version of the regular plank and it will challenge your balance as well as your core.

The Stability Ball Plank is an isometric exercise that targets your abdominals and lower back muscles.  It also works muscles in the upper body and legs.  Doing the plank on the stability ball increases the difficulty and forces your core muscles to work more to keep you steady.

It’s important to keep good form and your body steady during this exercise otherwise you could run the risk of falling off and injuring yourself.  Let’s take a look at the key points to performing the Stability Ball Plank safely and effectively.

  • rest your forearms on the ball with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders
  • step back with both feet until your body is perfectly straight and you’re resting on your toes and forearms
  • make sure your head is in line with your spine
  • keep your foot stance wide if this is your first time doing the exercise.  This will greatly increase your stability.  As you get more comfortable with the exercise you can bring your feet together.
  • pull your belly button in towards your spine to keep your abdominals contracted throughout the plank
  • hold for 30 to 60 seconds breathing normally throughout

So there you have the Stability Ball Plank.  It’s normal to feel a bit wobbly if this is your first time doing this exercise but over time your core strength will improve and your balance will get better giving you a nice steady plank on the ball.  Add this in to your abdominal routine or in to a superset with other exercises in your routine.

Happy planking!

 

Side Plank

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Your core in my opinion is the most important area to train as it will help prevent back problems, improve balance and posture, as well as increase strength and agility for all other areas of your body.  Part of your core muscles are the obliques which are your side abs that allow you to twist and turn your body.  For the Home Exercise of the Week I want to show you the Side Plank which is an isometric abdominal exercise that will effectively target those important oblique muscles.

There are a few different versions of the Side Plank that you can do depending on your fitness level.  The most difficult version is the Side Plank supported by a fully extended arm.  To regress that to a slightly less difficult version is to support your body on your forearm which is what is shown in the video.  To regress that even further, you can support yourself on your forearm then bend one knee and let it rest on the floor which will support more of your body weight.

To properly perform the Side Plank shown in the video, follow the steps outlined below.

  • start by laying on your side with your feet stacked on top of eachother
  • prop yourself up on your forearm and make sure it is directly underneath your shoulder
  • lift your hips off the floor until your body is perfectly straight
  • keep your abs tight and hold this position for 30 seconds (you can hold longer if you’re feeling extra strong!)
  • repeat on the other side

So there you have the Side Plank.  You can increase the difficulty by adding a leg raise, knee crunch, or leg swing.  Demonstrations of these versions will be coming in the future but until then, happy planking!

Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors

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I have a core exercise for you for the Home Exercise of the Week.  It’s called Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors and if you’re familiar with Pilates then you’ll notice a similarity with this one.

Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors will work your lower abdominals as well as your hip flexors and for an added bonus the crunch and hold will isometrically work your upper abdominals.  So you know what that means….muscle burn time!

Let’s take a look at the key points to doing Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors properly.

  • lay face up on your mat and raise your legs to a 45 degree angle keeping them as straight as possible.
  • reach towards your toes with your hands by crunching up until your shoulders are off the floor.  Avoid going too high as this can strain your back and avoid tucking your chin in to your chest.
  • while holding the crunch, lower one leg until it is about an inch or two off the floor then return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
  • ensure that you are pulling your belly button in towards your spine to achieve optimal ab contraction and to avoid straining your lower back.
  • if you find that your back is arching or hurting while doing this exercise then don’t lower your legs as far down.  You can also just do a crunch while holding your legs up and not doing the scissor movement.

So there you have Crunch and Hold Leg Scissors.  Get those abs burning by adding a couple sets of 20 to 30 repetitions to your ab routine or add it in to a superset to get an even bigger metabolic boost!

 

Jump Squat and Hold

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Hey there HomeBody followers!  If you find your leg workouts getting boring or too easy (ok, too easy is probably not possible) and you want to shake things up a bit then give this Home Exercise of the Week a try.

Jump Squat and Hold – There are a few different aspects to this exercise that will challenge your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves in ways that standard squats just can’t do.  Regular squats are awesome and you will get great results and strength from doing them but with the Jump Squat and Hold you get the benefit of plyometric and isometric training.

Plyometric exercises will build explosive power, increase your metabolic rate, burn more calories, and strengthen your cardiovascular system.  Isometric exercises burn fat and build muscle and don’t place a lot of stress on your joints.

Before you jump right to the exercise (pun intended) and start feeling that lactic acid buildup, let’s take a look at how to do this exercise properly.

  • start with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed out slightly
  • squat deep down keeping your head and chest up with shoulders back
  • keep your knees in line with your toes
  • from the deep squat position, jump up in the air as high as you can and with as much force as you can muster
  • land back down and immediately go back in to the squat position but this time hold the squat for 5 to 10 seconds
  • while holding the squat, extend arms out and raise them up to shoulder height.  This will give you a bonus isometric anterior deltoid (front shoulder) exercise
  • after holding the squat, jump back up and repeat

So there you have the Jump Squat and Hold.  Kick your metabolism in to high gear with this one and even try changing up the exercise a little to keep your body guessing.  For example, you can do this by doing 5 jump squats before the hold or extending the hold for longer than 10 seconds.  There are many combinations you can do but whatever you choose, have fun and work hard!