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Bodybuilding
Program For Serious Trainers
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Isolated Muscle Training
Body
Part Isolation vs. Complex Movements in Strength Training
- Build Real Muscle Instead of Fake! by
Michael Geary
Working as a fitness professional, there is one type
of question I get all the time that shows that many
people are missing the big picture regarding the benefits
of strength training. This popular question usually
goes something like this:
“What exercise can I do to isolate my _______
(insert your muscle of choice – abs, quads, biceps,
triceps, etc)?”
It doesn’t matter which muscle someone is asking
about, they always seem to be asking how to ‘isolate’
it. My first response to this question is always –
“Why in the world would you want to isolate it?”
The first thing I try to teach my clients is that the
body does not work well in muscle isolation. Rather,
it works better in movements along a kinetic chain;
that is, large portions of the body assist other portions
of the body in completing a complex movement. In fact,
there really is no such thing as true muscle isolation.
There is almost always a nearby muscle group that will
assist in some way with whatever movement you are doing.
However, this article compares attempting to ‘isolate’
body parts via single-joint exercises to the much more
effective strategy of performing multi-joint complex
movements.
When you attempt to ‘isolate’ muscles by
performing single-joint exercises, you are actually
creating a body that is non-functional and will be more
prone to injury. Essentially, you are creating a body
that is a compilation of body parts, instead of a powerful,
functional unit that works together.
Now if you really want to end up hobbling around in
a body bandaged up with joint problems, tendonitis,
and excess body fat, then by all means, continue trying
to ‘isolate’ body parts. On the other hand,
if you would rather have a lean, muscular, injury-free,
functional body that works as a complete powerful unit
to perform complex movements (in athletics or even everyday
tasks), then you need to shift your focus away from
muscle isolation. Believe me, focusing on how well your
body functions will give you the side effect of a body
that looks even better than it would have if you focused
on muscle isolation. For example, take a look at the
physiques of any NFL running backs, wide receivers,
or even world class sprinters. Trust me when I say that
these guys pretty much NEVER train for muscle isolation
(their strength coaches wouldn’t be crazy enough
to let them), yet they are absolutely ripped to shreds!
Just look at guys like Maurice Green or Terrell Owens
and tell me who wouldn’t want a physique like those
guys.
Another benefit to moving away from the ‘muscle
isolation’ mindset to a more ‘complex movement’
mindset is that you will find it much easier to lose
body fat. The reason is that by focusing more on multi-joint
complex movements as opposed to single-joint muscle
isolation, you not only burn a lot more calories during
each workout, but you also increase your metabolic rate,
and stimulate production of more fat burning and muscle
building hormones like growth hormone and testosterone.
Let’s look at an example. The machine leg extension
is a single joint exercise that works mainly the quadriceps,
can potentially cause knee joint instability in the
long run, and doesn’t even burn that many calories.
On the other hand, exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups,
and deadlifts are all multi-joint complex movements
that work hundreds of muscles in the body (including
the quadriceps) as a functional unit, create more stable
and strong joints in the long run (when done properly),
and also burn massive quantities of calories compared
to the single-joint exercises.
If you’re interested in discovering more ways
to create a body that looks as good as it functions,
visit http://truthaboutabs.com
About the Author
Michael Geary, NCSF-CPT, AFAA-CPT, and author of "The
Truth about Six Pack Abs" ©2004-2005
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