Motionless Exercise

The very concept of "motionless exercise" may seem like something of a contradiction, despite what those flashy infomercials claim. If you don't move, then how on earth can you possibly exercise? And in that case, wouldn't you be able to get quite fit from watching enough sitcom reruns? All jest aside, there is something to the claims of isometric exercise, confirmed by studies done by NASA and others -- to an extent. As usual, the whole truth is a little more complicated.

Isometric exercise is the "real" name for motionless exercise. The way it typically works is tensing up the muscles and pushing against a non-movable obstacle. This obviously produces no movement, but the muscles fibers have to engage in hard work nonetheless.

NASA did an interesting study on the issue of isometric exercise, comparing traditional to motionless exercise. This is an area of great importance to them, since humans suffer rapid atrophy -- loss of muscle mass and strength -- if they live in a gravity-free environment without something to stimulate the muscles. Since there's no gravity in space, bringing a barbell along doesn't work, leaving only isometric exercise and friction/rubber band-style exercise.

The study examined muscle contraction (like curling a dumbbell up), extension (resisting the dumbbell on the way down) and isometric (grabbing a bolted-down machine and pulling up). The result showed that all three were about equally good for muscle growth. However -- and this is important -- the actual strength of the test subjects doing isometric exercise declined nonetheless. There appears to be a deterioration of the muscles at a molecular level, the study found, which indicates that traditional exercise is far superior in the long haul.

Now, as always, some exercise is better than NO exercise. Not everyone can find the time or resources to go to a regular gym several times a week, and there is certainly no harm in doing 10 minutes of isometric exercise each day. Heck, some powerlifters regularly include elements of isometric training into their workouts to boost strength. Remember the old Charles Atlas training? Yep, his "dynamic tension" still works -- but for best results, use it as a complement to regular training. Isometric training in and by itself may not be the magic bullet some companies claim it to be.

The gist of the motionless exercise program is to grab stuff that won't budge and press against it for a 30-45 second period. That may be pushing against your own body (pressing hands together in front of you) or pushing against a wall, cabinet or other piece of heavy furniture. If you've done it right, the hands and feet will seem to "float" in the general direction of where you were pressing -- proof you gotten the muscle fibers good and stimulated.

An isometric exercise program doesn't have to be particularly complicated, especially not when used in conjunction with regular training like weight training and jogging. Here are some simple isometric exercises you can do:

Chest and triceps

• Do a half push-up off the floor and hold it halfway up.
• Put your hands together in front of your chest and push together.

Shoulders

• Stand on a box under a pull-up (chin) bar and press up.
• Stand in a doorway and press the back of your hands against the frame.

Arms

• Put one fist on top of the other and press them against each other.
• Grab a bar or piece of equipment that is bolted down and pull as you would do a bicep curl.

Back

• Lie down on a bench with a bench press rack. Grab the bar and lift yourself up a few inches.
• Do a half pull-up (chin) and hold halfway up.

Legs

• Do a one-leg lunge and hold near the bottom.
• Lock the bar about halfway in a smith-machine and push up as if you were doing a squat.

Good luck!

• Pictures of People Exercising
• Women Fitness Models
• Male Fitness Model

• Breast Lifting Exercise
• Contour Abs
• Naked Exercise
• Naked Pilates
• Hula Hoop Exercises

• Chin and Neck Exercise
• Best Chest Exercise
• Chair Exercises
• Exercise for Beautiful Breasts
• Rubber Band Exercise Program