| I get guys in the gym asking me the same question | | | | and aim for a body as a wholly efficient machine |
| over and over. They always want to know what is | | | | functioning on all cylinders which will have no trouble |
| the best workout routine to isolate a particular | | | | in performing complex movements- whether it be in |
| muscle group. Now that could be their biceps, triceps | | | | athletics or just fairly simple routine jobs. Look at |
| or abs - you name it - these guys want to isolate it. | | | | Maurice Green or Terrell Owens and you will note |
| Now that gives me the impression that they are | | | | they are totally ripped just like the bodies of wide |
| missing out on the big picture about strength training. | | | | receivers and a lot of sprinters. I can tell you now |
| Let me explain why this seems such an odd question | | | | that these guys do NOT do training for muscle |
| to ask. | | | | isolation - they would be crazy to do so. Yet their |
| Now I have to explain to these guys that the body | | | | results are amazing and don't tell me you wouldn't like |
| will not work at its maximum efficiency if we are | | | | a body like theirs. |
| talking about muscle isolation. All the muscles work | | | | It should be fairly obvious that if you are doing |
| together and large parts of the body will help the | | | | isolation training and concentrating on single- joint |
| smaller parts to complete a complex movement. | | | | movements, the whole body is not involved and |
| Muscle groups do not just work on their own so | | | | therefore your metabolism is not at its full peak. Now |
| really muscle isolation does not exist. Whatever | | | | think of the complex movement situation and here |
| movement you do, there will always be another | | | | the metabolism rate will be higher, more calories will |
| group of muscles in the vicinity which are working to | | | | be burned and also that means that you are going to |
| help you perform that movement. In this article I | | | | produce testosterone and growth hormone which is |
| want to point out that multi-joint complex | | | | what you are aiming for really. That in turn means |
| movements are a far better way than trying to | | | | you can lose body fat more easily. |
| single out certain parts of the body through | | | | Let's look at an example. The machine leg extension |
| single-joint exercises. | | | | is a single joint exercise that works mainly the |
| So, let us say you want to perform a single-joint | | | | quadriceps, can potentially cause knee joint instability |
| exercise and you are trying to isolate some muscles. | | | | in the long run, and doesn't even burn that many |
| If you do that, you are not allowing the body to | | | | calories. On the other hand, exercises like squats, |
| perform efficiently and it will be much more likely to | | | | lunges, step-ups, and deadlifts are all multi-joint |
| suffer from injury. Basically you are building a | | | | complex movements that work hundreds of muscles |
| collection of body parts and not thinking of the whole | | | | in the body (including the quadriceps) as a functional |
| body as a powerful, wonderfully complex unit | | | | unit, create more stable and strong joints in the long |
| working together. | | | | run (when done properly), and also burn massive |
| If you are really convinced that you want to isolate | | | | quantities of calories compared to the single-joint |
| your biceps or whatever, then you can continue that | | | | exercises. |
| type of training but be warned that you are likely to | | | | Robert Locke is a specialist in Health. |
| end up with a few bandaged joints, tendonitis, not to | | | | Visit to receive your own personalized metabolic rate |
| mention unwanted body fat. Now if you want a | | | | calculator as well as 4 secret hard-body workout |
| leaner fitter and muscular body all over, you should | | | | routines - both FREE. Click on the Truth About Abs. |
| be trying to move away from this isolation training | | | | |