Goodies for beginners
6K 0 07.04.2018 (last revised: 23.06.2019)
Isolation exercises take place in the athlete's training plan at any stage of training. In this article we will figure out why they are needed, what is the difference between basic exercises and isolating exercises, and how to perform them correctly.
What are isolation exercises?
Isolating exercises are those in which the load, in contrast to the basic exercises, is strictly local in nature - you load only one muscle group (or a separate section of it), while flexion / extension of only one joint.
Such a load is much more easily accepted by the body. Isolation exercises are easier both physically and mentally. They do not cause serious post-workout stress, so they are not growth factors in themselves, the meaning of their implementation is somewhat different.
The role of isolation exercises in the training process
Isolation exercises are needed to:
- Stronger pumping (blood filling) of the working muscles, if performed at the end of the workout. This is also referred to as “finishing off” the muscle group.
- Improve neuromuscular communication and muscle pre-fatigue if done early in the workout.
- Improvements in muscle definition and proportionality.
- Complete training without overloading the articular-ligamentous apparatus and the central nervous system, for example, when recovering from injuries or illnesses.
The best isolation exercises for different muscle groups
Below is a list of the most popular isolation exercises that we recommend using in your workouts.
Isolation exercises for the legs
- Extension of the legs in the simulator. This exercise is done to locally work out the quadriceps. It should be done with light weight, trying to squeeze the muscles as much as possible at the top point. By doing it at the beginning of your workout, you prepare your knees for heavy squats and presses, and by doing it at the end of the session, you can finally “finish off” your leg muscles.
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- Information / leg breeding in the simulator. The information is used to shape the inner thigh. To work out the outer thigh and gluteal muscles, dilutions are made. It is recommended to perform them at the end of the workout in a large repetition range - from 15 and above.
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- Lying / sitting / standing leg curls in the simulator. With these exercises, you will be able to work your hamstrings. Add to these the deadlift on straight legs with the first exercise and you have a complete workout. It is important to take a short second pause at the point of peak contraction, this helps to further load the back of the thigh. Also, do not forget about controlled and slow lowering of the legs.
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- Glute bridge. This exercise is often performed by girls at home to tone the gluteal muscles. The main thing here is to monitor the breathing and the pace of execution, there should be no sudden movements, if necessary, use additional weights - a barbell or a dumbbell. You can also do this exercise with some leg extension machines.
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- Swing your legs. They can be performed on the lower block of the crossover or simply on the floor, in which case the dumbbell can be placed on the bend of the working leg. The gluteal muscles are also well loaded.
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- Standing and Seated Calf Raises. These are exercises for working out the calf (when performing while standing) and soleus (sitting) muscles. It is important to position your feet on the machine platform so that you can lower your heel as low as possible at the lowest point. This will help you stretch your muscles better and increase blood flow.
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Isolation exercises for the back
- Pullover. There are several variations of this movement - with a dumbbell on the bench or across it and on the upper block. The exercise itself is used to stretch the lats, serratus and intercostal muscles. It can be performed on the block with any handle, the main thing is to go through the negative phase of movement 2-3 times slower than the positive one.
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- Shrugs. With this exercise, you can pump up the traps. Perform it with dumbbells or a barbell, the main thing is to work in full amplitude, as if you are trying to reach your ears with your shoulders, only then the trapezius muscles will turn on in full force.
- Hyperextension. This is a warm-up exercise that will help prepare the spinal extensors for the harder work. As part of a strength cycle, do hyperextensions with extra weight. It helps a lot to gain maximum weight in deadlifts and squats.
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Isolation exercises for the chest
- Hand information in crossover / butterfly. This is an isolated chest exercise. Here it is important to concentrate as much as possible on the negative phase of the movement and try to additionally statically squeeze the chest at the point of peak contraction - this technique will help to improve the relief during the drying phase. When performing in a crossover, the emphasis of the load on different parts of the pectoral muscles can be varied: in the case of using the lower handles, the upper part of the chest is worked out, in the case of the upper handles, the lower and middle parts.
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- Breeding dumbbells lying. This exercise is usually performed towards the end of the workout to stretch the pectoral muscles more. When stretching the dumbbells, try to lower them as low as possible, as far as the stretch of your shoulder joints allows, but do not do it through the pain. It is not necessary to go through the last upper quarter of the movement, the front deltas work stronger here. The movement can be performed on a horizontal and on an incline bench, in the first case, the middle section of the chest works, in the second - the upper (if the slope is positive) and the lower (with a negative slope).
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Isolation exercises for the arms
- Standing barbell or dumbbell curls. Like almost all biceps movements (except for the reverse grip pull-up), standing lifts are isolated exercises. In the case of a barbell, they can be done with a straight and curved neck, the only difference here is the convenience for the wrists. In the case of dumbbells, the exercise can be performed both with supination, lifting one arm alternately, or with both hands at once, while the dumbbells are initially deployed from the body (as when performing with a barbell). Do not swing the body and do not push your elbows forward too much - this way the load goes into the back and shoulders.
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- Sitting dumbbell curls. This exercise is considered one of the best for working out the biceps. When it is performed on an incline bench, the muscle is stretched even in the starting position. You can do it with both hands at once, or alternately.
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- Scott's Bench Curls. The main advantage of the Scott bench is the fixation of the elbows. This allows you to completely eliminate cheating and work in a strictly fixed trajectory, so the biceps are loaded much stronger. You can bend your arms both with a barbell and with dumbbells.
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- Bending the arms in the simulator. Exercise machines come in different designs, but they are usually an alternative to the Scott bench, they similarly fix the elbows and have a comfortable grip.
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- Crossover biceps curls. The device of the block trainer allows you to keep the biceps in tension during the entire approach, due to which it receives more load. This is what distinguishes the lift from the lower block from the usual barbell lift to the biceps. You can bend your arms from the lower block either with a straight handle or alternately. When performing from the upper block, grasp the opposite handles with your hands and bend your arms raised to shoulder level.
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- Concentrated dumbbell curls. Performed in a sitting position, with one hand. The elbow of the working hand rests on the thigh for fixation. A lot of weight is not needed here.
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- Neutral grip curls, hammer. This variety works on the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, they are also brachialis and brachyradialis. The brachialis is located under the biceps and, when pumped successfully, pushes the biceps brachii muscle, due to which the arms significantly increase in volume. Can be performed both standing and sitting.
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- Reverse grip barbell curls. This exercise also targets the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles. It is performed in the same way as bending with a straight grip.
- French press. It has a lot of variations: standing, sitting, lying, with a barbell, with dumbbells, from the lower block with a rope handle. In this exercise, you can emphasize the load on the medial head of the triceps - it is she who forms the visual volume of the arm. To do this, you need to pause for a second at the lowest point in order to properly stretch the triceps. The traditional version - lying with a barbell - is traumatic for the elbow joints with a large working weight. Therefore, put this exercise towards the end of the workout, when the triceps is already hammered, and do it in the 12-15 repetition range.
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- Extension of arms from the upper block. In this exercise, the entire load falls on the lateral bundle of the triceps. The working weight is absolutely not important here, this exercise does not affect the strength of your hands. Here it is important to catch a comfortable amplitude and choose the right working weight, then the pumping will be overwhelming. There are several varieties of this exercise: you can perform it with a straight handle, with a rope, and even with one hand with a reverse grip. It is recommended to alternate these options for a full study of the triceps.
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- Kickbacks. Bent over extensions are not often seen in gyms, but they are an effective exercise for working out a long triceps head. The main thing here is not to deceive yourself, trying to raise the dumbbell with your whole body, but to include only triceps in the work. Also, kickbacks can be performed on the lower block of the crossover.
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- Extension from behind the head with dumbbells. An alternative to the French press. They can be performed both with one dumbbell with two hands, and alternately with each hand. The exercise is more comfortable to perform while sitting.
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Isolation exercises for the shoulders
- Swing dumbbells to the sides. This is the exercise that makes your shoulders ball. If done correctly, the entire load will go to the middle delta. To do this, try to keep the little finger above the level of the thumb when lifting and do not lift the dumbbells too high, otherwise the entire load will go into the trapezoid. Also, do not use inertia, lift and lower in a controlled manner.
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- Swing dumbbells or a barbell in front of you. The front delta is an important muscle for all bench press enthusiasts. It is best to train it with dumbbell swings (less often with a barbell) in front of you. To work more "cleanly" and not include the muscles of the back and legs in the work, lean your back against the wall - from this position you will have no choice but to lift the projectile in front of you with the effort of your shoulders.
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- Swing to the back delta. The posterior bundle of deltoid muscles is the largest in volume, so you need to train it intensively. Swings can be performed in an incline (you need to go down to parallel with the floor), sitting in an incline, lying on your stomach on an incline bench (the angle should be about 30 degrees). Try not to use your back muscles. If you are doing machine breeding, try to move your shoulders forward a little, so it will be easier for you to catch the contraction of the rear delts.
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- Swing to the sides, in front of you or in an inclination in a crossover. These variations are similar to dumbbell swings, but are performed in a crossover, which allows you to slightly increase the amplitude in some cases and keep the target muscle group under tension throughout the entire set.
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- Leads to the back delta in the butterfly trainer. It is performed while sitting facing the simulator. The handles should be at shoulder level. It's also important to try to use your back muscles as little as possible.
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Isolation exercises for the press
Technically, all exercises for the press can be classified as basic, since when they are performed, either flexion / extension of the spine and hip joints (in twisting) occurs, or several muscle groups are involved - the press and legs (with leg lifts).
However, in this case it is not important - when training the press, you should not think about basic and isolating exercises, perform those movements in which you can feel the rectus abdominis muscle well.
