Extreme Isometric Exercises

Unlike traditional resistance training in which you lift a weight through a certain range of motion, isometrics involve holding a certain position for a set time or until you can no longer maintain good form. Your muscles don't shorten and lengthen during isometrics, so they only increase your strength in a certain position, but they are useful for rehabilitation purposes, notes MayoClinic.com. If you're past the beginner stage of isometric training, it may be time to up your game and try extreme isometric exercises.

  1. Upper-Body

    • Isometric pushups and pull-ups should form the basis of your upper-body extreme ISO training. For pushups, descend halfway and hold your position -- have a partner put a weight plate on your back to increase the difficulty. For pull-ups, jump up to the bar, then lower yourself to the halfway point and stick in one position for as long as you can. Traditional weightlifting exercises can also be made into extreme isometrics, such as holding certain positions on bench presses, dumbbell presses or barbell rows. The iron cross -- a move performed by gymnasts on gym rings -- is a good example of an immensely difficult upper-body isometric move.

    Lower-Body

    • Make your lower-body isometric movements all single-legged to increase the challenge. Wall sits with just one leg on the floor, along with single-leg squat holds are prime examples of this. In "Functional Training for Sports" strength coach Mike Boyle recommends trying 5-5-5 isometrics on the single-leg squat, in which you hold the top, middle and bottom positions for five seconds each. Add holds and pauses to leg extensions, leg curls and leg presses to turn your regular leg workout into an extreme isometric one.

    Core

    • Planks are the isometric exercises that many people are most familiar with, but regular planks are a beginner exercises. To make them more advanced, place your hands and feet on Swiss balls, or try the four-point medicine ball pushup plank, in which you assume a push-up position and set up four medicine balls so you have a hand or foot on each. For a gymnastics-themed extreme core isometric, perform an L-sit. The basic L-sit is performed with your hands on the floor and knees slightly bent; for advanced variations, use gym rings. To perform it, body weight training coach Al Kavadlo recommends performing a hanging leg raise, but stopping when your legs are at a right angle to your torso and holding that position.

    Considerations

    • Master basic isometric moves before attempting any advanced variations and always have a trainer check your form before starting. For a serious challenge, trainer Jay Schroeder recommends performing very slow repetitions as isometric exercise, taking five to 10 minutes per rep. This takes a high degree of willpower and concentration. Rather than switching all your current exercises to extreme isometric ones, include one to two per session to see how you fare.