Planks. I was never a fan. Sit-ups, although old school, were the way to go for abs, right? Well, they were going good for me but then came the inevitable tail bone / upper butt crack injury (cut/tear) from doing too many sit-ups on a bony ass.
Okay, maybe planks aren’t so bad. I replaced my sit-ups with these static exercises a week or so ago. I doubt I’ll ever look back. The work on your core that 3-5 50-60 second planks is amazing. Plus, unlike sit-ups, it doesn’t put stress on your hips and lower back.
I now have more room in my tiny office / studio / workout space. The sit-up bench that was always in the middle of the floor has been put back into storage.
A plank is an isometric exercise. This simply means it’s static. It’s a pose or position that you hold without movement for a set amount of time. I find that 50 seconds is my limit. I would rather do several sets of that duration than one longer, tortuous go.
There’s Something To This Static Exercise Thing
About the time I got full into planks, I was reading Wim Hof and he mentioned the ‘horse stance’. I had no idea what this was and his description wasn’t much to go on. So, after a bit of research, I found that this too is an isometric exercise.
The horse stance is popular with the martial arts folks. It’s basically a held position with your legs spread and knees bent at close to a 90 degree angle. Trust me, after just my favourite time of 50 seconds, your quads will be feeling it.
For more on the proper implementation of the horse stance, see here: horse stance.
So, suddenly, I was throwing in two isometric exercises into my daily routine. I felt I better dive into the research to find out what other static exercises could be done to gain strength.
There are a ton. One article I came across lists 20 (read that article here). I’ve now evolved the leg portion of my workout to include a few more of these isometric exercises. Normally, I just do several sets of air squats (mostly single leg). I’ve now added the horse stance, sitting leg extensions (one leg at a time) and calf raises to the fold.
I’m hoping this will accelerate my recovery from a bit of an achilles strain that has been bugging me. I’m aiming for a return to running in the new year but I need that injury to be completely gone (I have an ongoing history with this problem and know full well that if it isn’t fully healed, it will linger indefinitely). My daily intake of glucosamine sulfate is a big help – it has certainly worked in the past.
As far as upper body, I haven’t really made much change to my routine. However, when I’m doing dumbbell bicep curls, I now stop on the final rep with my arm at a 45 and hold for a ten count. Yes, this is another example of isometric exercise at work. Any time you hold a position…
Why The Relation With Travel?
I’m sure you can already see why these exercises are custom built for the traveller. You need zero space. These exercises can be done in the bathroom of your hotel room, if you so choose.
Sure, most places you stay at while travelling will have a gym you can access. However, you’re travelling. Do you really want to take time out from your day to return to the hotel, just to put in a workout? You want to exercise first thing in the morning or in the evening, after you’ve returned to your accommodations for the day. There’s a good chance your hotel gym won’t even be open at those times.
Plus, these are very low impact exercises. Your risk of injury is minimal. The last thing you want while exploring a far-off, exotic locale is a strained muscle.