The gym is a scary, intimidating place. Huge dudes grunting. That girl you follow on Insta doing some kind of banded hop.
All this makes going to the gym hard enough in itself. You gravitate towards the machines, cables, and bicep curls. They’re comfortable, and pretty self-explanatory.
Problem is, sticking to comfortable movements is far from an effective training strategy.
Let break things down into two types of exercises:
Isolation exercises: Primarily work a single muscle group. Think: Bicep curls, shoulder flys, most machines. You really feel a single muscle group burning. Not that tiring.
Compound Exercises: Work lots of muscle groups at once. Think: Squats, lunges, chin-ups, deadlifts. Lots of things burn. These are exhausting. Harder to motivate yourself to do.
To build a lean, toned or muscular physique, you need to focus on compound exercises.
They’re more effective. Let’s compare:
A) three sets per week of leg extensions, a classic go to for those who aren’t really sure where to go in the gym. Isolate the quads for the most part. Burners for sure.
B) barbell back squat. Also work your quads. As well as: booty, hamstrings, back, core.
So a lot more “bang for your buck” doing three sets of squats. Many more muscle groups worked, in the same amount of sets.
Quicker workouts. The entire body can be trained with four compound movements. (Example: Deadlifts, lunges, barbell rows, incline bench press).
Studies show that for optimal muscle growth, you need to train a muscle at least twice a week. Check out this blog on the topic: Why Can't I Gain More Muscle?
For Fat Loss: You’re doing a lot more work with the squats. Burning through a lot more calories. To lose fat: daily calories burned must be more than daily calories consumed. So compound movements help with this.
The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will be. You’ll build much more muscle when ya focus on compound movements. More muscle means quicker fat loss.
If your goal is fat loss, you’re doing yourself a disservice spending an entire training day focusing on a single muscle group.
Arm day is the last thing that’ll help ya get rid of flabby arms. Know what will? Focusing on training the largest muscle groups, and in turn building a faster metabolism.
Now, don’t let the above convince ya isolation exercises are worthless. They’re actually super beneficial, and should be included in your training program.
The mistake most people make is prioritizing isolation exercises over compound exercises.
Isolation exercises are great for mind-muscle connection. Being able to “feel” the muscle you want working. Pre-exhaust techniques with machines are solid for this. Wanna feel your glutes more in your squat? Bust out 20 glute bridges immediately before squatting. Your booty will be lit.
On the same note, I like to use isolation exercises to activate specific muscle groups before my compound lifts.
Example: The muscles of the upper back are extremely important to keeping the shoulders injury free. Before any type of pressing, I go through the following routine I picked up from Cody “Boom Boom” McBroom (https://boomboomperformance.com) to activate my upper back musculature.
A1) Straight arm pull down 2x10
A2) Cable row 2x10
A3) Facepulls 2x10
Isolation exercises are a great way to add more work to muscle groups you want to focus on. You get a lot out of compound exercises, but they’re taxing on your body. Do to many, and ya want be able to recover.
Say ya want to build your shoulders. You do 4 sets of barbell overhead presses + 3 sets of dumbbell overhead press + 3 sets of heavy Arnold Presses. Too much. Keep this up and you’re on your way to a shoulder injury
But if ya did: 4 sets of barbell overhead presses + 3 sets of lateral raises + 3 sets of facepulls, you’re golden. You’ll be able to recover, and the extra isolation work will speed up your shoulder gains.
Are your goals are any combination of: look better, feel better, move better, build muscle, lose body fat? You should prioritizing compound movements.
Start your workouts with 3 to 4 compound movements. 3 to 5 sets. Focus on getting stronger in the 5 to 15 rep range. Rest 90 seconds to 3 minutes between sets.
After this, add in 2 to 4 isolation exercise. Focus these on weakness, lagging muscle groups, or whatever you want to build more. 2 to 4 sets. 10 to 20 reps. Focus on “feeling the burn” in the desired muscle group. 30 to 60 seconds rest.
Keep Learning
Food Quality Vs. If It Fits Your MacrosProject type
How To Set (And Adjust) Your Macros For Any GoalProject type
The Glute Growth Blueprint [Feat. Alex Bush]Project type
The Ultimate Guide To Flexible DietingProject type
The Fat Loss GuideProject type
How To Fix Stalled Fat LossProject type
The Best Diet To Lose Weight Postpartum - backupProject type
How To End A Diet (Without Losing Your Results)Project type
The Best Diet To Lose Weight PostpartumProject type
The 5 Keys To Maintaining Weight Loss ForeverProject type
How To Use Nutrition Periodization For Fat LossProject type
5 Ways To Get (and stay) MotivatedProject type
The Best Exercises For Building GlutesProject type
How To Hit Your Macros While TravelingProject type
The 6 Keys To Building Muscle For WomenProject type
Mom Of Five Photoshoot Prep (Nutrition Protocol, Training Strategy, Macro Adjustments, And More)Project type
Why Your Macros Aren't Working For Fat LossProject type
The Best Nutrition Strategy For Building MuscleProject type
Should You Bulk Or Cut First?Project type
Mom Of Five Photoshoot Prep (Nutrition Protocol, Training Strategy, Macro Adjustments, And More) - backupProject type
How To Sleep For Muscle Growth & Fat LossProject type
The Stubborn Muscle Solution For Your Delts, Quads, Hamstrings, and Back (Finally See Growth!)Project type
[GUIDE] The Best Diet To Get Lean In 12 WeeksProject type
Thyroid Health 101Project type
How To Change Your Body Fat Set PointProject type
The Core Training BlueprintProject type
How To Minimize Hunger On A DietProject type
Do You Need To Reverse Diet? [When/Why/How]Project type
The Ultimate Guide To PowerbuildingProject type
[GUIDE] How To Do Your First Pull-UpProject type
Building The Female PhysiqueProject type
Nutrition For Aesthetics [Beyond The Basics]Project type
The Definitive Guide To Periodizing NutritionProject type
The Ultimate Mini Cut Guide [Rapid Fat Loss]Project type
[Peak Week Guide] How To Get Photoshoot ReadyProject type
The Rapid Fat Loss ProtocolProject type
The 6 Worst Nutrition Mistakes You're MakingProject type
The Shoulder Training BlueprintProject type
Diet Breaks 101 (What/Why/How)Project type
CALORIE CYCLING 101: 6 Methods To Get You LeanerProject type
HORMONES: Are They Killing Your Results?Project type
The Complete Guide To Getting Visible AbsProject type
The P3 Fat Loss MethodProject type
How To Fix Your Gut Health & DigestionProject type
[Client Case Study] Achieving Lifestyle LeanProject type
How To Find Your Ideal DietProject type
Is Insulin Making You Fat?Project type
Why Fat Loss Stalls [And What To Do]Project type
The Complete Guide To Training At HomeProject type
The Body Composition Change BlueprintProject type
The 6 Most Helpful Things I've Learned In The Last Year [Training, Nutrition, & Coaching]Project type
[Program Design Masterclass] The Full Body SplitProject type
[GUIDE] How To Avoid Holiday Fat GainProject type
Do You Need To Reverse Diet?Project type
How To Stay Lean While Traveling/On VacationProject type
Client Case Study: 6 Months To Photoshoot LeanProject type
[GUIDE] Beat The Skinny-Fat PhysiqueProject type
[10 TIPS] How To Stay Lean For LifeProject type
[KEY TO CLIENT SUCCESS] The Motivation ManualProject type
[GUIDE] The Core Training BlueprintProject type
Fat Loss For Women: The Complete GuideProject type
How To Get Bigger ArmsProject type
Strategies To Make Dieting Suck LessProject type
Dealing With Fat Loss StallsProject type
Are Any Supplements Worth The Cost?Project type
7 Diet & Nutrition Tips For Fitness And HealthProject type
Is The Fitness Industry Full of Lies?Project type
The Lean Gains BlueprintProject type
My 3 Favorite Movements For Each Muscle GroupProject type
Can You Grow Your Calves or Is It All Genetics?Project type
The BEST Diet For Rapid Weight LossProject type
Does Eating Red Meat Cause Cancer?Project type
EVERYTHING You've Heard About Fat Loss Is A LIE.Project type
Is It Harder For Women To Get Abs?Project type
How To Get Toned ArmsProject type
How Often Should I Go To The Gym?Project type
How To Prioritize Cardio Vs. WeightliftingProject type
Does Gut Health Effect Weight Loss?Project type
Are Group Fitness Classes Effective?Project type
A Beginner's Guide To Intermittent FastingProject type
Can't Do A Chin-Up? Do This FirstProject type
Best Exercises For Defined ShouldersProject type
Fix Your Back PainProject type
Why can't I gain more muscleProject type
How to build great bicepsProject type
How to get AbsProject type
How to end a diet (without losing your results)Project type
The Best Diet To Lose Weight PostpartumProject type
The 5 Keys To Maintaining Weight Loss ForeverProject type