When To Use Isolation Exercises

Compound exercises, those that work many muscles at once, should be the staple of your workouts. But when should you use isolations? They have their time and place.

What Are Isolations?

Isolations are exercises where you train one specific muscle. For example, when you do a biceps curl, you are targeting that one muscle: the biceps. A compound, on the other hand, is an exercise where a lot of muscles have to work together to do the movement.

Correcting Imbalances

There are basically two instances where using an isolation exercise makes sense: for correcting visual muscle imbalances and to address weaknesses than can cause musculosketal problems:

En Detail

For a lot more information about how and when to apply isolations in these cases, check the following articles:

• Important Isolations – The Calf Raise
• Important Isolations – The Rotator Cuff
• Important Isolations – Fingers, Shins And Overall Balance

Picture courtesy of the U.S. Army.