Exercise and movement of the body in general consists of employing different muscle contractions, happening all the time. Whether you are walking, lifting weights, playing sports or washing your hair, muscles are contracting to allow the movement. Muscle contractions typically fall into three categories: concentric, eccentric or isometric.
Isometric Exercise Definition
Isometric exercise refers to muscle contractions that neither shorten nor lengthen the muscle as part of the movement. In isometric exercise, your muscles remain static. Flexing a muscle hard without movement is an example of an isometric contraction. It is important to breathe smoothly and evenly for the duration of the isometric contraction so you don't become light-headed.
Upper Body Isometric Exercises
Any pushing or pulling type of exercise in which you stop at the midway point and hold the contraction can be considered an upper-body isometric exercise. These can include stopping halfway down in a pushup position, lowering the bench press bar half way and holding it in place or curling a barbell half way up and holding it. You can modify virtually any upper-body weightlifting exercise to become an isometric movement. You can even perform upper body isometrics seated at a desk by pressing your palms together in front of your chest or tensing your abdominal muscles.
Lower Body Isometric Exercises
Common weightlifting movements can be transformed into isometric exercises for your lower body, too. Holding your position at about the halfway point for squats, leg press, hamstring curls or leg extension turns the concentric or shortening contraction into an isometric one. If you don't have weights, any wall will do as you can place your back against it and squat down until your legs are at 90 degrees and sit for as long as you can.
Full-body Isometric Exercises
Performing full-body isometric exercise typically involves your core muscles, and is difficult if you are not accustomed to doing it. Movements such as the plank, where you rest on your elbows and toes with a straight body, or a side bridge, where you rest on one elbow and side of your foot with straight body, are examples of full-body isometric exercises.
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