TOPIC: What Is The Best Isolation Workout?
The Question:
Isolation movements are excellent for targeting specific muscles.
What is the best all isolation workout? Be specific.
What is your favorite isolation exercise? Why?
What are some of the benefits of an all isolation workout?
What are some negative aspects of an all isolation workout?
Who would benefit from using an all isolation workout?
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Introduction
In terms of training, what is the difference between a good bodybuilder and a great bodybuilder? It's not that the great bodybuilder works out longer, with more intensity, or with heavier weights. The factor in training that separates the two is that the great bodybuilder has a complete routine. It's a routine that includes isolation work to keep their body in proportion.
Some weightlifters often make the mistake that isolation work is useless and a full compound routine is all one needs to build muscle. While compounds are the quickest way to work your body, they fail to fully exhaust the muscles. This is where isolation work is needed.
While a compound workout is faster, isolations will better target each individual muscle, resulting in a complete workout. This puts more stress on the muscles, and thus making them grow better than a full compound workout.
Read on and learn why isolations are so important, and how a full isolation routine can actually be a benefit for some people. I will go through the benefits and the negatives of isolation work, and which isolations are best used to gain the most muscle mass.
Question
What Is The Best All Isolation Workout? Be Specific.
The best all isolation workout would be one that targets every muscle only once, in order to be efficient with your time. There is no benefit working the same muscle with more than one exercise per day. Plus for a workout to be the best that it can be, no muscle should be neglected.
The workout will be split into 3 parts over a 12 week period, in order to prevent any muscle adaptation. The first part is designed to be more strength oriented to prepare you for the second half. The second part is designed for size gains. The third part is very intense, as it incorporates the benefits of strength and size gains. It is done last in the routine because your body will need days off to recover from the whole routine, especially the third part.
Each workout should not last for more than an hour, as isolation exercises are able to be performed faster and with less rest than compounds.
The whole routine would look like this:
- Weeks 1-5 : Part 1 - Strength Gains
- Weeks 6-10 : Part 2 - Size Gains
- Weeks 6-12 : Part 3 - Intense Size and Strength Gains
- Week 13 : Rest
Repeat
The best all isolation workout would look like this:
Strength Oriented Isolation Workout - Week 1-5:
| Body Part |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Abdominals |
Decline Crunch |
|
Decline Oblique Crunch |
|
| Back (Lats) |
Straight-Arm Pulldown |
|
Straight-Arm Pulldown |
|
| Back (Rhomboids) |
Incline Bench Pull |
|
Lying Cambered Row |
|
| Biceps |
Barbell Curls |
|
Close Grip EZ-Bar Curl |
|
| Chest |
Cable Crossovers |
|
Butterfly |
|
| Triceps |
Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions |
|
Tricep Pushdowns |
|
| Delts (Anterior) |
|
Front Dumbbell Raise |
|
Front Cable Raise |
| Delts (Lateral) |
|
Side Lateral Raise |
|
Seated Side Lateral Raise |
| Delts (Posterior) |
|
Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raise |
|
Reverse Dumbbell Fly |
| Trapezius |
Barbell Shrug |
|
Dumbbell Shrug |
|
| Legs (Calves) |
|
Standing Barbell Calf Raise |
|
Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raises |
| Legs (Glutes) |
|
One Legged Cable Kickback |
|
One Legged Cable Kickback |
| Legs (Hamstrings) |
|
Lying Leg Curls |
|
Standing Leg Curl |
| Legs (Quadriceps) |
|
Leg Extensions |
|
Leg Extensions |
|
 Mon. Log. |
Tues. Log. |
Thurs. Log. |
Fri. Log. |
| Rep/Set Range - 3 Sets, Max Weight for 6 Reps |
Size Oriented Isolation Workout - Week 6-10:
| Body Part |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Abdominals |
Cable Crunch |
|
Decline Oblique Crunch |
|
| Back (Lats) |
Straight-Arm Pulldown |
|
Straight-Arm Pulldown |
|
| Back (Rhomboids) |
Incline Bench Pull |
|
Middle Back Shrug |
|
| Biceps |
Barbell Curls |
|
Close Grip EZ-Bar Curl |
|
| Chest |
Cable Crossovers |
|
Incline Cable Fly |
|
| Triceps |
Decline Close Grip Bench Press + Skull crushers |
|
Tricep Kickbacks |
|
| Delts (Anterior) |
|
Front Dumbbell Raise |
|
Front Incline Dumbbell Raise |
| Delts (Lateral) |
|
Side Lateral Raise |
|
Seated Side Lateral Raise |
| Delts (Posterior) |
|
Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raise |
|
Cable Seated Rear Lateral Raise |
| Trapezius |
Cable Shrugs |
|
Smith Machine Shrugs |
|
| Legs (Calves) |
|
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise |
|
Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raises |
| Legs (Glutes) |
|
One Legged Cable Kickback |
|
One Legged Cable Kickback |
| Legs (Hamstrings) |
|
Lying Leg Curls |
|
Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift |
| Legs (Quadriceps) |
|
Leg Extensions |
|
Leg Extensions |
|
Mon. Log. |
Tues. Log. |
Thurs. Log. |
Fri. Log. |
| Rep/Set Range - 3 Sets, Max Weight for 15 Reps |
Size & Strength Oriented Isolation Workout - Week 11 & 12:
| Body Part |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Abdominals |
Decline Crunch |
|
Decline Oblique Crunch |
| Back (Lats) |
Straight-Arm Pulldown |
|
Straight-Arm Pulldown |
|
| Back (Rhomboids) |
Incline Bench Pull |
|
Lying Cambered Row |
|
| Biceps |
Barbell Curls |
|
Close Grip EZ-Bar Curl |
|
| Chest |
Cable Crossovers |
|
Butterfly |
|
| Triceps |
Decline Close Grip Bench Press + Skull crushers |
|
Tricep Pushdowns |
|
| Delts (Anterior) |
|
Front Dumbbell Raise |
|
Front Cable Raise |
| Delts (Lateral) |
|
Side Lateral Raise |
|
Seated Side Lateral Raise |
| Delts (Posterior) |
|
Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raise |
|
Cable Seated Rear Lateral Raise |
| Trapezius |
Cable Shrugs |
|
Smith Machine Shrugs |
|
| Legs (Calves) |
|
Standing Barbell Calf Raise |
|
Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raises |
| Legs (Glutes) |
|
One Legged Cable Kickback |
|
One Legged Cable Kickback |
Legs (Hamstrings) |
|
Lying Leg Curls |
|
Smith Machine Stiff Legged Deadlift |
| Legs (Quadriceps) |
|
Leg Extensions |
|
Leg Extensions |
|
Mon. Log. |
Tues. Log. |
Thurs. Log. |
Fri. Log. |
Set Range - 3 Total Sets, set weight to the maximum possible for 12 reps
Rep Range - 4 Reps, Rest 10 seconds * 6 = 24 Total Reps |
Exercise Reference Guide
While all of the following are isolation exercises, they do not only use a single muscle during the exercise. It is very rare to find an exercise without more than one muscle being worked in it, whether it is a secondary muscle or a stabilizer assisting the main muscle. The main focus for isolation work is to concentrate fully on using the main muscle to move the weight.
Main Muscles Worked - The muscles that are used the most during the exercise.
Secondary Muscles Worked -Muscles that assist the main muscles in the exercise.
Stabilizers - Muscles that are not worked by movement, but rather assist in stabilizing the body in addition to the weight of the exercise.
Barbell Curls
Barbell Shrug
Butterfly
Cable Crossovers
Cable Crunch
Cable Seated Rear Lateral Raise
Cable Shrugs
Main Muscles Worked:
- Trapezius, Upper
Secondary Muscles Worked:
- Trapezius, Upper
Stabilizers:
- Erector Spinae
What To Do:
- Grasp cable bar that is attached to the low pulley with a shoulder width or slightly wider overhand grip. Stand close to pulley.
- Elevate shoulders as high as possible. Lower and repeat.
Close Grip EZ-Bar Curl
Decline Close Grip Bench Press + Skull Crushers
Decline Crunch
Decline Oblique Crunch
Dumbbell Shrug
Front Cable Raise
Front Dumbbell Raise
Front Incline Dumbbell Raise
Incline Bench Pull
Incline Cable Fly
Leg Extensions
Lying Cambered Row
Lying Leg Curls
Middle Back Shrug
One Legged Cable Kickback
Reverse Dumbbell Fly
Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise
Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions
Seated Side Lateral Raise
Side Lateral Raise
Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raises
Click Image To Enlarge.
Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raises.
Video Guide: Windows Media - MPEG
Smith Machine Shrugs
Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Click Image To Enlarge.
Smith Machine Stiff-Legged Deadlift.
Video Guide: Windows Media - MPEG
Standing Barbell Calf Raise
Standing Leg Curl
Click Image To Enlarge.
Standing Leg Curl.
Straight-Arm Pulldown
Tricep Kickbacks
Tricep Pushdowns
A lot of exercises and muscles were mentioned here. Most of them you've heard of before, but for the ones that may sound strange and you want to learn more about, a complete list of muscles written in this article can be found at this link. A complete list of exercises written in this article can be found at this link.
Nutrition Section Of The Workout
As with any workout routine, the proper nutrition is required to feed your body the nutrients it needs to properly repair itself and build muscle after a workout. Creatine is a widely popular and recommended supplement to take, along with a post workout protein shake. Multivitamins are also strongly recommended to replenish your body with needed vitamins and minerals that you may not get enough or any at all during the day.
Fat:
Healthy fats are required in a bodybuilding diet because they aid in maintaining healthy hair and skin, promoting healthy cell function, function in energy storage and vitamins A, D, E, and K can only be digested and used by the body in the combination with fats. Healthy fats include such foods as olive oil, flax seeds and nuts. Fats should equal 20-25% of your total caloric intake.
Protein:
At least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is recommended for a weightlifting routine, protein aids in the building and repairing of your muscles. Healthy forms of protein include fish, lean red meat, poultry, protein shakes, eggs and skim milk. Protein should equal 35-40% of your total caloric intake.
Carbohydrates:
Carbs aid in the immediate usage of energy. Carbs require less water to digest than fat and proteins; therefore they are the most commonly used energy source in the body. Healthy forms of carbohydrates would be foods such as wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal and nuts. Carbohydrates should equal 40-45% of your total caloric intake.
Calories:
Total calories can be roughly calculated by multiplying your body weight times 15. Then consider these factors:
If Bulking:
Consume 6-8 balanced meals with a total of 500-1000 excess calories.
If Cutting:
Consume 6-8 small balanced meals with a total deficit of 500-1000 calories.
| BULKING/CUTTING CALORIES CALCULATOR |
|
|
Sleep:
The right amount of sleep is also needed, 7-8 straight hours is required to repair your muscles adequately and for your CNS (Central Nervous System) to recover.
Also avoid drinking anything 2 hours before you go to sleep, use the bathroom right before bedtime, cut out all lights in the room, loosen and relieve any pressure you may have on your bladder before bed, do not take a nap in the day, and relax yourself, as to not worry about any days' events.
Question
What Is Your Favorite Isolation Exercise? Why?
Hands down, my favorite isolation exercise is smith machine shrugs. I like it the best for a number of reasons.
One reason is that using the smith machine for shrugs eliminates the need for balancing the bar. This is a great help as your body, forearms especially, can hold the bar up longer because of the support. This allows you to totally concentrate on lifting the weight with your traps.
The smith machine also has the perfect slant to it. This slant gives you a little more range of motion than you would have with just a barbell. This is because when using a barbell you cannot put your legs slightly past the barbell and slightly arch your back backwards. On a smith machine this is possible, thus making the exercise safer and more efficient.
Another reason the smith machine shrug is my favorite exercise is because I see the most benefit from it. It is the best mass builder out of both isolation and compound work for your traps. It's very awesome to be able to flex your huge traps gotten from the smith machine shrugs. I believe traps are one of the most noticed muscles on someone, even with their clothes on, and a much needed muscle to complete your physique.
Question
What Are Some Of The Benefits Of An All Isolation Workout?
Completely Exhausting A Muscle:
- This is the most well-known benefit of isolation work. Compounds work multiple muscles at once, yet it is impossible to work each of those muscles to its max with a single compound exercise. One muscle will tire out before the other. Thus the only way to get a complete workout with compounds would be to do a compound exercise for every muscle in your body. And that is not feasible due to energy and time.
- This is where isolation work shines, each muscle can be worked to its maximum potential that does not take an extreme amount of time or more energy than one has.
Less Opportunities For Injuries:
- Injuries can arise in all types of workouts, but they are much less common in isolation exercises. This being because compounds are more intense than isolations. They use several muscles in conjunction at once, which greatly opens the door for one muscle overpowering another, thus resulting in a pulled muscle. Another reason is often compounds require you to place great strain on your body.
- Examples are the "Big 3": squats, deadlifts, and bench press. Squats and deadlifts put a great deal of pressure on your spinal column while bench press puts pressure on your chest and shoulders at once, often contributing to a pulled muscle if the barbell slips.
Targeting Every Muscle:
- There are some muscles that you would actually have to work longer and harder just to hit with compound exercises. This is where isolation work helps, it enables you to work a muscle that is hard to hit with compounds.
- An example of this would be calves. With only using compound workouts, one would have to perform extra sets of squats or lunges to target the calves. Then even at that point they would not get worked nearly as much as a few simple sets of calf raises.
Bringing Up A Lagging Body Part:
- Part of being a bodybuilder is having the ability to have your muscles in proportion to each other. Add in the fact that if a certain body part overpowers another, you are opening yourself up for an injury. Plus the fact that your body grows in proportion to itself, meaning it will be harder for the rest of your body to grow if you have some body parts lagging. Isolation work allows you to target a specific muscle if it is lagging behind, in order to build it up to match your other muscles.
Question
What Are Some Negative Aspects Of An All Isolation Workout?
Slower Strength Gains Compared To Compounds:
- Compound exercises use multiple muscles at once combined with the movement along two or more joints. When your muscles work in conjunction with each other, it better conditions them for strength gains. This is why powerlifters mainly just do compound work. Isolation exercises do not work multiple muscles at once the way compounds do, which is the reason for slower strength gains when doing isolations.
- Also isolation exercises are not normal movements for our body for the most part. A straight-arm pulldown, which works your lats, is rarely ever used in real life. However a pullup, which also works your lats, is used in real life for such things as hoisting yourself on to something. The same principle applies to leg extensions, which work your quads. Rarely will you ever do something in real life that resembles a leg extension. However a squat, which also works your quads, is used many times a day for standing yourself up.
Longer Workouts:
- The isolation benefit for a more complete workout does have a price. An isolation workout will last a good deal longer than a compound workout due to the fact that a separate set must be done for every body part. In a compound workout you may work three muscles at the same time, combining muscles in 1 workout.
More Effective Exercises For Some Body Parts:
-
Even though for the most part isolations will work a muscle better than compounds, there are some exceptions. Squats are an example. No matter how many sets of leg extensions you do, they will not equal up to a few sets of squats. Squats put constant resistance on your quads the entire time, and use your entire legs to hoist the weight back up. Leg extensions only require you to push weight up with just your quads, and they do not place a constant resistance on your legs like squats do.
Question
Who Would Benefit From Using An All Isolation Workout?
The people who gain the most benefit from an all isolation workout would definitely be bodybuilders. Bodybuilding competitions are not judged by the competitor's strength or time spent in the gym. Isolation work is required to keep your body in symmetry. A bodybuilder can build an outstanding physique with only isolation work. No other weightlifter or athlete can benefit more from an all isolation workout.
While bodybuilders have the most benefit, there are others who would benefit from an all isolation workout. These would be older people who may not have the strength or bone support to do squats, deadlifts, bench presses, or pullups. Also for the inexperienced weightlifters, who may not know correct form for the big compound exercises or have enough strength to perform them, would benefit from an all isolation routine.
There are not many people that can do pullups on their first day in the gym or can do a set of squats in proper form. An isolation workout would give these people an introduction to weightlifting before they start doing the more advanced exercises. Whatever the reason, an all isolation routine has its place in weightlifting.
That concludes my article. I hope everyone has enjoyed it and gained some knowledge that you may have not known. I also expect my article to open the people's minds that believe isolation work is useless; so that they realize that isolation work can and should be included in your routine to complete it.
References:
- http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
- http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
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Introduction
Isolation movements are excellent for targeting specific muscles. They are used in order to develop a muscle to its fullest potential. Take the biceps for example. You can do countless pullups and barbell rows that will hit your biceps somewhat, but if you crave for that extreme muscle development you must do curls and isolation movements that will hit them to the max and in return give you super-man arms.
To sum it all up, isolation movements are exercises that target one muscle and work little to no secondary muscle groups.
Question
What Is The Best All Isolation Workout? Be Specific.
Compound movements are a smart part of every routine. But without isolation bodybuilders and even power lifters won't be as strong or as muscularly developed as they are. Isolation movements are very important in a workout routine.
I believe that in order to achieve the maximum size possible, one must include compound movements such as squats and deadlifts into their workout. But sometimes people have injuries or are rehabilitating and are unable to. This is where this all isolation workout comes in. If you are feeling over-trained or too sore you can also do this workout and take a break from compounds.
The Split
- Monday - Arms, Abs
- Tuesday - Shoulders, Traps
- Wednesday - Legs
- Thursday - OFF
- Friday - Chest
- Saturday - Back
- Sunday - OFF
The Routine
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
The
human central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord.
These lie in the midline of the body and are protected by the skull and
vertebrae respectively.