Site Search

The Battle: Isolation vs Complex Movements

By Mark Mancilla

As a fitness trainer, you tend to see a lot of the same faces come in to the gym and do the same isolation exercises day in and day out. I try to help when I can but they end up going back to their same routine. It is these same gym-goers that don't end up getting the results that they want. This is why…

One morning, after a tough workout one of these familiar faces confronted and asked me a question that I get asked a lot. This popular question usually goes something like this:

"What's the best exercise for my _______ (abs, biceps, etc.)?"

No matter which muscle someone is asking about, they always seem to be asking how to 'isolate' it. I think its part of the body builder mentality. They've seen a picture of Arnold doing it so it must work, right? Wrong!

My first response to this question is always – "Why would you isolate it."

The first thing I try to teach my training clients is that the body does not work well in muscle isolation. Our body moves and functions through complex movements which simply translates to the way we move.

And actually, the funny thing is that there really is no such thing as true muscle isolation. There is almost always a secondary muscle group that will assist in some way with whatever movement you are doing. In this article we will compare the single-joint exercises (isolation) versus the more effective, multi-joint exercises (complex).

By attempting to "isolate" muscles by performing single-joint exercises, you are actually creating a body that is not as functional and more prone to injury. How? Basically, you are creating a body that is a compilation of body parts, instead of a powerful, functional unit that works together.

What we need to do is make our fitness training functional.

But hey, if you're into getting your body banged up then go for it; continue trying to isolate body parts. However, let me warn you that it may result in joint problems, tendonitis and excess weight. But if you want a lean, fully functional and powerful physique than I suggest you steer away from isolation and shift towards complex exercises.

Trust me, tuning up your body's functional movements, will give you the side effect of a body that looks even better than it would have if you focused on muscle isolation. It will also get you where you want to be, faster.

To see some effects of complex movements at work let's take a look at the physiques of world class sprinters. Trust me when I say that these men and women pretty much NEVER train for muscle isolation (their strength coaches would be crazy to let them), yet they are super lean! Why? They train as a functional unit.

Another benefit to a more 'complex movement' mindset is that you will find it much easier to lose that unwanted body fat. The reason is that by focusing more on multi-joint complex movements as opposed to single-joint muscle isolation, you not only burn a lot more calories during each workout, but you also increase your metabolic rate, and stimulate production of more fat burning and muscle building hormones like growth hormone and testosterone.

Let's look at an example. The triceps extension is a single joint exercise that works mainly the triceps and doesn't burn that many calories. On the other hand, exercises like push-ups and a barbell military press are multi-joint complex movements that work several muscles in the body (including the triceps) as a functional unit and in turn burn massive quantities of calories.

About the Author:

Mark Mancilla is a certified personal trainer located in Huntington Beach, CA. For more information check out his Website!