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Article of the Month
Using Compound and Isolation Movements to Shape Your Ultimate Physique
By Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, CPT
In order to construct an effective training program, it's important to understand the complexities of compound and isolation movements. These are the two basic types of exercises utilized in weight training. Both movements have distinct characteristics and provide unique options for shaping your physique.
As a rule, a compound movement will involve the action of two joints, while an isolation movement will only involve one joint. Consequently, many supporting muscles are involved in the completion of a compound movement. Certain compound movements, like the Olympic deadlift, require virtually all of the major muscles of the body to be utilized in exercise performance. Contrarily, isolation movements tend to target a specific muscle or muscle group, at the exclusion of secondary muscles. Because only one joint is used to lift a weight, rarely will supporting muscles come into play in exercise performance.
For example, the squat is a compound movement since both the knee and hip joints are utilized in order to complete a repetition. As you descend into a squat position, both your knees and hips will bend in order to allow your body to move downward. Conversely, a leg extension is an isolation movement since only the knee joint is utilized in performance. While both exercises primarily stress the quadriceps, they will exert stimulus to different areas of the lower body. In most variations of the squat, you will stimulate all the muscles of the quadriceps and provide secondary stress to the muscles of the glutes and hamstrings. In effect, your entire lower body is worked in this exercise. On the other hand, the leg extension will almost exclusively stress the muscles in the lower part of the quadriceps, particularly in the area of the knee (vastus medialis and vastus lateralis). You will provide secondary stress to the upper portion of the quadriceps (rectus femoris) and virtually no stress to the hamstrings and glutes. Hence, understanding the complexities of compound and isolation exercises is paramount to your training goals. The following are the benefits of each type of movement:
Compound movements are staple exercises in a fitness routine. They help to develop your proportions in a way that would be impossible solely by using isolation exercises. They are particularly important in the beginning stages of training, when overall development is of prime concern. Regardless of your level, though, the inclusion of compound movements in your routine is an absolute necessity. The benefits of these movements include:
They strengthen the connective tissue that supports your muscles. If your connective tissue is sufficiently weaker than your muscle tissue, you are more prone to tendon and ligament injuries such as pulls, tears and tendonitis. The connective tissue works in conjunction with your muscles and must be strong for you to progress to the higher levels of training.
They help to stimulate many of the smaller, stabilizer muscles that are not specifically targeted by most exercises. Many of the smaller muscles of the body are not involved in the execution of single joint movements. These smaller muscles assist in exercise performance and thus help to shape the larger muscles. Moreover, they help to add overall detail to your physique and give your body a polished appearance.
They provide an efficient means of training the body. Since you utilize many different muscles in the performance of a compound movement, you can train with fewer total sets. This is beneficial when you are seeking fundamental development of the muscle or when time constraints do not allow you to split your routine into muscle groups.
As the name implies, isolation movements allow you to isolate specific muscles. An isolation movement will require the use of lighter weights than a compound movement. Since supporting muscles are taken out of the movement, the target muscle has to perform almost all of the work. As a rule, you should be able to perform about 50% of the weight used in a compound movement for the same muscle group. This can vary slightly based on the strength of your primary muscle in a particular exercise. The benefits of isolation movements include:
They can selectively target a muscle at the exclusion of secondary muscles. The degree to which you can isolate a particular muscle is somewhat limited. It will be influenced by where the muscle is situated on your body and the range of motion of the movement itself. Nevertheless, single joint exercises are much more concentrated to an individual muscle. Thus, isolation movements tend to be better for bodysculpting and creating muscular symmetry.
They put less stress on the connective tissue in comparison to compound movements. Since the amount of weight that you can utilize is substantially less than for compound movements, isolation exercises will reduce the tension applied to the tendons and joints. Hence, they help to decrease the chance for injury to the connective tissue, which is one of the most common training-related ailments. This can be of particular benefit when you are training around a previous injury or medical debilitation.
In final analysis, both compound and isolation movements are essential components in a comprehensive training program. By properly integrating them into your routine, you'll be able to take your physique to new heights.
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When performing exercises for the calves, it is best to keep your toes pointing straight ahead. Angling your toes in or out will have no bearing on where you direct stress to your calves. By maintaining a straight toe position, you are able to work your calves through the greatest possible range of motion, thereby promoting optimal muscular gains.
80% of all people who start an exercise program stop working out within the first two months.
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