LIFT
ON TRIAL
BY BRYAN HAYCOCK
EVIDENCE
Studies using electromyography
(EMG) to measure muscle activation
have shown that compound
exercises activate the major
muscles involved in the movement
as well as isolation exercises and
sometimes better than isolation
exercises.
ISOLATION VS.
COMPOUND
WHICH TYPE OF MOVEMENT IS BEST
FOR BUILDING MUSCLE?
OPENING ARGUMENTS
DEFENCE: In bodybuilding, it’s
not about moving the weight,
it’s about building the muscle.
In order to do that you have to
isolate the muscle, so you can
really focus on each contraction
and achieve maximum motor
unit activation.
PROSECUTION: A muscle can be
fully activated when isolated or
when contracting as part of a
group of muscles acting together.
There is nothing in the anatomy
or physiology of the body that
requires a muscle to be isolated
to fully activate it.
Studies on untrained subjects
show that compound exercises
produce equal increases in
muscle size and strength as
isolation exercises.
Brazilian researchers compared
two workouts in trained subjects:
compound and isolation exercises
and compound exercises only.
They reported no differences
between those who added isolation
exercise to their workouts and
those who didn’t.
VERDICT
Compound exercises are just as
effective at building muscle size
and strength as isolation exercises.
SENTENCING
Compound exercises stimulate
more muscle groups and reduce
the risk of losing muscle symmetry
that can occur when focusing too
much on a single muscle group.
Isolation exercises should be used
for specific muscles that need to be
brought up or to reduce work for
surrounding muscles that don’t
need the extra work.
JANUARY 2018 | FLEX
31