Isolation exercises? You can do well without them

Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "

16.12.2018

Bodybuilders and other strength athletes with a respectable training volume don't need isolation exercises like biceps curls, triceps extensions and leg extensions. The added value of these exercises is zero. Brazilian sports scientists come to this conclusiio in a study that has been publshed in Sports. The Brazilians experimented with 17 trained young women.

Study
The Brazilians divided 17 young women, who had been strength training for at least a year, into 2 groups. One group trained 6 days a week, and only did multi-joint exercises [MJ group], the second group did exactly the same as the first group - but added a few single-joint exercises to the schedule [MJ + SJ group].

Isolation exercises? You can do well without them

The experiment lasted 8 weeks. Before and after that period, the researchers determined the women's strength and body composition.

Results
The addition of the single-joint exercises to the training routines did not add anything. For example, the women in the MJ + SJ group did biceps curls, the women in the MJ group did not. Both groups, however, became equally much stronger at curling. Moreover, arm size increased equally in both groups.

Isolation exercises? You can do well without them

Conclusion

"Based on the present findings, we conclude that the use of single joint exercises as a complement to a resistance training program containing multi joint exercises brings no additional benefit to trained women in terms of muscle performance and anthropometry", write the Brazilians.

"In light of this, we suggest that the use of resistance training program containing only multi joint exercises might be recommended with the purpose to provide a time efficient approach with no impairment in strength endurance or anthropometric measurements."

Source:
Sports (Basel). 2018 Nov 28;6(4).

More:
Can you isolate the pecs with the dumbbell press? Not really... 23.05.2016
Separate exercises for biceps and triceps? Not really necessary... 15.01.2016
Pull-downs and curls equally effective for biceps growth 06.01.2016

Archives:
Strength Training for Women
Resistance Training



Isolation exercises for strength training require longer recovery time Sports scientists at the University of Brasilia published their findings in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.	Bench press isolates chest muscle just as well as peck-deck Isolation exercises, trainers would still have you believe, help you to concentrate on a single muscle group.	Squats for training your adductors? Doesn't work If your lower back is up to it, squats are a great exercise. But...