Forget the gym—this static-hold workout will help you build strength all over with just a pair of dumbbells

Looking to shake up your workout routine and challenge your body in a new way? As a personal trainer, I often get my clients to perform isometric exercises. These moves get you to hold a position, like a wall sit or plank, for a long time. This forces your muscles to stay under tension, testing their strength and endurance.

Doing isometric exercises can help you build a strong mind-muscle connection, as it takes mental strength and resilience to hold a position without moving. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine also found that isometric exercises are great for lowering blood pressure, so they offer lots of benefits.

Here's a 20-minute isometric workout you can do at home. All you'll need to do it is a pair of 4-10lb dumbbells and an exercise mat.

How to do the static-hold workout

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, rest for 20 seconds then take a full minute of recovery in between sets. Aim for three rounds.

1. Squat hold
2. Static lunge
3. Wall sit
4. Biceps hold
5. Triceps extension hold
6. Overhead press hold
7. High plank

Start with a five-minute warm-up to prepare the body for exercise by increasing blood flow and raising your temperature, which helps make your muscles more flexible and efficient.

I recommend 20 repetitions each of squats, lunges, jumping jacks, hip openers and arm circles. Make time at the end to stretch for at least five minutes—check out our stretching guide if you need ideas.

Scroll down to read how to perform each move.

Static squat hold

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Stand with feet hip-width apart.
• Push your hips and butt back and lower yourself as if you are about to sit in a chair.
• Hold when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Keep your chest up and gaze forward.

Static lunge

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs on each leg

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, take a step back and lower yourself until both knees are at roughly 90° angles.
• Hold this position, keeping your chest up and body balanced by placing your hands on your hips.
• Swap legs and repeat.

Wall sit

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Lean back against a wall and lower yourself until your upper legs are parallel to the floor, with knees at roughly a right angle.
• Hold this position, keeping your hands back against the wall or resting on your hips.
• Squeeze your core and butt muscles to maintain the hold.

Biceps hold

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms close to your sides.
• With palms facing up (supinated grip), curl the weights up as in a biceps curl.
• Pause at 90° and hold this position, keeping your core engaged.

Triceps extension hold

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in a vertical position with both hands.
• Raise the dumbbell overhead with straight arms.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head toward the centre of your back.
• Hold this position, feeling the tension in the back of your upper arms.

Overhead press hold

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Rest the weights on your shoulders, then press them overhead, fully extending both arms.
• Hold this position with the weights overhead and arms locked out before lowering them back down.

High plank

Sets: 3 Time: 30 secs

• From a tabletop position, lift your knees off the floor and extend your legs behind you.
• With your head and neck in a neutral position, your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Hold, keeping your core and glutes tight to maintain the position.

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