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Using a heavier workload, heavier from session to session is, in theory, the most effective way to build muscle mass and strength. Based on this fact, it is legitimate to wonder if isolation exercise really has a place in a weight training program.

Is this a waste of time? Do you have to focus all of your efforts on basic movements? To boost your progress, you can finally determine precisely when to do isolation exercises.

You can also find a list of movements at the end of the article to establish your own training program.

Summary:

What is an isolation exercise in strength training?

Unlike polyarticular exercises, isolation movements involve only one joint. As a result, fewer muscles will intervene during the effort which allows you to concentrate more on the target muscle .

Let’s take as an example a poly and an iso for a bicep session.

The only basic movement for the biceps: pull-ups, supine grip (or fixed bar pull). Indeed, two joints are used: the elbows and the shoulders. Thus, the biceps, deltoids and some muscles of the back therefore lift the load.

As an isolation exercise , let’s mention a classic: the bicep curl (and its variations), since only the elbow joint moves.

At first glance, we might say to ourselves that ultimately, it would be even more judicious to train only from mono-articular exercises in order to balance the amount of work between the different muscles, but this way of proceeding is not optimal for establishing a strength training program. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages to find out in which case they will benefit you.

Benefits

Many bodybuilders use isolation exercises as a “Finisher,” that is, they are placed at the end of a workout to consume the last grains of energy.

With this in mind, it is clear that this type of exercise can come in handy. They are much less energy-consuming and traumatic on the muscular, articular and nervous levels, than a polyarticular movement. In addition, isolation exercises are effective at congesting in addition to getting a better feeling on the target area, which gives the feeling of having done something productive.

For all of these reasons, you might be tempted to include a few iso exercises in every workout to work all of your muscles, but that would be too time consuming. The extra time spent in the gym will not match the expected results.

In fact, isolation exercises mainly do two things.

Learning and improving engine recruitment

Not feeling the target muscle on a basic movement is frustrating. At first, it is thought to be due to poor execution technique or time to adapt to the movement …

Despite your best efforts, there’s a good chance you’ll make the situation worse. Indeed, the secondary muscles will develop more, whether in strength or in mass, unlike the targeted muscle. Ultimately, this causes muscle imbalances which is both aesthetically and mechanically disabling.

By “isolating” the muscle on an isolation exercise , you learn to solicit it, to contract . So it’s more of a nervous job, we improve neuronal transmission, we create new connections.

There are many reasons for these motor recruitment imbalances:

• The sporting past (example: a former cyclist will have an easier time recruiting his calves unlike a sedentary)
• Genetics (You are born with strengths and weaknesses)

Thanks to this motor training, you will be able to obtain more results afterwards with polyarticular exercises. Know that every workout, good or bad, leaves a mark in your nervous system.

You can do some basic movement tests every now and then to see if the muscles can finally work synergistically, but be patient … It usually takes months or even years. A considerable gain in strength and a better feeling in general are good signals, the hours devoted to this learning are well worth it in the long term.

The magic of levers in bodybuilding: muscle insertion and bone length

Sometimes the problem is not with the nervous system itself, but rather with the wrong lever. Definitely, genetics!

Muscle insertions (where muscle is attached to bone) and bone length will have a significant impact on the effectiveness of an exercise compared to your body type.

To realize the importance of levers, you can take this test. Try to hold a dumbbell, arm parallel to the floor, elbow bent then arm straight. Result: the load seems much heavier, arms extended . So the longer your arms are, the less you will be able to handle a heavy load on lateral elevations for example.

Disadvantageous muscle insertions coupled with unfavorable bone lengths are problematic during polyarticular exercise. Take my case.

I have long believed in the myth of the miracle exercise for the pectorals: the bench press. I was convinced that by having a strict gesture there is no reason not to progress and that increasing the load was the main indicator of effectiveness. This mistake cost me a lot of time because I was taking it all on the shoulders and this gap was widening month by month.

The reason is simple, my morphology gives me bad levers for this exercise: long collarbones, long arm, thin rib cage and pecs attached high on the humerus… Stretching and contracting the pecs was less . Also, I had a hard time straining my pecs, as I had no athletic background. As the body seeks to save itself as much as possible, it places more emphasis on the secondary muscles to lift the load. In my case, it was the deltoids and the triceps.

A simple reorganization of my training schedule and hard work on isolation exercises allowed me to catch up, although we drag our weak points all our lives.

Disadvantages

Of all the muscle growth factors, mechanical tension, that is to say the load used, remains the most effective way to gain muscle mass. The more muscles that interact with each other, the more you will be able to lift heavy loads.

As a result, it will be difficult or unproductive to handle heavy loads during an isolation exercise. It is therefore more appropriate to play on metabolic stress to gain muscle. For that, you have to favor:

• Congestion
• time under tension
• burning sensation

All of this can be achieved with a higher number of reps, a slower negative and a controlled gesture .

In theory (and not in practice) it is therefore less effective for building muscle and gaining strength.

When should you prioritize an isolation exercise in your sports program?

It may sound complicated, but the idea of ​​this article is to make it easier for you, let’s focus on the basics.

The question to ask is simple: should you prioritize the feeling to the detriment of a heavy load?

First of all, if you are just starting out and you do not have too much bodybuilding experience, it is interesting to build your training program mainly from polyarticular exercises for two reasons. The lack of experience to analyze its morphology and the difficulty in knowing its weak points.

To accurately determine when to include an isolation exercise, it is necessary to monitor its progress with these three indicators:

• The level of progress on your workloads
• The difficulty in congestion, the feeling
• The evolution of the physique as a whole (from photo)

After 4 to 6 months of regular work, it’s time to take stock. If you notice a stagnation (see a regression) in workloads and difficulty in gaining muscle where you want it, it may be better to promote isolation exercises .

Otherwise, keep the basic movements as much as possible. A few iso exercises can potentially target certain areas reluctant to muscle hypertrophy , such as the back of the shoulders, although this is not a priority.

When it comes to the wrong levers, you usually find out pretty quickly. In addition to stagnating, we have the impression that the gesture is not “natural”, sometimes causing pain. Remember the golden rule, when it hurts, it’s best to stop and move on.

Choosing the right isolation exercise in training: Machine or free weights?

Among the number of isolation exercises, it’s hard to choose … Not to mention the almost endless number of variations! If there is one thing to remember, it is that there is no miracle exercise.

The goal when you are starting out is to learn to use the target muscles . Choose an exercise that you like, that gives you a good feeling and keep it to progress on it as long as possible.

Now comes the question of machines or free weights. If you don’t have access to machines all is not lost. Conversely, if you have the opportunity to train in a well-equipped gym, you can further optimize your weight training program.

Guided devices allow you to have stable movement , you sit down and push, which allows you to concentrate to the maximum. Another advantage is that they are sometimes designed to work with better levers. For example, some pec-decks allow you to push with the elbows and not with the arms outstretched as with lying spreads. In addition to this, the variation in tension between the stretching and contracting phase remains mostly homogeneous, which guarantees optimal work.

Note: Prime brand machines even offer the possibility of modulating resistance. Example: more weight when contracting than when stretching and vice versa.

Unfortunately, despite all the settings, you will inevitably come across a machine unsuited to your body type. A feeling of forced trajectory or abnormal pain are reliable signals to know if this is right for you or not.

Regarding bodybuilding with free weights , the advantage is that with little equipment, a pair of dumbbells and rubber bands, you can do just about everything in addition to being able to adapt the trajectory to your morphology. On the other hand, you have to manage the balance and the leverage problem cannot be fixed.

Another downside, voltage variations do not always guarantee productive work. For example, when you do bench spreads for the pecs, all the tension is stretching and none of the contraction (the most interesting moment for motor learning). To limit this problem, you can use elastic bands if possible.

Isolation exercise list for each muscle

To get the most out of your bodybuilding program, you can pick from this little list. The number of isolation exercises in addition to the number of variations, whether on machine or with free load, is endless.

The key is to understand the movement , the trajectory, the variation in resistance between the phase of stretching and contraction, to let your imagination speak and best suited the exercise according to the equipment available and to your levers.

Pecs

It is important to vary the angles of attack to develop the pecs as a whole. At first, if you’re having trouble feeling your pecs, focus on the angle that gives you the most sensation.

• Spreads with dumbbells (lying, inclined or declining)
• Cross-over with the pulley opposite
• Peck-Deck

Dos

It is often difficult to recruit back muscles when you are just starting out. Introducing an isolation exercise at the start of the session can potentially be helpful in overcoming this problem.

• Pull-Over at the high pulley
• Shrugs
• Reverse Shrugs
• Lateral flexions at the high pulley

Biceps

As with the pecs, it is more interesting to focus on one or two exercises that provide good sensations rather than wanting to target all the portions of the biceps.

• Supine curl
• Hammer curl
• Incline bench curl
• Desk curl
• Drag curls
• Spider curls

In addition to this article, you can read the one dedicated to bicep exercises to do without equipment.

Triceps

If the development of the triceps is problematic, you can select two exercises , one with the arm along the body, the other close to the head, in order to develop the head lateral and medial .

• Kickback
• Pulley pushdown
• Triceps extensions
• French press

Forearm

The specific work of forearm muscles is useful if you lack mass or grip on certain exercises such as pull-ups or deadlifts or simply to prevent certain pathologies.

• Wrist curl
• Wrist extension
• Inverted curl

Shoulders

Isolation exercises for the deltoids help to develop harmonious shoulders. Generally, specific work is required for the lateral portion and the posterior bundles.

• Lateral elevations
• Frontal elevations
• Lean forward elevations

Abs

The abdominal strap work is not just about the aesthetic. The development of this allows you to be stronger on most polyarticular exercises while providing additional protection to the spine.

• Crunch
• Leg raises
• AB Wheel
• AB Coaster
• Side bust raises
• Lateral leg raises
• Pelvic rotations
• Gainage

Lumbar

To protect your back, especially in the face of a herniated disc, it is essential to devote time to your lower back.

• Good morning
• Bust raises on bench
• Revers hyper

Quadriceps

Sometimes, the morphology tends to favor the work of the glutes on the basic movements. Complementary work can be useful to learn how to recruit the quadriceps or to give a more harmonious shape to the muscle.

• Leg extensions
• Sissy squat
• Leg raises

If you are training at home, you can consult my article dedicated to leg exercises to do without equipment.

Hamstring

Too often neglected, developed hamstrings allow: to offer additional protection to the knees, to give a lot of mass to the thighs and to gain considerable strength on polyarticular exercises.

Buttocks

Basic movements are usually sufficient to develop your glutes . Depending on your goals, some isolation exercises can be incorporated into your program.

• Hip extensions
• Lateral leg raises

Calves

Generally, the body type dictates the time needed to spend on the calves. We all know someone who unfairly has naturally grown calves. If these are a weak point, you will have to devote a lot of time to rectify the situation.

• Standing calf extensions
• Seated calf extensions
• Bending bust calf extensions

Conclusion about isolation exercises to ensure muscle mass gain

This list is far from complete but still enough to build your first strength training programs.

Unfortunately, it would take way too long to go into depth on all these isolation exercises and I must admit that some details can bring a real plus to accelerate your progress and to adapt better the movement to your morphology. I think I can compile my years of experience into a guide dedicated to this topic if you’re interested.

In short, polyarticular exercises and heavy loads, that is to say mechanical tension, should be favored for the muscles receptive to this type of training. Progress in strength and muscle mass gain are good indicators.

Conversely, if you stagnate and find it difficult to use a particular muscle, it is necessary to go through a learning phase. To do this, it is necessary to promote metabolic stress by increasing the time under tension, by resisting this burning sensation as long as possible and by seeking to make the target muscle congest thanks to isolation exercises .

After several months and years of practice, you can implement this type of movement in order to precisely target certain muscle portions. The goal then is to obtain the most harmonious physique possible.

Breathing greatly influences bodybuilding performance and safety. The way of breathing must be adapted, depending on the sport and the type of effort. In view of its importance, it is imperative that you learn to manage your breath as soon as possible, to eventually make it a habit.

Let’s see what it will do for you first, before looking at the different ways of breathing to improve your workouts. We will end with exercises to strengthen the respiratory muscles , not only for the sake of efficiency, but also aesthetics.

The importance of oxygenation and respiration in bodybuilding

Contrary to what one might think, breathing is not automatic , but rather semi-automatic. We can act on the way of breathing, its rhythm, its blocking, to benefit from it. This is why it is necessary to briefly go over the fundamentals, in order to understand why breathing is so important in weight training. The respiratory cycle has two phases:

• The inspiration : we inflate the lungs with air, loaded with oxygen . The blood is then responsible for redistributing oxygen in the body, especially in muscle tissue. This oxygen is essential for the krebs cycle to produce energy.
• The exhalation : you empty the lungs and release carbon dioxide (waste).

Starting from this fact, it is legitimate to say to yourself that it is enough just to inhale on the negative and to exhale on the positive phase not to disturb the cycle, but haven’t you noticed something? during your workouts?

Should you block your breathing in weight training during exercise?

We often hear it said that you should never block your breathing in weight training. Personally, I have never seen an athlete do 100kg squats, breathing without blocking.

In reality, when the effort is short and intense, a respiratory blockage for a few seconds will not interfere with energy production. In this case, we use another energy route: the anaerobic route. This sector uses ATP (energy source), stored in our muscles.

If you are new to bodybuilding, you probably have the reflex to block your breathing throughout a series and from a mechanical point of view, this is normal. In fact, your body is trying its best to make it easier for you.

By blocking breathing, several muscles contract , including:

• The abdominal strap
• The intercostals
• Serrated
• Paravertebrals
• Prevertebral muscles (neck muscles)

Thanks to the contraction of these muscles, in addition to the intra-abdominal pressure, the trunk becomes rigid and powerful. Therefore, in addition to being stronger, it protects your spine.

Of course, needless to say that you should not do freediving either. The goal is therefore to play on inspiration, expiration and blocking to have breathing adapted to the effort.

In summary, knowing how to manage your breathing on a weight training exercise provides:

• A gain in strength
• Safety (stabilizing the spine and pelvis)
• Sufficient ventilation for the body

How to manage your breathing during your weight training?

It would be far too easy to give a universal rule! For example, the way of breathing on a heavy squat is going to be different compared to crunches for your abs. Let’s take a closer look at the different phases:

• Inspiration: This is when you are weakest, most vulnerable, but essential for oxygenation and energy production .
• The exhale: you are stronger than the inspiration. Likewise, essential to reject waste (CO2) before renewing the respiratory cycle.
• The blockage: you are in a position of strength, your bust is rigid and (partly) stabilizes your spine.

In short, we can retain 2 types of bodybuilding effort: short, intense work with heavy loads (6 to 15 repetitions), generally this concerns polyarticular exercises. Or, long sets with a light load, for isolation exercises.

Breathe well during exercises with heavy loads

Losing 1 in 10 reps is 10% less work. In other words, you have to put all the chances on your side to be stronger on your series in order to gain repetitions to progress in bodybuilding.

In addition to that, the heavier you put on, the more dangerous the exercise becomes, especially for your spine (compression …), especially during leg exercises.

For all these reasons, you must take care to control your breath .

Method 1: Partially block your breathing

The goal here is to hold your breath for 1-2 seconds where it is most difficult. This makes explosive work possible while maintaining sufficient force. It’s easy to follow up without resting at each repetition. However, stabilization of the spine is not ensured throughout the movement.

Therefore, this method is more suitable for upper body exercises.

In practice:

1. Negative phase (eccentric): At this time, the muscles are powerful, you have to breathe in .
2. End of the negative phase, start of the positive: block your breathing for 1 to 2 seconds to gain strength when starting the positive (difficult moment).
3. Positive phase: End the movement by exhaling .

For example, with the bench press, you inhale when you lower the bar, you block to start the push and you end the push by exhaling.

On pulling movements, like pull-ups, it’s a little different because you start on the concentric phase. It is best to start by blocking your breathing , finish the movement by exhaling before coming down again while inhaling.

Method 2: Respiratory blockade, aka, the Valsalva maneuver

Known in medicine and in scuba diving, the Valsalva maneuver is also used in strength sports such as powerlifting. Besides, you do this naturally when you sneeze or cough. The goal here is therefore to exhale with the airways closed.

Note that this method should be avoided for people with heart problems or hypertension (increased blood pressure).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Take a deep breath before starting your rehearsal.
2. Negative and positive phase, blocked breathing .
3. End of repetition: breathe out and inhale to repeat the cycle.

For example, in the squat: you breathe in before you start, the descent and ascent is done by exhaling with the glottis closed to finally expel the air at the end of the movement.

This allows you to be fully in a position of strength in addition to stabilizing the spine throughout the movement. On the other hand, it is not possible to go through the repetitions without taking a few seconds of pause, to catch your breath. Working with explosives and / or continuous tension is therefore difficult.

This method is preferred for sets with heavy loads and where the spine is vulnerable, such as squats or deadlifts.

Breathing on light weight training exercises with lots of repetitions

What limits performance in long sets is not so much strength, but rather fatigue and muscle burn . To limit this, you must constantly bring oxygen to the body in order to be more enduring. As a result, respiratory blockage may or may not be useful.

As a general rule, you should:

1. Inspire on the eccentric phase
2. Exhale on the concentric

As an example, let’s take the curl for the biceps: you inhale on the way down and you exhale on the way up.

Be careful with hyperventilation on low amplitude weight training exercises, especially those for the abdominals. Common sense is required to have a normal respiratory rate .

Improve your breathing by strengthening your respiratory muscles

Given the importance of the respiratory muscles, strengthening them can be beneficial in order to be more efficient.

When you inhale, the diaphragm contracts (it goes down), the lungs fill with air thanks to the phenomenon of decompression and the ribs open ( stretching of the intercostals). Conversely, when you breathe out, the diaphragm rises and the ribs return to their original position to expel the air.

Although other muscles are involved in pulmonary ventilation , we will focus on the diaphragm, separating the abdomen from the thorax and the intercostals.

Deep breathing exercise to strengthen the diaphragm, the Vacuum

Much less popular today, this strength training exercise mainly works the diaphragm and transverse . There is a twofold advantage of integrating this exercise into your program, not only for practical purposes, but also aesthetics, it allows you to:

• Strengthen the diaphragm for respiratory strength and endurance .
• Have a flat stomach (and therefore a slimmer waist) thanks to the transverse.

Moreover, the Vacuum was very famous in the golden age of bodybuilding, in the 70s / 80s, in order to slim the waist and accentuate the V.

If you find it difficult to have a homogeneous and traced abdominal strap, you will have to work more on your Vacuum. Note that it is people with a large rib cage who will benefit from a more marked result.

The advantage of this exercise is that it can be done anywhere without any equipment, whether standing, sitting or lying down. For convenience, it is best to do the exercise lying down.

Nothing could be simpler for that. You just have to empty the air from your lungs , then inhale , glottis closed, in order to retract the belly as much as possible (the principle is the same as inhaled in an empty bottle). The position should be maintained for a few seconds before repeating the movement. If the goal is to be more enduring during your workouts, do not hesitate to do a lot of repetitions (over 30).

The diaphragm being a muscle like any other, it may be interesting to do some series as a warm-up at the start of the session, to be even more efficient.

Soften the rib cage to leave more room for the lungs

Originally, the goal of the pullover is to soften the rib cage (stretching the intercostals) and not to work the pecs or backs (although these muscles are also requested). Simply put, this is work to improve the expansion of the cage during inhalation, when the lungs are inflating.

With regard to the execution of the movement, it is necessary: ​​

• Take a deep breath on the descent
• Blow while going up

Especially when it comes to stretching work, the amplitude should be large, performing a lot of repetitions with a light load. No need to put on heavy even if you are able to lift more, otherwise you will tear the long head of your triceps. Let’s also add that by bringing the dumbbell far in front of you, you also recruit the previous serrations.

Some weight rooms are equipped with a pull-over machine. For having tested a hammer, I find the machine rather well designed. Sitting is more comfortable than lying down, the stretch is sufficient and the tension is constant unlike dumbbells. Ultimately, if you are lucky enough to have this machine available, don’t hesitate to use it if your goal is to soften your cage.

Specific work of the respiratory muscles participating in inspiration and expiration

The accessory muscles involved in inspiration can be worked in specific ways. Strengthening these muscles is especially helpful in delaying shortness of breath .

The exercise is simple to perform and requires little equipment. To do this, you just need to restrict the expansion of your rib cage, during swelling of the lungs on inspiration.

So you can do it very well lying down, placing a load on your chest or standing using a rubber band.

Personally, I prefer to do it standing. To do this, I hang a rubber band (resistance 25kg) on ​​a pole, at chest height. Once inside the elastic, I stretch it so that I have enough resistance to constrain my breathing .

Regarding the number of repetitions, do not hesitate to go beyond 30, 40 repetitions.