What isolation exercises are there and what advantages do they have?
Isolation exercises are a good way to target individual muscles and support muscle building. We show you the best exercises.
What are isolation exercises?
Isolation exercises are always an excellent way to improve training and contribute to better definition and muscle building. As the name suggests, the muscles can be trained in “isolation” with an isolation exercise. This means that only the target muscles, for example the triceps or biceps, are included in the exercise. In contrast to complex exercises, such as bench presses or squats, isolation exercises usually focus on a single muscle.
For this reason, isolation exercises can be a real secret weapon in training if they are used as an intensity technique for pre- and post-fatigue, for example. Another special feature is that isolation exercises are usually single-joint exercises, which means that only one joint is usually involved in performing the exercise, whereas several joints are involved in classic basic exercises.
Isolation exercises and basic exercises: What’s the difference?
One of the biggest differences between an isolation exercise and a basic exercise is that isolation exercises usually only involve one joint, such as the elbow or knee joint. Basic exercises are not only very complex in terms of execution, but also in terms of the muscles involved. This means that several muscles and at least 2 joints are involved in the exercise.
Basic exercises, such as squats and deadlifts, work the entire body, which is why they should form the basis of training in order to involve several muscles and entire muscle chains in one exercise. The bench press, for example, engages the entire chest muscles, shoulders and triceps, which can be particularly beneficial for athletes who cannot devote as much time to training.
By involving multiple muscle groups, athletes can not only shorten their workouts – they can also contribute to a better release of growth hormones and improved coordination. This in turn can be positive for muscle building and everyday life. Isolation exercises have other benefits, as you will see in the following paragraphs.
Advantages of isolation exercises
If you look at the benefits of basic exercises, the question naturally arises as to why isolation exercises still have their place in training and should not be neglected under any circumstances. They can be used in many different ways during training, for example to get the maximum out of a muscle and thus make a significant contribution to muscle building.
1 They utilise the full potential of the muscles
Admittedly: Although basic exercises are extremely effective due to the involvement of several muscle groups, the muscles cannot always be loaded equally well. For example, the bench press focuses on the chest muscles, but the triceps can have a significant impact on the exercise as they are not only much smaller but also weaker than the chest muscles.
Due to these deficits, the exercise often cannot be fully utilised, which means that the triceps, unlike the chest muscles, tend to be exhausted. Isolation exercises, on the other hand, can be used in such a way that they can contribute to the complete exhaustion of the target muscles, as is the case, for example, with flying movements (butterfly) for the chest muscles and French press for the triceps.
2 use those exercises as pre-fatigue
Many athletes use the principle of pre-fatigue to intensify their training and utilise the full potential of their muscles. The aim of pre-fatigue
Many athletes use the principle of pre-fatigue to intensify their training and utilise the full potential of their muscles. The aim of pre-fatigue is to load the desired target muscle with an isolation exercise before a complex exercise follows the isolation exercise. This has the great advantage that the target muscles are exhausted sooner, as in the example of the bench press, which can be extremely effective for muscle building and a better muscle pump.
With the principle of pre-fatigue, training begins with a set of flying movements – followed by a set of bench presses. Both sets are completed one after the other without a break in order to utilise the effect of pre-fatigue. As the target muscles are already under maximum load before the basic exercise, experience has shown that the weight must be lowered slightly during the bench press.
3 use them as post-fatigue
Conversely, an isolation exercise can also follow a complex exercise in the form of “post-fatigue”. The principle works in a similar way to pre-fatigue. To stay with the bench press example, a set of bench presses is completed first, followed by a set of flying movements. As with pre-fatigue, both sets are performed one after the other and without a break. Using squats as an example, a set of leg extensions could follow in order to maximise the load on the front thigh muscles.
4 isolation exercises to improve intramuscular coordination
Another advantage of isolation exercises is that they can improve intramuscular coordination. Intramuscular coordination means that the individual muscle fibres within a muscle can work together even better, which in turn can lead to an increase in strength and improved muscle development.
5 use isolation exercises to improve strength
As mentioned above, isolation exercises can also contribute to an increase in strength. This can be particularly beneficial for smaller muscles, such as the shoulder muscles, triceps and biceps, which are involved in complex exercises (military press, bench press and pull-ups). If they fatigue very quickly, the exercise cannot be fully utilised, which is extremely ineffective for the large muscle groups. With targeted isolation exercises, the strength of the smaller and weaker muscles can be increased.
6 isolation exercises to compensate for muscular imbalances
With the targeted use of isolation exercises, even muscular imbalances can be equalised. This muscular imbalance can be caused by incorrect exercise execution, for example, if certain muscles are not loaded evenly, as can be the case with side raises, bench presses with dumbbells or bicep curls with dumbbells.
Muscular imbalances can also easily occur in everyday life, for example due to incorrect sitting at work, incorrect lifting or carrying. This can result in pain or restricted movement, which can often be alleviated as soon as muscular balance is restored through the targeted inclusion of isolation exercises in training.
7 isolation exercises for a better connection between muscles and mind
The connection between the mind and muscles, also known as the muscle-mind connection, is increasingly being talked about in training. This is not a real connection, but rather an invisible connection between the muscles and the mind. Training is not possible without the mind, as our brain executes every movement. If you are mentally strong, you can push your training to the limits of physical exertion, which is why it is not said for nothing that “success begins in the mind”. With the help of isolation exercises, it is possible to utilise the full potential of the muscle, which also increases the strength of the mind.
