The article "Body Part Isolation vs. Complex Movements in Strength Training -
Build Real Muscle Instead of Counte" talks about sports, it was created by Michael Geary.
Working as a fitness professional, three is one type of
question I get all the time that shows that many persons 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 that 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 muslce 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 way with whatever movement you're doing.
However, that article compares attempting to 'isolate' body
parts via single-joint exrecises to the much more effective
strategy of performing multi-joint complex movements.
When you attempt to 'isolate' muscles by performing single-joint
exercises, you're 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, funcitonal 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 foucsed on muscle isolation. For
example, take a look at the physiques of any NFL running backs,
wide receivers, or even wrold 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 tohse 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 copmlex movements as opposed to
single-joint muscle isolation, you not only burn a lot more
calories during each workout, but you also raise 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 macihne 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 muscels 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.
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