What are isometric exercises and what are they for (and three exercises you can do at home)

Isometric training is an unusual training method in commercial gyms, but is widely used in high performance and even in the world of sports rehabilitation. In this article, we explain what it consists of, how it is done, and some exercises for you to put into practice. What are isometric exercises? To explain what an isometric exercise is, we must first define what an isometric contraction is. Although there are several types of muscle contractions, the best known in the field of fitness are concentric and eccentric. If the amount of force exerted by the muscle is greater than the resistance, a concentric contraction occurs. If the amount of force exerted by the muscle is less than the resistance, it is called an eccentric contraction. But what happens when the muscle doesn't lengthen or shorten? An example would be if we try to move an immovable object like a car: the muscles produce tension but do not change their length, which is why this type of contraction is called isometric. But it does not only happen with objects that exceed the capacity of our muscles, but also with loads in movements in which we perform a momentary isometric contraction in part of the journey. These are some of the practical applications of isometric exercises Strength improvement in a specific joint range When we perform an isometric contraction at a specific point in a sporting movement or gesture, the strength gains that we can expect will only be limited to that specific joint angle. This is because isometric exercises create neural patterns that are specific to that angle, so when we include them in training, we must make sure to focus on producing maximum force at that particular point. Increased metabolic stress during training generates fatigue, which ultimately can cause an increase in mechanical stress, an essential factor to produce hypertrophy. Isometric training can increase metabolic stress by causing an occlusion effect in the worked muscle, that is, during isometric contraction hardly any blood enters or leaves the muscle. This occlusion effect may have similarities with blood flow restriction (BFR) training, which has shown muscle gains similar to those achieved through traditional strength training. Injury rehabilitation If we move to a different scenario, such as the rehabilitation process of an injury or surgery, isometric exercises also have a place, especially when the use of eccentric exercises is too painful for the patient. In addition, since there is no joint movement, it allows for maintaining muscle mass in injuries and postoperative periods where it is necessary for the joint to be stable. In these cases, isometric contractions have been shown to have a hyperkalemic effect, that is, to reduce pain, increasing the threshold and the subjective perception of pain by patients. Three isometric exercises that you can do at home to increase the intensity of your training Isometric towel squat To perform an isometric squat simply step on a towel with your feet and hold the ends of the towel over your shoulders. Since you probably don't have the strength to break the towel, this will serve as an immovable object. Hold the isometric contraction for 3-5 seconds. Isometric rowing with chairs or tables The inverted row using a table or chairs is possibly one of the most ingenious exercises that we can do at home to work our back. Simply place your extended body under a table or with two chairs on either side as in the video, grab the edge and pull to raise your body. Hold the isometric contraction for 3-5 seconds. Isometric towel push-ups, following the same principle as with the squat, fix the towel to the floor with your hands and pass the rest over your shoulders. Try to push the ground down, trying to separate your body from it. The towel will prevent you. Hold the isometric contraction for 3-5 seconds.