Exercises That Work Muscle Against Muscle

The key to building strength is to work your muscles against some type of resistance. Resistance, however, is not limited to a heavy objects such as weights. Body-weight exercises, for example, use the weight of your body as the resistance. Contracting the right muscles during body-weight exercises forces muscles to work against other muscles, increasing the resistance and intensifying your workout.

  1. Dynamic Tension

    • The dynamic tension concept was developed by fitness guru Charles Atlas. To perform dynamic tension exercises, you flex a muscle or muscles while performing an activity that targets the flexed muscles. Move through each exercise smoothly and slowly, with a full range of motion, to work your muscles against other muscles. “Men's Health” suggests taking four seconds for the concentric portion of the exercise -- pushing off the floor during pushups, or rising during squats, for example -- and another four seconds for the eccentric portion.

    Warm up to Start

    • Warm up before doing dynamic tension exercises, just as you would for any other type of resistance workout. Perform five to 10 minutes of moderate cardio, such as jogging or jumping rope, and then stretch the muscles you'll be working, dynamically. Dynamic stretches can include arm swings, trunk twists and leg kicks, or other similar movements.

    Sample Exercises

    • To perform squats during dynamic tension workouts, contract the quadriceps on the front of each thigh and the gluteus muscles in your butt and hip area. Squat straight down, keeping your knees in line with your toes, until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor. Maintain a continuous, hard contraction in your quads and glutes as you squat, and then rise slowly to the starting position. If you're performing wide-grip pushups, contract your pecs, triceps, shoulders and abs during the exercise. Lie face down on the floor with your hands outside of your shoulders. Press yourself up so your arms are straight, your feet are close together and you're balanced on your hands and toes. Keep your body aligned from head to heels as you lower your chest close to the floor, and then rise to the starting position with your arms extended. Stop short of locking your elbows.

    Program

    • Perform each exercise to failure. If your sets become too extended, add intensity to the exercises. For example, try single-leg squats, one-arm pullups or crunches on a decline bench, with your head lower than your feet. To add intensity to pushups, place your hands and feet on chairs or benches and lower yourself between the objects. Alternatively, try handstand pushups with your feet against a wall. Don't rest for more than one minute between sets, and end each set by contracting the muscles you've been working for 10 seconds each. As with other types of strength sessions, don't perform dynamic tension workouts on consecutive days.