Isometric thigh muscle tension. What is isometric (aka static) load and why is it needed. What is Isometric Exercise

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We all want to be healthy and happy. If you are in good shape and your muscles are in good shape, you feel much better and the vital energy overwhelms you, and if necessary, you. But a modern person is often in time trouble and does not always have time to go to the gym and train for many hours. Isometric exercises are suitable for home conditions, take very little time and the effect is not long in coming. In this article, you will learn how to become an order of magnitude stronger than now in 10 minutes a day.

Isometric exercises- exercises in which your body is tense for a few seconds. These are static exercises, during which you do not make movements, and your muscles contract as a result of counteracting the resistance of an object, and you fix this position for a while.

These exercises were used in his trainings by Alexander Ivanovich Zass (known to many as Iron Samson or simply Samson), who was awarded the title of "The Strongest Man on Earth". Samson, with a mass of no more than 75 kilograms, could lift a horse. During his circus career, he wore two lions on stage at once in a special yoke. This man with amazing strength and became the founder isometric exercises.

Benefits of isometric exercises:

Saving time. During an hour in the gym, you spend a lot of time resting between sets and between exercises. As a result, the total time your muscles “work” directly is significantly less than the training time. In the case of isometric exercises, you achieve the same muscle "work" time with a shorter workout.

Availability. To strengthen your body with isometric exercises, all you need is desire and a chain (a thick towel or something else that you can't tear with your hands).

Fast recovery. After a full workout in gym you need 24-48 hours to fully recover. In some cases, it will take even longer for the muscle pain to subside. With isometric exercises, muscle tissue is not damaged as much: you can exercise regularly and progress quickly.

Remind you that before doing any physical exercise it is necessary to do a warm-up to avoid injury. Don't forget this!

Exercises:

Exercise 1: Plank

Most popular isometric exercise. It will help strengthen your core and muscles. shoulder girdle... It is no coincidence that the plank is in the first place on this list: if you have five free minutes and a couple of free square meters on the floor, be sure to do this exercise, and you will feel all its benefits very soon. There are a huge number of variations for performing this exercise, in this article we will consider only three types of planks: on straight arms, on elbows and a side plank.

For a plank on straight arms, you need to take a lying position so that your body forms a straight line from heels to crown. Do not bend and try to hold this position for as long as possible. Increase the duration of the exercise over time.

The elbow plank is performed in the same way, only your forearms will serve as support for you.

For the side plank, you need to lie on your side, then rise on one hand and lean on it (or your forearm). Raise your pelvis so that your body forms a straight line.

Combine different exercise variations for maximum effectiveness. You can do one set to the limit or several sets - whichever you prefer.

Exercise 2

Grasp both sides of your towel and pull it out at chest level. Try stretching the towel. Your maximum effort will last for a matter of seconds, but that's enough. Get some rest and try to rip your towel again. This is a great workout for latissimus back.

Exercise # 3

The towel should be behind your back. This time you will try to break it by moving your hands forward. A few seconds of extreme effort, and then a new approach. The exercise targets the pecs and triceps.

Exercise 4

You don't even need a towel for it. Elbows to the sides, arms at chest level. Put your palms together. Begin to squeeze them, as if trying to move one hand with the other. This exercise will make your arms stronger.

Exercise # 5

Stand in the middle of your towel with your feet. It is very important that both ends are the same length. Grab the edges, straighten. Press your elbows against your body. Try pulling the ends of the towel towards your chest. This will make your biceps stronger. For maximum effect try to do this movement in isolation, without using other muscles for this.

Exercise 6

Stand in the doorway. Press your straight arms up. Without bending your arms, put pressure on upper part opening.

Bonus! If you cannot even allocate five to ten minutes for home exercises, you can do them right at your workplace, at the institute, and indeed anywhere.

Exercise 7

It can be done during a lecture. Grasp the seat and try to lift it. If you are not Baron Munchausen, you will not be able to lift the seat you are sitting on, but your muscles will receive the necessary load. Mostly biceps and traps.

Exercise # 8

We also do it while sitting. You should try to spread your legs, but at the same time with your hands to prevent it. By doing this self-resistance exercise, you will strengthen your biceps, shoulders, and hips.

If you wish, you can independently come up with a huge number of such exercises, observing the same principles of isometric training.

Principles of Successful Training:

Regularity. As mentioned above, isometric exercises do not require a huge amount of time to restore muscle tissue. Make it a habit to exercise regularly and avoid frequent absences. Decide now how many times a week you are going to do isometric exercises and follow that plan. Start keeping a workout diary or create a checklist to mark the days on which you completed a set of exercises.

Motivation. Determine why you are going to do these exercises. Without a clear understanding of your goals, you will not be able to achieve them. If the bar in the morning is a punishment for you, and not a stepping stone to a better self, then the effect of isometric exercises will be weak. On the contrary, if you are, then the result and the positive effect of training will not keep you waiting. Imagine yourself after a month (year) of doing the exercises. This is an improved version of you. Become her.

Technique and quality of execution. Make sure to do the exercises correctly. It is best to do them in front of a mirror, at least for the first time. Then you will see all the shortcomings of your exercise and can correct them. Improper technique can lead to injury, so be sure to watch out for this.

Breath. All isometric exercises are performed while inhaling. You take a deep breath, then your ultimate effort comes, and then you exhale. Watch your breathing closely, it also makes a huge difference.

Nutrition. The destruction of muscle tissue during isometric exercises is not so intense, but it does occur. Add more protein to your diet and get started. Your body will say thank you.

Mode. Just like nutrition, this is a universal but very significant principle. Observe the day and be sure to get enough sleep.

If you already have experience training with isometric exercises, write in the comments! Share exercises and results. Tell us about your experience, the positive effects and the impact of isometric exercise and sports in general on your life. Perhaps your story motivates someone to start training and get better.

These exercises in short term will bring your business in tone, you will become more cheerful and stronger. Your efficiency will increase and you will feel much better. V healthy body- a healthy mind! Wish you luck!

Olya Likhacheva

Beauty is like a precious stone: the simpler it is, the more precious :)

Content

Many believe that to strengthen muscles, increase their strength, and in general for effective training you need to do a lot of dynamic exercises as long as possible. However, this is not true. Therefore, further you will learn how else you can train your body without harm, fatigue and loss of time.

What is Isometric Exercise

Unlike the usual for many intense workout, isometric exercises are constant muscle tension in statics. That is, without changing the position of the body, you work out the muscles and tendons absolutely no worse than during dynamic load, and sometimes even better. The huge advantage of this way of getting stronger is that you don't have to spend a lot of time doing the exercises, and the results will be even better.

Performing exercises for the chest, back, legs or arms in dynamics, the static work of the muscles of the body does not occur constantly, and in total it can sometimes reach only 2-3 minutes. for a lesson of 1-1.5 hours. In the case of static exercises, the opposite is true: the time of tension of your body is equal to how much you spent on training. To work out the muscles for 10 minutes, you need a little more, given the change in position and preparation.

How to do isometric exercises

As before any workout, doing isometric exercises requires pre-warming up or doing simple exercises. To do this, you can make swings with your hands, lifting your shoulders, bending to the sides, back and forth, lifting on your toes. After you feel warmth in your body, you can start the activity itself. General requirements:

Each exercise should be performed with an inhalation.
All efforts to resist are applied smoothly, gradually. You can not work with sharp muscle contractions.
Each approach is given up to 10 seconds, the number of approaches for one exercise is 2-3.
In general, one workout should take no more than 20 minutes.
You can train like this at least every day, alternating with dynamics.
Develop a routine that you will practice daily.

Isometric Neck Exercises

Perform isometric exercises for cervical can be absolutely anywhere, even sitting in the office, which will be especially useful for those who spend most of their time in sitting position. Static exercises for face and neck:

Lying on your back, start pressing the back of your head on the floor.
While lying on your stomach, press your forehead onto the floor.
Sitting at the table, fold your arms in front of you and rest your head on them. Press firmly with your forehead.
Fold your hands into the lock at the back of your head and start pressing, while resisting with your head.

Isometric Back Exercises

Performing isometric exercises for the back will help not only strengthen it, but also align the posture, because gymnastics is aimed at both the straight and lats. Isometric training in several versions:

Lying on your stomach, pull your hands back and press along the body or fold into a lock at the back of the head. Lift your legs and shoulders upward, while straining strongly. Freeze, count out 5-6 seconds.
Starting position, as in the previous paragraph. Raise only your shoulders, your legs are strongly pressed to the floor.
Starting position from point 1. Tear off your legs from the floor by 10-15 cm, shoulders are firmly pressed to the floor.
While standing, imitate pressing your fists on your hips on the sides.
The same as in point 4, only the pressure is applied to the front of the thighs.

Isometric leg exercises

Like neck gymnastics, leg isometric exercises can be safely performed anywhere. Most of these occur while standing or sitting. Isometric gymnastics for leg muscles:

Stand up straight, contract all the muscles in your legs. Do 3-4 sets of 10 seconds each.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend down and simulate spreading, resisting the muscles of your thighs.
A similar position, only you need, on the contrary, to try to bring your legs together.
Sitting on a chair, try to straighten your legs.
The same position, only the feet must be resting against an obstacle, for example, a wall. Try to straighten your legs.

Isometric ab exercises

Great gymnastics for women at home that will help get rid of belly fat is isometric ab exercises. The process does not require much time, and the result due to such statics will not be long in coming. None power training cannot be compared with these simple, but effective loads:

Sit down at the table, put your hands in front of you and start pressing on the tabletop, while straining your abs strongly.
While standing, start to perform crunches with a delay, counting 5-6 seconds on each side.
Lying on your back, bend your knees (90 degrees) and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. In this case, it is best to stretch your arms forward.
Lying twist. At the same time, the legs are bent and stand on the floor, hands are locked behind the back of the head. On each side - 5-6 seconds in static position.

Isometric Hand Exercises

Who does not dream of beautiful hands or shoulders. This can be achieved using power load and dumbbells, or use isometric exercises for the hands of Alexander Zass, who actually founded this unique training system and proved its effectiveness by his example. It was not for nothing that he was also called "Iron Samson": this man could easily lift a horse on himself, and all thanks to only static loads. Favorite exercises Zass for arms and shoulders (you can do it with a rope or a belt):

Put your hands on the doorway and begin to push it apart. The muscles in your shoulders and arms will be tense. Hold on for up to 7 seconds. Repeat 2 more approaches.
The arms are tied with a chain and bent in front of the chest, elbows at shoulder level. With the strength of your chest, shoulders and arms, begin to break the chain, as it were.
Raise your arms with the chain over your head, and then try to spread your arms out to the sides.
Place the chain behind your back, and then use your hands to try to break the chain.

Personal trainer of "Fitness Territory" Yulia Glyantseva explains how isometric exercises differ from ordinary exercises, what are their clear advantages and how they affect muscle strength and weight loss.

Julia Glyantseva

Isometric (static) load is a force without movement. This is the work of muscles without changing their length and with immobility of the joints. Isometric exercises train muscle strength without increasing their mass, while maintaining speed and endurance.

Even at the beginning of our era, Shaolin monks used isometric (static) loading to develop the strength of warriors. Isometric exercises began to gain in popularity in 1961, when media reports began to appear about the sensational achievements of athletes who used these exercises in their workouts. Now isometric exercises have gained recognition among athletes of various profiles: weightlifters, track and field athletes, representatives of cyclic sports (rowers, swimmers, cyclists, skiers).

Isometric tension technique can be used in development power indicators such basic exercises like squats, pull-ups, push-ups, bench press, plank, deadlift, corner, biceps curls. You should start with exercises that do not require special equipment and advanced physical fitness... For example, the negative pull-up technique is available only to people who are already trained. But no-weighted squats, push-ups, or planks can be done by almost anyone.

Isometric workout in the gym

Basic isometric exercises are divided into three groups:

bench press (position of the bar at chin level, at eye level, 3-5 cm below a fully extended arm);
traction (crossbar at knee level, at hip level, at waist level);
squat (parallel squat, quarter squat).

Isometric exercises must be done regularly and in a sufficient number of approaches (3-4 per muscle group). They are performed with a maximum voltage of 6 to 12 seconds. The muscles should be tense enough that there is no movement in the joint. To restore breathing, the pause between sets lasts 45-60 seconds. With the help of isometric exercises, you can quickly pump the muscles that need it right now.

Isometric exercises can be performed in a gym with the necessary equipment. For most muscle groups Smith's simulator is enough. For example, to develop hip strength, an isometric exercise would be the so-called parallel squat. The bar in the simulator is set and locked so that it rests on your shoulders when you are in a squat with your hips parallel to the floor. Place the bar comfortably on your shoulders, grab it and place your legs as you do when doing classic squats in the Smith machine. Now rise up, pushing off with your legs as hard as you can, for 6 to 12 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times, resting between sets, as you would in regular strength training.

To develop strength pectoral muscles install and fix the crossbar 5 cm below your outstretched arms. Grasp the bar, arms shoulder-width apart, look straight ahead, and press as if it were a classic bench press, maintaining maximum force, for 6 to 12 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times with rest between sets.

To develop strength in the triceps calf muscles, set and secure the bar just above shoulder level when standing in front of it with a straight back. Stand under the bar, lay it on your shoulders, hips and knees closed, back straight, hands fixed on the bar in a comfortable position. Rising on your toes, press on the bar with all possible force - from 6 to 12 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times with rest between sets.

Rehabilitation after injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament and lateral ligaments has a single rehabilitation scheme and can only differ in terms of recovery time depending on the patient's age, lifestyle, and the purpose of rehabilitation (return to big sport, amateur sports, return to the way of life before the injury).

Learn more about recovering from a ruptured knee ligament

Terms of rehabilitation (general)

conservative treatment: 1.5 - 3 months;
after ligament plasty (surgery): 4-6 months.

The body, whether it is trauma or surgery, reacts in the same way - edema, muscle spasm and pain. Due to long immobilization, atrophy of the thigh muscles occurs. In order to lose muscle volume, experience shows that one to two weeks of inactivity is enough.

The condition of our joint depends on the condition of our muscles. Why? Because when walking, running, the muscles take on most of the load, while in the absence it is good developed muscles all the load falls on the articular surfaces knee joint that causes swelling, pain, stiffness, etc. Based on the above, it is possible to designate the goals of the passive (and then active) stage of rehabilitation of a ruptured knee ligament.

PASSIVE STAGE OF REHABILITATION

At this stage, all physical exercises, since it is not yet possible to give axial load on the joint.

Goals:

Remove edema through physiotherapy, compresses, cold and kinesio taping.
Reduce muscle spasm by performing lymphatic drainage massage.
Relieve pain (reducing swelling and spasm leads to less pain).
Regain control of the thigh muscles and strengthen them with electrical myostimulation.
Improve the passive range of motion in the joint.
Achieve a state in which walking without crutches will be possible.
The general goal of the passive stage can be called the preparation of the joint and muscles for further rehabilitation in the exercise therapy hall.

Exercise example:

Your attention is offered one of the exercises that can be performed at this stage: “Isometric tension of the quadriceps femoris muscle”.

STARTING POSITION: sitting on the floor, legs straightened, back straight, hands on the floor, gaze is directed to the patella.

EXERCISE PERFORMANCE:

Contract the quadriceps femoris so that the patella is pulled up. If this does not happen, then you are performing the exercise incorrectly and you should try again and again until it works out.
Fix the position for 3-5 seconds.
Relax.
Perform the exercise 25 times 3 sets, several times a day.
Upon reaching the goals of the passive phase of rehabilitation, we proceed to its active phase, which can be conditionally divided into 4 stages, each of which pursues its own goal.

Isometric tension of the quadriceps muscle of the thigh

IP: sitting on the floor, straightening the working leg, the second leg is straight, or bent in knee joint, hands behind the back, back straight.

1. Pulling the toe towards you, contract the quadriceps muscle of the thigh 2. Hold the position for 5 seconds.

2... PI (2 seconds). 4. Repeat the exercise 15 times.

STAGE I OF ACTIVE REHABILITATION

Term: 4-8 weeks after surgery.

At this stage, all exercises are performed in a gentle mode in a lying or sitting position, with the exception of some exercises. In this case, rehabilitation after a rupture of the ligaments of the knee joint, despite the impressive time frame, does not present serious discomfort for the patient.

Goals and objectives of the 1st stage:

Bring back control of the thigh muscles of the operated leg, through strength exercises and more.
Promote the development of strength and endurance of muscles to static loads, especially the inner head of the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, as well as the posterior group of muscles of the thigh and lower leg, which ensure the restoration of leg support.
Promote full knee extension through flexibility exercises.
Achieve an angle of flexion in the knee joint up to 90 °, by doing strength and flexibility exercises, as well as different techniques massage, which includes the mobilization of soft tissues around the knee joint, patella, etc.
Promote the return of proprioceptive sensitivity necessary for knee stability through balance exercises.
Formation correct gait, which is possible only after achieving the above goals.

An example of the exercises performed at this stage:

Raising the leg with a weighting agent while lying on your back.

INITIAL POSITION (SP):

Lying on your back, hands at the seams, a healthy leg bent at the knee joint, a foot on the floor, the other leg straight 5 cm from the floor, a sock facing you. On the sore leg, a weighting agent of 1 or 2 kg, depending on the condition of the patient's muscles.

EXERCISE PERFORMANCE:

Slowly lift your leg up to an angle of 45? (we reproduce the tension of the quadriceps muscle, which we learned at the stage of passive rehabilitation - THIS IS IMPORTANT).
Accept PI.
Perform the exercise 15 times 3 sets.

The main thing to remember when performing this task is that the leg should be as straight as possible, we try to pull the patella up due to the tension of the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, the sock is always pulled over ourselves and the exercise should be performed slowly without jerking. Observing all the principles of restorative medicine, the rehabilitation of damage to the ligaments of the knee joint will take place with maximum efficiency and without any problems.

Upon reaching the goals and objectives of STAGE I, we move on to STAGE II of the active phase of rehabilitation.

II STAGE ACTIVE REHABILITATION

Term: 8-12 weeks after surgery.

At this stage, we propose to perform more difficult exercises, which are performed mainly while standing and are the closest to such a natural movement as walking, etc. Basically, exercises are performed with a skier's expander, on a BOSU simulator (hemisphere) or a trampoline, seemingly simple, but in fact complex coordination exercises such as squats (without weight or a light weight) or lunges, etc.

Goals and objectives of stage II:

Contribute to the further development of strength, power and endurance of the muscles of the thigh and lower leg, by performing more complex strength and coordination exercises.
Achieve a knee flexion angle of 60 °.
Contribute to the improvement of proprioceptive sensitivity of the knee joint by performing balance exercises on a barefoot or on a trampoline.
Prepare the muscles for running exercises by performing leading exercises (various attacks on bare feet, etc.).

An example of an exercise for this stage: "Swing forward with an expander"

First, you need to attach the skier's expander to the lower rail of the Swedish wall and put on the expander loops on your legs (on the ankle area).

INITIAL POSITION (SP):

Standing with your back to Swedish wall, at the distance of a stretched expander, hands on the belt, back straight.

EXERCISE PERFORMANCE:

Slowly perform a swing motion forward, pull the sock towards you (we reproduce the tension of the quadriceps muscle, which we learned at the stage of passive rehabilitation - THIS IS IMPORTANT!).
Fix the position for 2-3 seconds.
Slowly return to the SP, but do not put your foot on the floor.
Perform the exercise 15 times 3 sets.

This exercise should be performed both on the patient and on healthy leg... The fact is that the leg that remains on the floor is just as tired as the working leg (if not more), and it will not be superfluous for us to maintain balance on the injured leg.

At the end of the second stage, the physician - rehabilitation therapist assesses the condition of the patient's muscles (whether the internal head of the quadriceps femoris muscle, as well as the posterior muscle group of the thigh and lower leg), the condition of the joint (whether there is swelling or not). If the examination results are satisfactory, then the doctor recommends switching to STAGE III of active rehabilitation.

III STAGE ACTIVE REHABILITATION

Term: 12-16 weeks after surgery.

At this stage, we begin to use strength simulators for straightening and bending the legs in stato - dynamics mode, inertial exercises on a trampoline or barefoot.

Targets and goals Stage III:

Promote increased muscle strength, power and endurance without pain.
Promote a gradual return to functional activities specific to a particular sport.
The ability to run normally.
Achieve full knee flexion and extension.
Achieve the muscle volume of the diseased leg equal to the muscle volume of the healthy one. The difference in volumes can be no more than 20%.
To form the correct motor stereotype of landing after jumping, by performing plyometric exercises with and without hindrance.

After two weeks of doing exercises on strength machines, the patient undergoes a functional test for the readiness of the operated limb for running and jumping exercises.

An example of an exercise of stage III, aimed at developing the quadriceps femoris muscle in the stato-dynamics mode "Extension of the legs while sitting in the simulator".

STARTING POSITION:

Sitting with the back straight, the lower back is pressed against the back of the simulator, the legs rest tightly against the rollers, the knee joint has an angle of more than 90 degrees, the hips do not go beyond the seat.

EXERCISE PERFORMANCE:

Flex - Extend the knee for 30 seconds. During this time, you need to have time to do 20-24 repetitions. There should be 3. Rest between sets of 30 seconds.
The movement should be uniform (no jerking).
A burning sensation in the muscle is an indicator of the correctness of the exercise.

Stato-dynamic training is performed twice a week, one training is tonic, the second is developing. after a few weeks, with a positive leg test, we start running and jumping exercises. The goal of doing a running and jumping program is to prevent the injury from recurring. Quite often, repeated injury occurs due to the inability to land correctly after a jump; an incorrect motor stereotype in running can also lead to swelling and pain in the knee joint. How to properly alternate power and running workouts your rehabilitation therapist will tell you.

The structure of the knee joint. Damage to the meniscus. Cruciate ligament rupture

Isometric exercises - strength exercises, in which muscle tension is achieved without moving the body parts involved in the exercise. But this is not just muscle tension, as, for example, when demonstrating biceps.

In isometric exercises, we strive to perform this or that movement, the implementation of which obviously exceeds our capabilities. For example, lift an incredible weight. Better yet, try to lift the truck off the ground. This is a joke, but in principle, this is how isometric exercises are performed. We strive to perform the movement, but we cannot, and the exercise turns from dynamic to static. For this, "shells" are used that cannot be dealt with. Such objects surround us in Everyday life... So isometric training equipment can be found everywhere. The wall, the floor, the doorway, the window sill, the tree, all have to be used.

Isometric training is all about putting in the best effort possible. Let's say trying to move a wall. Pushing, for example, a closet, you will most likely move it, which means that you will not be able to develop the utmost effort. The work with the "burden", which is impossible to cope with in principle, will require just such an effort. Which is what we need. Isometric (like any other) exercises do not have to be out of touch with life. They can imitate some practical actions or those that can, in principle, come in handy in life. The movements we often perform sports exercise have no analogies in everyday activities and are not directly integrated into it. As far as isometric is concerned, it not only serves to develop strength (there is no equal in this isometric exercise), but it can also be used to train movements that can be used in practice. In isometric view, they do not work on one isolated muscle group, the effort here should cover the whole body. We learn to powerfully push, pull, bend, tear, squeeze, turn. That is, to invest strength in certain actions, using large muscle groups.

Isometric exercises provide astounding gains in strength performance. The peculiarity is that we can develop this maximum strength exactly in the position in which it was trained. The way out is obvious: to train various stages of movement, extreme (beginning and end) and a number of intermediate ones.

And now a little about specific exercises. Let's start by pushing the wall. We just hit the wall and try to move it from its place. We try sincerely: the effort, the work of the muscles must be real. You can push the wall in different ways: with two hands, one (while the arms can be slightly bent or almost completely straightened); shoulder; forearm; foot forward (as if planting a door); leg sideways or backward, heel, toe or edge of the foot ... And do not try to lift your leg higher. The higher, the more uncomfortable, the less effort you can develop. But the task is to work with an effort of 70-90% of the maximum.

The next "projectile" is the window sill (of course, if it is firmly fixed). Try to break it in half: one hand up, the other down. Try to tear it off (2 options: up and towards yourself). Press down with the palm of your hand, the edge of your fist, with one and two hands. There are also doorways in the house. Try to move the opening to the sides or up. Try to pull the joint off using the strength of your whole body, especially your legs and back. Take any stick (at least a mop handle) and try to twist it, as if you were wringing out the laundry. Try to stretch, break the stick. You can also make a breaking movement, just choose a stick that you know you won't break. For example, a metal pipe. You can take a stick like a spear and, resting against a wall, perform a "piercing" movement. This is done correctly at the expense of the muscles of the legs and pelvis, the hands act rather as a conductor of effort. The classic equipment for isometric exercises can be called chains, to the ends of which handles or belt loops are attached (fastening the handles to carabiners allows you to adjust the length of the chain). In the system of tendon training A. Zass (the first full-fledged and, perhaps, the best system of isometric exercises), the chains are stretched in various positions: in front of us, over the knee, behind the back, etc. We can use a belt or rope, the main thing is that their tensile strength exceeded our capabilities. The exercises of the Zass system are easy to find on the Internet, but in principle they can be very diverse. After all, Zass, being a circus artist, created a system for his own purposes. You can develop the efforts that you personally need. The main thing is not specific exercises, but the technique of their implementation. When performing the exercises, a force wave arises that covers the entire body. It is important! Muscles are included in the work smoothly, the tension rises to the peak and after a short pause it gradually decreases. There are a number of exercises you can do in your daily life (for example, sitting in a boring meeting or standing at a bus stop). Use the force that will allow you to do the exercise unnoticed by others. If it happens in training, following the correct methodology will add efficiency. Perform each exercise for 3-5 sets with pauses of 30-90 seconds. The duration of rest depends on the magnitude of the effort and on the duration of the stress, and most importantly, on the state of health. As you train, increase the duration of the effort from 3 to 30 seconds, the maximum effort develops in medium sets. For example, you can perform 3 sets in each exercise with an effort of 60-90-75% of the maximum. In the future, perform 5 approaches with an effort of 75-90-95-90-75% of the maximum. A full workout is recommended twice a week for an hour, on other days it is worth doing exercises with less effort and fewer approaches. In general, focus on well-being. Someone can carry out 3-4 workouts per week with a full load, and for someone it is enough to do each exercise in three approaches at 70% of the maximum daily as a charge. It is important that isometric exercises do not work on muscles, but on tendons. At correct execution this gives a significant increase in strength without increasing muscle mass... And this can be important, for example, for women. But isometric exercises require a conscious attitude and internal control. Indeed, unlike exercises with weight (including your own), there is no objective, external indicator the effort you make. Only you control what you do. On the other hand, the cheapness of the "equipment" and the ability to do the exercises anywhere, as well as the high efficiency, make isometric exercises an excellent method of strength training.