Isolation exercises in weight training are exercises that involve only one joint and a limited number of muscle groups. This is in contrast with compound exercises that work two or more joints and more muscles.
Examples: The biceps curl
is an isolation exercise that flexes the elbow joint and targets the
front upper arm muscles. In general, curls, raises, flys and extensions
are isolation exercises.
WHY ISOLATION EXERCISES ARE PERFORMED?
WHY ISOLATION EXERCISES ARE PERFORMED?
Isolation exercises allow you to focus on just one area. You can work
on proper technique and load the muscle with an exact amount of weight
and reps to work it to exhaustion.
Gym workouts using commercial weight machines result in performing
isolation exercises. It is common for a gym to have a row of exercise
machines, each set up for an isolation exercise of a specific muscle
group. The seat height and other adjustable settings need to be noted so
the exercise is performed correctly and targets the intended muscle. A
gym-goer may do a circuit training session going from machine to
machine, performing one isolation exercise after another. Multi-gym machines used at home or at health clubs may also perform isolation exercises.
Advanced bodybuilders may use isolation exercises to target muscles
that aren't being worked well enough in their usual workouts.
A person who has developed a muscle imbalance by overdeveloping one
muscle group might use isolation exercises to build the opposing muscle
group.
SOME COMMON ISOLATION EXERCISES...
1. Nordic Hamstring Curl:
Target: Hamstrings
To perform them, just place a pad under your knees and hook your knees under a solid support-or even the knee pads on a lat pull-down station. But be warned: these are tough!
Training tip: Plenty of strong people can't do even one at first. If that describes you, start by just doing negatives from the top position. If you do the move on an elevated lat pull down seat, use a dowel or broomstick to help push yourself back up.
2. Standing Barbell Curl:
Target: Biceps
Aside from the multi-joint chin-up, this is the best overall biceps exercise there is. But, why all love this exercise? Because while seated versions such as the preacher and concentration curl may offer a greater EMG signal, you can use a much heavier load in the standing position!
Training Tip: Take a wider grip on the bar to preferentially emphasize the short (inner) head; a closer grip (hands just inside shoulder width) focuses better on the long head. But remember, emphasizing doesn't mean you're isolating one head over another. If an EZ-bar is more comfortable for your wrists or elbows, by all means use one.
3. Leg Extension
Target: Quads
Most leg exercises hit multiple large muscle groups, which over the course of your workout greatly increases fatigue and makes balance difficult. To zero in on the quads without having to balance yourself standing, the leg extension (misnamed because the action is technically knee extension) is often done as a final movement in your leg assault. It's also a great pre-exhaust movement to make relatively light-weight (ie joint friendly) squats feel whole lot heavier.
What really makes the leg extension shine, though, is the way you can do all sorts of intensity-boosting techniques with it. The easiest to put into action is the classic dropset, where you reduce the poundage after reaching initial muscle failure and continuing on with the set. Then there's partials, forced reps, slow negatives-heck, this even works great with blood-flow-restriction training. Try and walk after all that!
Training tip: The vast majority of lifters are best served by keeping their feet pointing directly forward. More advanced trainees might consider turning their feet slightly inward, which puts more stimulus on the vastus lateralis (outer quad).
4. Cable Push-Down:
Target: Triceps (specially lateral and medial heads)
There are a number of triceps moves you can choose from, but we choose the push-downs because it tops the list for maximizing muscle activation of the lateral and medial triceps heads while also providing a moderate amount of emphasis on the long heads.
Like the leg extension, this move can be manipulated in many different ways including grip, body position, and the type of handle utilized. Be sure to follow progressive overload here, slowly adding weight to the stack over time. Also, don't get trigger-happy and bounce all over the place with different variations; be methodical, and stick with one version for a couple of weeks to really see growth!
Training Tip: Don't flare your elbows; that reduces tension on the triceps. Also, don't be afraid to go full-ROM and push toward lockout. Those last few inches are pure gold for triceps growth!
5. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise:
Target: Middle delts
It's great because it works. Raising your upper arms directly out to your sides by definition focuses on the middle delts. So just add weights and you've got a winning move!
The standing version allows you to go heavier than when you're doing it seated. However, don't get sloppy. Keep a slight bend in your elbows, and hold that arm position for the duration of the set. And keep those elbows up as well, because your upper arm must go straight out to your side and up for maximum middle-head contraction.
Training Tip: The best coaching cue for this is to "lead with the elbows". Still, this motion is a bit tricky for beginners to get the hang of. Rehearsing on the lateral-raise machine can give you a better idea of the body mechanics and motion before advancing to dumbbells.
6. Dumbbell Fly:
Target: Pecs
By maintaining your elbows in the slightly bent position for the duration of the set, the action is limited to the shoulder joints, making this the premiere choice on chest day.
Training tip: With your arms extended, be careful not to overstretch the shoulder joints as you lower the weights. Feel a nice stretch in your pecs, but don't go any further.
7. Hamstring-curl machine:
Target: Hamstrings
Leg exercises are commonly divided into squat-like moves (squats, pistols, lunges, etc.) and isolation moves (calf raises, leg extensions, hamstrings curls, etc.). Both have their place, and in latter case, machines can really help isolate muscle groups as a result of the fixed movement planes.
Training Tip: Once your heavy working sets of leg work are done, plug these in. They complement Romanian deadlifts, which move around the hip joint, not the knee.
8. Straight-arm pull-down:
Target: Lats
This is one of those moves that, if done right, will absolutely fry your lats. Start with a light weight, and really focus on squeezing your scapulae down and flat across your back while cinching down on your lats. Emphasize the eccentric, and slowly allow the bar to raise back up in front of you to a full overhead stretch.
Training Tip: Rather than standing completely vertical, take a couple steps back from the pulley and work with a slight torso lean to get a good, long stretch. Sure, you won't be able to pull big weights like you can in the bent-arm lat pull-down, but you don't need much weight to see considerable benefit here.
SOME COMMON ISOLATION EXERCISES...
1. Nordic Hamstring Curl:
Target: Hamstrings
To perform them, just place a pad under your knees and hook your knees under a solid support-or even the knee pads on a lat pull-down station. But be warned: these are tough!
Training tip: Plenty of strong people can't do even one at first. If that describes you, start by just doing negatives from the top position. If you do the move on an elevated lat pull down seat, use a dowel or broomstick to help push yourself back up.
2. Standing Barbell Curl:
Target: Biceps
Aside from the multi-joint chin-up, this is the best overall biceps exercise there is. But, why all love this exercise? Because while seated versions such as the preacher and concentration curl may offer a greater EMG signal, you can use a much heavier load in the standing position!
Training Tip: Take a wider grip on the bar to preferentially emphasize the short (inner) head; a closer grip (hands just inside shoulder width) focuses better on the long head. But remember, emphasizing doesn't mean you're isolating one head over another. If an EZ-bar is more comfortable for your wrists or elbows, by all means use one.
3. Leg Extension
Target: Quads
Most leg exercises hit multiple large muscle groups, which over the course of your workout greatly increases fatigue and makes balance difficult. To zero in on the quads without having to balance yourself standing, the leg extension (misnamed because the action is technically knee extension) is often done as a final movement in your leg assault. It's also a great pre-exhaust movement to make relatively light-weight (ie joint friendly) squats feel whole lot heavier.
What really makes the leg extension shine, though, is the way you can do all sorts of intensity-boosting techniques with it. The easiest to put into action is the classic dropset, where you reduce the poundage after reaching initial muscle failure and continuing on with the set. Then there's partials, forced reps, slow negatives-heck, this even works great with blood-flow-restriction training. Try and walk after all that!
Training tip: The vast majority of lifters are best served by keeping their feet pointing directly forward. More advanced trainees might consider turning their feet slightly inward, which puts more stimulus on the vastus lateralis (outer quad).
4. Cable Push-Down:
Target: Triceps (specially lateral and medial heads)
There are a number of triceps moves you can choose from, but we choose the push-downs because it tops the list for maximizing muscle activation of the lateral and medial triceps heads while also providing a moderate amount of emphasis on the long heads.
Like the leg extension, this move can be manipulated in many different ways including grip, body position, and the type of handle utilized. Be sure to follow progressive overload here, slowly adding weight to the stack over time. Also, don't get trigger-happy and bounce all over the place with different variations; be methodical, and stick with one version for a couple of weeks to really see growth!
Training Tip: Don't flare your elbows; that reduces tension on the triceps. Also, don't be afraid to go full-ROM and push toward lockout. Those last few inches are pure gold for triceps growth!
5. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise:
Target: Middle delts
It's great because it works. Raising your upper arms directly out to your sides by definition focuses on the middle delts. So just add weights and you've got a winning move!
The standing version allows you to go heavier than when you're doing it seated. However, don't get sloppy. Keep a slight bend in your elbows, and hold that arm position for the duration of the set. And keep those elbows up as well, because your upper arm must go straight out to your side and up for maximum middle-head contraction.
Training Tip: The best coaching cue for this is to "lead with the elbows". Still, this motion is a bit tricky for beginners to get the hang of. Rehearsing on the lateral-raise machine can give you a better idea of the body mechanics and motion before advancing to dumbbells.
6. Dumbbell Fly:
Target: Pecs
By maintaining your elbows in the slightly bent position for the duration of the set, the action is limited to the shoulder joints, making this the premiere choice on chest day.
Training tip: With your arms extended, be careful not to overstretch the shoulder joints as you lower the weights. Feel a nice stretch in your pecs, but don't go any further.
7. Hamstring-curl machine:
Target: Hamstrings
Leg exercises are commonly divided into squat-like moves (squats, pistols, lunges, etc.) and isolation moves (calf raises, leg extensions, hamstrings curls, etc.). Both have their place, and in latter case, machines can really help isolate muscle groups as a result of the fixed movement planes.
8. Straight-arm pull-down:
Target: Lats
This is one of those moves that, if done right, will absolutely fry your lats. Start with a light weight, and really focus on squeezing your scapulae down and flat across your back while cinching down on your lats. Emphasize the eccentric, and slowly allow the bar to raise back up in front of you to a full overhead stretch.
Training Tip: Rather than standing completely vertical, take a couple steps back from the pulley and work with a slight torso lean to get a good, long stretch. Sure, you won't be able to pull big weights like you can in the bent-arm lat pull-down, but you don't need much weight to see considerable benefit here.
SOURCE: www.bodybuilding.com
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