subject: The Reason Why You Should NOT Attempt To Isolate Muscles When Weight Lifting [print this page] Working as a health specialist, there is one kind of question I get at all times that exhibits that many individuals are lacking the big picture about the benefits of lifting weights. This kind of popular question typically goes like this:
"Precisely what routine can one do to isolate my _______ (insert your muscle of choice - abs, quads, biceps, triceps, etc)?"
It does not matter which muscle an individual is wanting to know about, they always seem to be asking how you can 'isolate' it. My primary response to this specific concern is usually - Why in the world might you want to isolate it?
The very first thing I attempt to show my clientele is that the human body does not work well in muscle isolation. Instead, it works better in exercises along a kinetic chain; that is, large portions of the human body aid other portions of the body in finishing a complex movement. The truth is, there actually is no such thing as true muscle isolation. There's almost always a nearby muscle group which will assist in some manner with whichever activity you do. However, this post compares trying to 'isolate' body parts via single-joint exercises to the far more effective tactic of carrying out multi-joint complex movements.
When you make an effort to 'isolate' muscles by performing single-joint exercises, you're actually creating a physique which is non-functional and will be much more susceptible to injury. Primarily, you are developing a physique that's a compilation of body parts, instead of a powerful, functional unit that actually works together.
Today if you want to start hobbling about inside a body bandaged up with joint problems, tendonitis, and excessive fat, then be my guest, continue trying to 'isolate' areas of the body. Conversely, if you would prefer to have a slim, muscular, injury-free, useful body that actually works as a total powerful system to perform complex movements (in athletics as well as everyday tasks), you will want to move your focus away from muscle isolation. Believe me, concentrating on how well your own body functions provides you with the side effect of a physique that looks better than it might have if you focused on muscle isolation. For instance, check out the physiques of any NFL running backs, wide receivers, or even world class runners. Believe me when I say that these fellas virtually NEVER workout for muscle isolation (their strength coaches wouldn't be ridiculous enough to let them), but they're absolutely ripped to shreds! Just take a look at fellas like Maurice Green or Terrell Owens and tell me who wouldn't desire a physique just like those guys.
Another advantage to moving away from the 'muscle isolation' way of thinking to a more 'complex movement' mindset is you will see it's much easier to shed excess fat. The reason is that by paying attention more on multi-joint complex movements instead of single-joint muscle isolation, you not only melt away a great deal more calories during every exercise routine, but you may also increase your metabolic rate, as well as induce output of a lot more fat reducing and muscle building hormones like growth hormone and testosterone.
Let's consider a good example. The machine leg extension is a single joint exercise that works primarily the quadriceps, could result in knee joint instability in the end, and doesn't even burn up that many calories. However, exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, and deadlifts are all multi-joint complex movements that actually work countless muscles in the body (such as the quadriceps) as a functional unit, produce more stable and powerful joints over time (when completed properly), and also burn off enormous quantities of calories compared to the single-joint exercises.
