As a fitness instructor, I often see one kind of inquiry that demonstrates how many individuals are missing the broad picture when it comes to the advantages of strength training. This frequently asked question often begins as follows:
“How should I isolating the (insert your desired muscle group here: abs, quads, biceps, triceps, etc)?”
It makes no difference whatever muscle is being discussed; they always appear to be wondering how to ‘isolate’ it. My first answer to this question is usually the following: Why would you want to isolate it in the first place?
The first thing I educate my clients about is that the body does not function well when muscles are isolated. Rather than that, it is more effective in motions along a kinetic chain, in which vast segments of the body help other segments in completing a complicated movement. Indeed, genuine muscle isolation does not exist. Almost often, there is a neighboring muscle group that can help you with whatever action you are doing. However, this article contrasts trying to ‘isolate’ bodily parts via single-joint workouts with the much more successful approach of doing multi-joint complex motions.
By attempting to ‘isolate’ muscles via single-joint workouts, you are essentially producing a non-functional body that is more prone to injury. In essence, you are constructing a body composed of individual body parts rather than a strong, functioning entity that functions in concert.
Now, if you really want to wind up limping about in a body wrapped with joint issues, tendinitis, and extra body fat, by all means, continue attempting to ‘isolate’ bodily parts. If, on the other hand, you want a slim, strong, injury-free, functioning body that functions as a cohesive, powerful unit to execute complicated motions (in sports or even daily activities), you must abandon muscle isolation. Believe me, concentrating on how effectively your body works will result in an appearance that is much better than it would have been if you concentrated on muscle isolation. Consider the physiques of any NFL running backs, wide receivers, or even elite sprinters. Believe me when I tell that these men hardly ever exercise for muscle isolation (their strength instructors would never allow it), and yet they are incredibly shredded! Consider Maurice Green or Terrell Owens and tell me who wouldn’t desire their physiques.
Another advantage of shifting from a ‘muscle isolation’ mentality to a more ‘complex movement’ mindset is that losing body fat will become much simpler. The reason for this is that by focusing on multi-joint complex movements rather than single-joint muscle isolation, you not only burn more calories during each workout but also increase your metabolic rate and stimulate the production of fat-burning and muscle-building hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone.
Consider the following example. The machine leg extension is a single-joint exercise that primarily trains the quadriceps, has the potential to create knee joint instability over time, and burns very few calories. Squats, lunges, step-ups, and deadlifts, on the other hand, are all multi-joint complex movements that work hundreds of muscles in the body (including the quadriceps) as a functional unit, build more stable and strong joints over time (when performed properly), and also burn a significant amount of calories in comparison to single-joint exercises.
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