Comments on: When Should a Beginner Use Isolation Exercises?

By: Science Of Weightlifting and Bodybuilding | World Fitness Network

Science Of Weightlifting and Bodybuilding | World Fitness Network — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:42:04 +0000

[...] way to go. I take a slightly more moderate view that some work on machines is ok, if trying to isolate a particular muscle or if you are trying to recover from injury. And newer machines keep coming out that more [...]

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:29:57 +0000

Sean- “Curls for the girls” is a good way to put it. And you’re dead on about the overtraining and discouragement that alot of people get. It happens all the time.

BTW, nothing wrong with some pullovers and dips. Dips are an especially great compound movement for the triceps, chest, & shoulders.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:14:07 +0000

Great article Jason! I too am a firm advocate of compound lifts. Isolation exercises are useless unless done as an accessory or for the sake of vanity like you mentioned.

Your triceps are already getting worked plenty from pressing, and your biceps are getting all they need from rowing, so what would be the point of doing 10 sets or arms after such lifts?

In my opinion, too much direct arm work and isolation exercises is what leads to overtraining and discouragement since they do not produce results. If you want to do a set of curls every now and then for fun, have at it, just stick to the big lifts.

The only things I do other than squats, presses, rows, cleans, and dead lifts is pullovers, dips, and a set of curls for the girls every now and then ;)

By: Alex Kay

Alex Kay — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:17:16 +0000

Allright, thanks for the info Jason.

I am also starting to do some more ab- and calf work, as these are definately some of my weakest “chains”.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:41:01 +0000

Lauren- You're giving me more credit than is due, I think I totally left out rehab, but that is another great example of a good time for isolation exercises. And also a good example about the VMO. Hmm... I think I read something about that somewhere recently ;) Alex- I'm still following the intermediate program outlined in the free e-book recently released. The majority of time is spent on compound movements, with some calf and ab work involved, and then 2 vanity exercises: laterals and curls. Since the isolation exercises require way less energy to do, I often superset them together with the other smaller exercises.

By: Alex Kay

Alex Kay — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:29:49 +0000

Thanks Jason, this is really usefull advice.

So, how many isolation exercises do you do?

Alex :)

By: Lauren

Lauren — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:51:10 +0000

Hey Jason, good points. Don’t forget that people often need to use isolation exercises in rehab. You sort of touched on it, but when coming back from an injury often muscles will be weak in isolation. As you mentioned , if you are weak in isolation, then you are going to be weak in a compound movement that uses that muscle. For example the VMO, I reckon there is very little use for doing VMO work if you have healthy knees, however, as soon as you have a knee injury, that is what shuts off. If it’s weak, your patterns are stuffed and are likely leading to more biomechanical issue further up or down the chain, and definitely need to use some isolation work.

Cheers