Overview
Isometrics, or statically holding a position, often with maximal tension, is a useful training modality to work on the mind muscle connection for a particular muscle or reinforce good mechanics. There are countless isometrics and many of them have their certain uses at certain point in time.
For our purposes here, we are specifically going to delve into five full body isometrics that have significant carry over benefits for a lot of people.
These are, in no particular order:
- Core
- Bear
- Crab
- Dead hang
- Handstand
Core
All manner of breathing/bracing drills on the core are immensely useful. If you could only do one isometric, this is the one to focus on.
Think of the entire abdomen as a soft chamber; this includes the rectus abdominis in the front, the obliques in the sides, the diaphragm on top, the pelvic floor at the bottom, and the transverse abdominis all around.
The goal is to develop control of the entire core, done by compressing and expanding it.
Many good breathing drills exist, and a lot of it will have overlap, but this is a good place to start:
- Connection breath
- Ab crunch hold
- Vacuums
Connection breath
The pelvic floor connection breath is a good first step for most people – yes including guys.
On a nose inhale, relax the pelvic floor. On a mouth exhale, contract the pelvic floor up. Think ‘draw the anus towards the navel’.
This can be practiced in any position, but the dead bug position with support is an especially good one. In a lying position, same as a standard dead bug, have your feet placed firmly on a wall or any other firm surface that’s 90 degrees from the floor.
Ab crunch hold
Visually this is the most basic to conceptualise.
The goal is to display as much of the rectus abdominis and obliques.
To do so, bring your chest ever so slightly down like you’re about to start a crunch, then maximally flex your rectus and obliques.
These are best done in a standing position, optionally with your hands on the back of your head.
Vacuums
This is not just for bodybuilders, but anyone with any goals relating to aesthetics and movement quality.
In a sense this is a culmination of the other drills. With a neutral spine (no slight crunch), maximally pull your belly in (horizontally towards your spine), and your anus up (vertically towards your navel).
The pelvic floor, the rectus abdominis, and the obliques should all be engaged. The key goal though is to train control of the transverse abdominis.
A series of regressions and progressions are appropriate. A vacuum can be practiced in a variety of positions and they all have utility:
- Lying
- Seated
- Tabletop
- Kneeling
- Leaning (arms against a wall)
- Standing
Bear
This includes several variations of a similar quadrupedal position:
- Bear
- 3 point beast
- 2 point beast
- Downward dog bear
- Spiderman
Bear
An easy transition from the regular bear, just lower the knees till it’s 1cm off the ground. The focus should subtly shift from calves and hamstrings to wrists and core.
Downward dog bear
A bear, or akin to a downward dog position, is a foundational quadrupedal hold that checks your calf and hamstring tightness and gently works your wrists.
3 point beast
Borrowing some terminology from Animal Flow to keep things simple, this is simply a hips down bear with 1 limb lifted off the ground.
This will work wrist strength, scapula control, the lats and obliques, and overall isometric strength.
Important note; the knees should be in line with the belly button, so if transition straight from a hips down bear, you’ll need to shuffle your feet in a few inches to get this position.
2 point beast
Spiderman
Crab
This includes several variations of a similar quadrupedal position:
- Crab
- 3 point crab
- 2 point crab
- Bridge
- L-sit
Crab
Along with the bear, this is the other foundational quadrupedal position. A great starting point, and in contrast to the bear, there are greater demands on the wrist and scapula.
3 point crab
This is a crab with one limb off the ground. Great for all round control.
2 point crab
Bridge
A full bridge isn’t just a pretty pose, it’ll expose any issues with shoulder external rotation, thoracic spine extension or lumbar spine extension.
L-sit
Sit on the ground with your feet outstretched, feet together and knees together, with palms on the ground and fingers pointed out to your sides. Press your hands into the ground with maximal scapula depression. Eventually, you will aim to lift one leg at a time off the ground, and then both legs. Simply the regression with feet still on the ground is plenty challenging if you are fully exerting with scapula depression.
Dead hang
Simply hanging from a bar of any grip angle, gymnastic rings, or TRX rings, provides a host of benefits.
- Dead hang
- Active dead hang
- False grip dead hang
- 1-arm dead hang
- Front lever
Dead hang
A standard dead hang works your grip, provides some decompression for the spine and is a general prep for other hangs and pullups. Build up hold times to 30-60 seconds.
Active dead hang
A dead hang with full scapula depression and core engagement. That is, straight arms, shoulders down, knees and feet together, and abs engaged like in the start of a hanging leg raise. Fight to hold every fraction of an inch of this position without letting your torso sink down.
False grip dead hang
A dead hang with a false grip; move the meat of your palm over the bar.
This is also one of very few exercises that train wrist flexion to counteract all the extension work. Very crucial and not to be skipped.
1-arm dead hang
With sufficient practice with the first three variations, the one arm dead hang can be accomplished.
Front lever
The front lever and various tucked regressions is a logical progression to dead hang practice.
Handstand
This is not a handstand guide; that’s a specific skill with better resources out there to discuss that. If you can perform a freestanding handstand, more power to you and that can replace the wall variation of course.
Therefore the variations are:
- Wall handstand
- Free standing handstand
Wall handstand
This one’s simple, use a wall as assistance to hold a handstand. Initially you can face towards the wall and simply walk your feet up. When you’re comfortable with bailing out with a cartwheel, you can face against the wall and kick up into a wall handstand.
Programming
As stated, this does not replace ‘normal’ resistance training work but it can be an invaluable addition. There are countless ways of integrating these in, here is one simple suggestion.
For 6 weeks, look to add one of these isometrics in one of your training sessions. Yes, only one at a time, and yes, only for one day a week (starting out).
Do these after your warm-ups and before your resistance training work.
Train for 1 minute, and rest for 30 seconds. Repeat 4-8 times.
Within each minute, work on building up maximum time on a hold, say gradually from 3 to 5 to 10 to 20 seconds.