There are two main types of exercises in strength training: compound exercises and isolation exercises. Whether compound or isolation exercises best suit your goals depends on what you’re trying to accomplish with your training. Understanding the difference between compound and isolation exercises can help you develop a more effective training routine that aligns with your fitness goals.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of compound and single-shot movements and how to incorporate them into your training routine.
Compound and isolated exercises
A. Compound Exercises
Compound movements are multi-joint movements that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Examples include squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups. These movements are generally considered to be more functional and effective for building overall strength and muscle mass than isolation exercises. [1]They also tend to be more difficult and require more energy, so are best done at the beginning of a workout when energy levels are highest.
Strong Points:
Efficient use of time: Compound exercises work several muscle groups at once, allowing you to work your entire body in less time than single exercises.
Increased strength: Compound exercises work several muscle groups at the same time, so they are generally more effective at building overall strength than isolated exercises.
More functional movements: Many compound exercises mimic common movements in daily life, such as lifting objects or climbing stairs, making compound exercises more practical and functional for everyday activities.
Increased calorie burn: Compound exercises engage more muscle groups, which helps burn more calories during and after exercise, aiding in weight loss.
Cons:
Increased risk of injury: Compound movements are more complex and require proper form and technique, so you’re at higher risk of injury if you don’t use proper form or try to lift too much weight too quickly.
Increased muscle fatigue: Because compound exercises work multiple muscle groups, they can tire your muscles more than isolated exercises, making it harder to perform other exercises effectively.
Specific isolation of specific muscle groups: Compound movements are effective for improving overall strength, but they may not be as effective as isolation movements for isolating specific muscle groups.
More challenging for beginners: Compound movements require more strength, coordination, and technique than isolated movements, and can be more challenging for those new to strength training.
In summary, compound exercises are an effective and efficient way to build overall strength and improve functional movement. However, they do carry some risks and challenges, especially for beginners. For optimal results, it’s important to use proper form and technique, gradually increase weight and intensity over time, and incorporate a variety of exercises into your training routine.
B. Isolation Exercises
Isolation exercises, on the other hand, are single-joint movements that focus on a specific muscle group. Examples include bicep curls, lateral raises, tricep extensions, and calf raises. These exercises are great for targeting specific muscle groups and increasing muscle size and definition. They also tend to be less challenging and require less energy, making them a good choice to do at the end of a workout when you’re tiring.
These exercises are often performed later in the workout, after larger muscle groups have been fatigued. This targeted approach can result in specific muscle groups being fatigued further, potentially increasing hypertrophy and training effectiveness.
Strong Points:
Targeted Muscle Development: Isolation exercises allow you to specifically target and isolate individual muscle groups, helping you increase muscle size and definition, especially when correcting muscle imbalances or weaknesses that may result from injury or other physical limitations.
Increase muscular endurance: Isolation exercises target specific muscle groups, helping to improve muscle endurance and reduce muscle imbalances.
Lower risk of injury: Isolation exercises are generally simpler and less complicated than compound exercises, meaning they pose less risk of injury when used with proper form and technique.
Easy for beginners: Isolation exercises are generally easier for beginners to perform because they require less coordination and technique than compound exercises.
Cons:
Inefficient use of time: Isolation exercises only work one muscle group at a time, which means you have to do more exercises to work every muscle group in your body, which can make your workout longer and less efficient.
Functional movement limitations: Isolation exercises focus on specific muscle groups and don’t necessarily mimic movements commonly performed in daily life, meaning they may not be as practical or functional for everyday activities.
Limited strength development: Although isolation exercises are effective at increasing muscle size and definition, they may not be as effective at improving overall strength as compound exercises.
Limit calorie burn: Isolation exercises work fewer muscle groups than compound exercises, so you burn fewer calories during and after your workout.
Combining vs. Separating? Which should you do first?
If your goal is to increase overall strength and muscle mass, compound movements are a good place to start: working multiple muscle groups at the same time allows you to lift more weight and activate more muscle fibers, leading to better results.
On the other hand, isolation exercises are an effective way to target specific muscle groups, increase muscular endurance, and reduce the risk of injury, but they may not be as effective for overall strength building or calorie burning compared to compound exercises.
In summary, it is important to use a combination of both isolation and compound exercises in your training routine to achieve a balanced and effective workout. In conclusion, the order of exercises plays a key role in optimal muscle activation during training. Starting with compound exercises to target specific muscle groups and finishing with isolation exercises will maximize muscle activation and growth.
Examples of compound and isolated exercises for various muscle groups
chest:
- Barbell Bench Press (Compound)
- Incline dumbbell press (compound)
- Dumbbell Fly (Isolation)
leg:
- Squats (combined)
- Leg Press (Isolation)
- Leg Extension (Isolation)
return:
- Chin-ups (compound)
- Lat Pulldown (combined)
- Straight Arm Lat Pulldown (Isolation)
shoulder:
- Military Press (Combined)
- Lateral raise (isolation)
- Rear Delta Fly (Isolation)
