At Home Lower Body Overcoming Isometrics With No Equipment
“After the match, Volanko, Gama, and the boy sat in a shade as the two wrestlers talked idly and all shared from a large basket of fruit, a gift to Champion Gama who was a strict vegetarian.
With appropriate deference, the boy addressed him.
“Gama, may I ask you something?”
“Ask?”
“Your opponent was very big…”
“..and yet I threw him like a baby.”
“How?” Yosselle asked in wonderment
“It’s really quite simple,” the Indian said good-naturedly. “In the Punjab, where I lived, there was a large tree behind my house. Each morning I would rise up early, tie my belt around it, and try to throw it down.”
“A tree?” the boy marveled
“For twenty years.”
“And you did it?”
“No, little one,” Gama smiled, “But after a tree… a man is easy.” (Pg 13, The Spiritual Journey of Joseph Greenstein)
Context
With anything in fitness providing the correct stimulus is the key to anything whether it’s…
Strength…
Muscle…
or Endurance…
With legs, it is a little more difficult as they are used to carrying around our body weight throughout the day. Therefore a powerful stimulus needs to be delivered in the form of power as in a sprint or with the amount of weight in a squat or deadlift.
Without movement, you can provide a massive amount of stimulus by trying to push and pull against an immovable object. In order to apply this principle it would be nice to have some kind of a weight rack, chain, towel, or strap. But without these, what options do we have?
Resolution
If all you have is a wall, then there is a plethora of overcoming isometrics you can perform. You can either make strength your priority or do one posture after the other in a circuit to make an awesome conditioning workout.
Overcoming Isometric Library
Low Curb Leg Press
Stand in front of a wall or curb using one leg for balance bend the other leg and place that foot on the wall. Foot placement will determine how much of your claves or your hamstrings come into play. Toes being the primary point of contact will bring your calves into play. The whole foot will create a better balance while the heel will bring your hamstrings more into play.
If you need to hold unto something during this isometric then do so. The more worried about balance the less force will be generated for this posture decreasing its benefit.
Wall Squat Press
A standard wall sit but instead of it being passive as being in an isometric hold you will be pushing into the wall. Be mindful of your grip on the floor if you have poor shoe grip or the floor is smooth, there’s a possibility of slipping. Solutions to this are either to use better footwear or going bear foot will allow you to grip the floor with your feet and drive more force. For beginners keep your legs at either 90 degrees or more. This will be the initial stage and once your mobility improves and your tendons get a little stronger you can try going lower and creating more of an acute angle. Overcoming isometrics will build up your tendons but time will need to be given for them to adapt which takes longer than your muscles do to recover.
So for beginners, you will have a total of two positions in this position. Once you get stronger lower yourself to the ground and you’ll have a total of three positions to generate force in.
One-Legged Wall Squat Press
Once you’ve built up your tendons, built your strength, and gained some mobility you can shift to the one-legged version.
There are a total of six positions for this move. Butt to ankle, 90 degrees, and then almost straight.
This posture is more of a full-body exercise but is still wonderful for the legs. Keeping your back straight, place both your hands on a wall a little above waist height. Place one foot forward and place it on the ground. The forward foot and that corresponding leg are what you’ll be engaging first. If the ground you’re on or your footwear doesn’t work well together then going barefoot is also an option with this posture. Breathing in, ramp up, press for 6 to 8 seconds, and then relax. Switch your feet and do the same on the other side. You will be doing six total positions with this one where the foot through which force is being transferred will be in a close, middle, and far position in it’s relation to the wall.
Side Wall Press
This posture will provide you a way to train your legs outside of the standard forward and back planes of motion. I choose to stand with my shoulder against a wall. The arm of that corresponding shoulder is bent at a 90-degree angle and is also making contact with the wall. Another point of contact will be the hand of the opposite arm. If you choose to you can place a cushion between you and the wall. The lower you go the greater the stretch. The leg closest to the wall will be the one generating force.
I generally stick to a total of four positions for this one. No need to get super low.
Floor movers
A posture for your hips and legs that can be done anywhere even standing in line at the store. You’re trying to either tear the floor apart, or bring it together and compress it. The first position will be with your feet within a few inches of each other.
The second position will be shoulder width.
The third is just outside shoulder width.
Three total positions for pushing out and three for pushing inward.
There is also the option of forward and back. Place one foot forward and one foot back and try to squeeze them together.
Plyo vs Iso
Other than sprints I rarely do any form of plyometric anymore. The overcoming isometrics adaption will provide you with explosiveness even with the standard six to eight-second contraction. The strength and power which you generate with isometrics will make you feel almost weightless when you first start.
But if you’re not satisfied with this you can perform overcoming isometrics in multiple one-second bursts which will improve your rate of force production.
Timing
For beginners, I’d perform overcoming isometrics with a six to eight-second contraction. This will give you a good blend of strength as well as improve your connective tissues. For beginners, I would limit the number of burst reps to three or four for each position.
Wrap Up
Building a strong and able body doesn’t require much. As long as you use the right principles your progress is almost limitless.
Thank you for making it to the end. If you have any questions send them my way. Until next time…