Leg muscles play an important role in building core strength of the lower body, do your best with top isometric leg exercises and achieve strength optimism!
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Johny Bravo - wallpaper
Everybody has at least once seen a guy in the gym that looks exactly like the cartoon character Johnny Bravo. Sure back in our childhood, this guy really is the most attractive man on Earth but in reality his upper body is non-proportional with his lower body.
Well, he is definitely not the only one, most guys in the gym only work out their upper body but usually neglect their lower body.
Here is a fact: if you exercise your lower body, it will also enhance your upper body. Moreover, you will achieve symmetry within your upper and lower body. Who wants to have an asymmetrical physique? Well not me!
But hold on for a second, you may be wondering what on earth isometric leg exercises are? Here is my definition:
Isometric leg exercises are exercising your legs without actually having to perform a movement or lift weight. . They work by applying muscle tension in specific or isolated positions. These are specifically helpful for toning your legs, common target for women looking to get in shape.
Isometric exercise is a highly recommended form of training. Not only that you can perform this training anywhere and anytime you like, but you can also use fewer resources. In addition, you can add these workouts to your standard strength training. It will guarantee a massive result to your muscle gains.
There are a lot of exercises so you could add more muscle gains. There is the squat, leg press, calf extension, quad extension, and so on. However, if you can observe fewer results to your hamstrings and quads, then you should incorporate some isometric leg exercises.
8 Effective Isometric Leg Exercises
Benefits of Performing Isometric Leg Exercises
Isometric Workout routines include the contraction of a set of muscles. The contraction will boost the stability and strength of your particular muscles. There are a lot of benefits you’ll get by practicing isometric exercises. Here are some:
Less Time to Complete
- You can complete these isometric workouts in less than no time
They will require you no gym equipment or machine. All you need is to use your body weight to improve your strength.
Enhances Flexibility
The proper execution of isometric exercises will help you improve your flexibility. Thus, it helps you lessen any potential strains and injuries.
Promotes Muscle Strength
Isometric exercises are also excellent to boost your muscle strength.
Plus, it helps in enhancing your lean muscles since it is a form of training that works all of your motor units all at once.
Helps Recover From Injuries
Isometric training is also perfect for people with injuries because it is both a static and a low-intensity workout.
- Likewise, it helps in stabilizing the injured muscles.
Plus, it boosts your recovery time.
8 Effective Isometric Leg Exercises
Exercise #1: Wall Sittings
The wall sitting exercise is an effective leg exercise. What you need to do is to:
- Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Then, you have to position your back straight against a wall. Level your thighs somewhat like you are sitting on a chair. Then, allow it to be parallel to the ground
- Next, you need to put a pushing power on the wall. Then, loosen up your quadriceps. Make sure that you draw your upper and lower body, as well as your glutes at the wall. Therefore, you will exert more force on the targeted muscle
- Try to hold on to this position for at least 12 seconds
Simultaneously, execute at least five sets. Ensure that you remember to inhale and exhale while performing this exercise.
- Lastly, gently raise yourself back to the initial position. You will feel the burn as you allow your legs up
- At this period, you need to pay a closer look to your normal breathing.
An ideal way to do this is to breathe completely through your diaphragm. Then, let out a hissing sound as you exhale.
Exercise #2: Isometric Straight Leg Hold
Another ideal exercise that is great to tone your quads is the straight leg hold.
All you have to do is to:
- Take a seat on a chair, yes like the girl in the picture but on a chair. Try to lengthen your legs straight to the front of your body. Then, hold this position for about 45 seconds. As a result, you will allow your blood to run to your muscles entirely.
- Repeat the same movements for four sets. It may seem simple, but the movements are efficient to strengthen your leg muscles.
- Since the leg muscles are the largest muscle grounds in the body, a significant amount of blood will flow as you do this workout. So, there is a chance that this workout will shoot up your blood pressure.
If you are hypertensive, you may consult your physician before doing these isometric leg exercises.
Exercise #3: Isometric Hamstring Curls
It is an exercise that will work on your hamstring muscles. If you don't have a weight bench, that's fine, you just need to follow these steps:
- Take a seat on a chair. Then, try to push your legs like you are reaching your buttocks with the help of your legs
- As you reach your potential, you need to hold the position for around half a minute
- Then, try to relax and go back to the first position. You may execute one more set depending on your strength level. But, if your hamstrings begin to cramp, you must discontinue the exercise immediately
- Do not stretch beyond the point where you’ll get injured. As you get used to this workout, you may incorporate a resistance band.
Exercise #4: Static Lunges
Isometric lunges are ideal for strengthening your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
To perform this isometric leg workout, you may:
- Start with a normal lunge position. Put your thigh parallel to the ground.
- Place your other foot away from the ground
- Ty to hold this position for around 45 seconds. You may also execute two more sets after
Exercise #5: Isometric Squats
Doing static squats will strengthen your leg muscles.
These are common when it comes to athletes training their leg muscles.
So, if you are into sports, you will need this exercise to improve your strength.
You may additionally increase the variation by incorporating a Kettlebell to the workout.
Exercise #6: One-Legged Static Squat
By doing this workout, you will add more definition to your leg muscles. To perform this exercise, you need to:
- Put yourself in a squatting position with your right thigh and buttocks almost reaching the ground
- Try to straighten your leg in front of you. Do your best to lengthen your arms so that you can balance this position correctly
- Then, allow yourself to breathe regularly and try to hold this position for at least 30 seconds
- Repeat the same motion to your other leg
Remember that this is only an excellent workout with the static squats. It will ensure that it will build enough strength to your leg muscles.
Exercise #7: Isometric Contractions
Isometric contracts are ideal for creating more definition to your leg muscles with ease. To execute this exercise, you must:
- Put your feet together and position your hands on each side. Take a step forward using your right leg. You need to widen the area than the standard lunge.
- Place your hands going inside the expanded right foot. Try to extend your leg left as possible and make the contraction stable for about 15 seconds
- Try to release the leg and repeat the same steps to the other leg. Try to execute at least two more sets
Exercise #8: Isometric Leg Presses
You may perform this variation using a leg press machine. Likewise, you may use the right weight load and bring down the weights. Try to hold the resistance in a static position to create more burn to your muscles. Here’s what you need to do:
- Start with letting the two straps suspend from the ceiling. Hold the straps gently with your feet. Lie down on your back on a yoga mat.
- Pull your body. Allow it to rise to a 40-degree angle.
- Hold the position for at least 30 seconds. You need to squeeze your hamstrings and your quads to intensify the workout.
Conclusion
It is not necessary to perform all of these isometric exercises in just a single day, you may alternate these exercises depending on your preference. However, it is recommended that you do 4 or 5 workouts to strengthen your leg muscles.
For advanced weightlifters, you may even want to consider occlusion (aka BFR) training, this can result in rapid muscle growth and increased vascularity!
Yet everybody ask, it's okay if you are not in the right shape but still to perform these isometric leg exercises. They are also applicable to people with joint and knee pains. However, you need to consider doing these workouts when your focus is mainly on your endurance and muscle gains.
So, if you do not want to look like a bodybuilder with a weak-looking lower body, then you must perform these workouts consistently!
