The video itself says it all (just click to see the video – only 3 minutes long but worth every second):
Which type of exercise is better? Basic or Isolation?
That all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to build strength or size, or are you trying to refine the musculature that you already have?
Basic exercises, also referred to as compound movements, are the exercises that work several groups of muscle together with a single movement. The best example of a basic movement is the squat.
Each time you squat down and then press your body back up, you are working muscles in your quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks, lower back, and other back muscles. Many muscles throughout the body are also actively involved in stabilization during this lift.
Isolation exercises are the movements that stress only one muscle group at a time. An example of an isolation exercise is biceps curls. With each repetition you do, the weight is moved almost completely by your biceps muscles.
Building the Right Foundation
If you are trying to build a base of strength or muscle size, basic exercises are key to your success, and for most people out there, basic exercises should compose a majority of their workouts.
This is because basic movements will give you the best gains for the amount of effort you put in. It’s true that working more muscles with a single workout is clearly more time efficient than working each muscle separately, but there’s more to it than that. (more…)
Continue reading about Basic Vs. Isolation Exercises, Chisels or Dynamite?
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Getting calluses while you lift weights is normal, but a lot can be done to reduce the number of calluses that form on your hands.
If you’re getting calluses while lifting, you’re doing some things right. You’re training hard, using a heavy weight, and doing plenty of (more…)
Continue reading about How to Avoid Calluses When Lifting Heavy Weights
Image Credit: PrairieArt
Talking about the shoulder muscles can really get confusing.
Chances are, if you ask someone for a shoulder rub, they’ll grab the meat that sits close to the base of your neck. This part of your “shoulders” is referred to as the trapezius muscle, or your “traps”. (more…)
Continue reading about What You Need to Know About Your Deltoids
I just got off the phone with Skip La Cour, 6-time national bodybuilding champion. DRUG-FREE national champion, that is.
- Skip La Cour – drug-free champion
Skip is smart, funny, motivated, hard-working – things “bodybuilders” aren’t often credited for. But to compete in that arena without steroids pretty much assures that only the most elite – both physically and mentally – survive.
I was talking to Skip for advice, and I’ll tell you about that in another post. But for now I want to tell you how I was able to get an hour of his time… This is really important for those of you looking to add mass.
Having conquered the natural bodybuilding world, Skip has turned his attention to business. One of those businesses is MassMachineNutrition. [This is NOT an affiliate link or anything. I do not make any money at all from this link.]
I saw that he was offering a free hour of consultation for everyone who orders his Maximum Mass Pack – protein powder, creatine, glutamine, multivitamin.
I did a double-take. Was he really going to give me an hour of one-on-one advice just for buying stuff I would have bought anyway? The price he was charging was a good price for the supplements so this was a no brainer.
Now, I’ve followed Skip for the past couple years and I know I’ve mentioned him before in earlier articles.
I’ve never endorsed a supplement company before. But after talking to Skip about his ethics, I know he is delivering good stuff.
But even if you like where you get your protein and creatine now, or frankly even if you don’t use any supplements at all, you really should go to http://www.massmachinenutrition.com/mmp right now and get the free hour of advice. Skip totally OVERDELIVERS in that hour and no matter where you are in your muscle journey you will not regret it. (Really, if you don’t use protein powder, etc. buy it, get the advice, and give the protein powder to your buddy.)
Plus, you get a 13-hour audio seminar for free.
It’s really unbelievable. The way I look at it is I just paid Skip a little more than I’d pay a know-nothing personal trainer at 24Hour Fitness and I got a ton of supplements free and a 13-hr course for free.
Seriously, right now you need to go to http://www.massmachinenutrition.com/mmp and get his Maximum Mass Pack and the free hour of advice.
And again, I make absolutely no money from this. I’m referring you to Skip because I know it is worth it for you. You will not be disappointed. (more…)
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