Isolation exercises will build more muscle and weight

One of the big factors that many talk about when looking for the right ways to gain weight and build muscle is the type of exercises selected for each muscle group.

Exercises such as the bench press (for pecs), squats (for quads), deadlifts (for back), military presses (for shoulders), and incline barbell rows (for lats) have been the most used for the longest time. been praised as the main “mass builders”.

Everyone says that if you want to build the most muscle in the shortest amount of time, focus on these compound exercises in your workout routine.

To be clear, a compound exercise is any exercise that forces more than one muscle group to work.

For example, the bench press, which everyone thinks is hands down the best movement for building a thick chest, is considered a compound exercise because not only does it have to work the chest, but the shoulders and triceps come into play. I play a lot as well.

A compound exercise would be considered different from an isolation exercise, which only uses 1 muscle group for movement.

An example of an isolation movement would be flyes, which work the chest almost exclusively.

Now, this is where the whole “compound exercises are the best muscle builders for weight and muscle gain” myth starts…

When you compare the amount of weight you can lift with a compound exercise and an isolation exercise, there is almost no comparison.

You can lift much more weight with a compound exercise than with an isolation exercise.

So everyone seems to reason “Hey, if I can lift 250lbs when I bench press, instead of 90lbs with flies, then since I’m benching a lot more weight, then I must be building more muscle!!” !”.

Sorry to be the bearer of truth, but that’s not how it works.

Sure you can lift a lot more weight with a compound exercise. But why is that?

Because with a compound exercise you have 2-3 different muscle groups, sometimes more, all helping to lift weight.

Of course you’re going to be lifting more, since with an isolation exercise you’re only using 1 muscle group.

But this is where the reality of the situation comes in…

Continuing with the bench press example: 9 times out of 10 if you’re bench pressing it’s because you’re trying to build a bigger chest.

Well, realize that out of the total amount of weight you can be lifting, the muscles that do most of the work are the muscles.

triceps, then shoulders,……then, and only then, does the chest come into the picture.

Your chest isn’t doing half the work it takes to bench press, regardless of how well you perform that exercise and focus on the pecs.

Now consider flies, the isolation exercise for the chest.

With flies, the chest is forced to do more than 90% of the work! Almost all for his little self.

You’ll put more stress and work on your chest muscles with an isolation exercise, like the flyes, than with any compound exercise, like the bench press, and you’ll stimulate more muscles as a result.

Just because you can lift more weight overall with a compound exercise than with an isolation exercise, don’t let your ego or overall numbers get in the way of doing the right thing to help you build and gain muscle weight.

Have you ever noticed that there are some people who can bench press a ton of weight, but have almost no chest to show it?

Have you ever observed someone who can occupy a house in a squat, but when you look at their thighs / quads, you would never think that the person works out?

Have you ever seen all these people who love to bench, have huge shoulders and triceps, but have a flat chest?

Prove my point.

Sure, you may not be able to lift as much weight with an isolation exercise, but you’ll build bigger muscles.

Who cares how much you can lift. Let’s be honest. What matters most is how muscular, defined and big we look.

Copyright (c) 2006 Jonathan Perez

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