If you can’t decide whether to prioritize compound or isolation exercises, we’ll make it easy for you – it’s always compound exercises.
Compound exercise is mostly functional training plans, including classes like F45, HIIT, or CrossFit. Compound moves target multiple muscle groups, bones, and joints, while isolation exercises (as the name suggests) focus on a single muscle group to stimulate muscle growth.
If you’re not sure what will benefit your training regimen, it’s time to break down the differences, benefits, and why you should include both types in your resistance programs. And if you’re ready to lift weights, grab a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells for your next workout.
Isolation vs. Compound Exercise: What’s the Difference?
As mentioned, the main difference between compound and isolation exercises boils down to the number of muscles and joints targeted. An example of a compound exercise is the pushup, which targets different muscle groups, including the anterior deltoids (the front of the shoulders), pectorals, and triceps.
An isolation exercise might include biceps curls, which target different parts of the biceps muscle, including the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis through elbow flexion.
Isotonic versus isometric motion
Let’s quickly cover two types of movements – isotonic and isometric. An isotonic exercise means that your muscles lengthen and shorten during a contraction with the same amount of tension (like a lunge), whereas an isotonic exercise is static, like a plank.
During isotonic movement, you have a concentric contraction — muscles shorten and tension increases when it meets resistance, like the upward phase of a pushup, and an eccentric contraction, when the muscle lengthens under load, like the lowering phase of a pushup. -up or squat.
Eccentric and concentric loading both pack muscle and strength-building benefits in different ways, so isotonic compound movements can provide the most bang for your buck overall. But that doesn’t make isolation exercises redundant — it’s just worth knowing when to use them and how they can benefit your exercise regimen.
Isolation versus compound exercises: the benefits
The compound movement is versatile, effective, and can be performed with or without equipment, including advanced weightlifting through bodyweight training for beginners. No heavy weights on hand? Check out the top 5 ways to build muscle without lifting heavier weights.
The more closely the movement mimics how you move throughout the day, the better. You can expect to see stretching, bending and twisting movements – all of which help improve the way you move as you age, building strength and power and developing muscle mass, coordination, flexibility and balance.
Isolation exercises are great for quickly tiring one muscle group and focusing on areas of weakness, imbalance, or previous injuries that need rehabilitation. Your stronger muscles can’t take over, so you must work the target muscle group through the full range of motion. Strengthening and cauterizing any weak points can help your body work more efficiently with better quality, reducing the risk of injury.
And research It has also shown that partial range of motion during movements such as biceps curls can also lead to muscle growth by limiting oxygen delivery to muscle tissue – called hypoxia.
Isolation vs. compound exercises: the negatives
By definition, isolation exercises target fewer muscles in a single plane of motion and do not teach the body to work as a unit. If your goal is to strengthen your back and biceps, you can include exercises like rows and pull-ups that target both rather than isolating your biceps with curls. Regardless, isolation exercises are great accessory moves to add to training programs.
How to use isolation exercises
Accessory exercises are the ‘support’ moves to a ‘core’ compound exercise – this is when isolation moves can really shine. Extensions are typically used in supersets with a core workout and little to no rest, but they don’t have to be an isolation exercise.
If you choose to use them, you can substitute the deadlift (compound) with hamstring curls (isolation) to develop your hamstrings.
Either way, having isolation exercises in the mix is great if there’s a specific area you want to work on or if you plan to build definition in one muscle group.
How to use compound exercises
Compound movements with or without weights are always beneficial, but we love using them as part of a gymnastics workout, which includes bodyweight-only exercises. Beginners can benefit from them as much as advanced weightlifters, and those who want to lose weight can burn more calories when adding them to high-intensity workouts.
An exercise program consisting of compound exercises works more muscles, so it can provide a higher calorie burn when your heart rate is also elevated for an extended period.
Sport-specific training includes both types – compound and isolation – but how you use them will depend on the skills and goals of the athlete. Although compound exercises are widely used, isolation exercises used in sports can help athletes strengthen weaker muscles or rebuild strength after an injury.
Either way, you’ll see multi-joint movements pop up just about everywhere.
Isolation versus compound exercises: verdict
Depending on your goals, both are beneficial, and isolation exercises complement compound exercise. For example, the biceps curl only focuses on developing an Arnold Schwarzenegger figure that you would be envious of, which will benefit movements such as rows and pull-ups. Likewise, increasing your pull-up game will naturally help strengthen your biceps.
If you’re coming back from an injury — think of an ACL or rotator cuff tear, for example — your doctor may single out muscle groups to work on as part of a varied exercise routine.
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