Craving for toned muscles? But I’m not sure, what is the best way to build muscle?
When you ask different people, you get different answers. While some praise the benefits of combining multiple muscle groups at once, others ask you to isolate specific muscles and work on them.
Confused who is right? What should you do and why?
The trainers at one of the best gyms in Jaipur ask you to start with some simple research. He gets the basics right about the exercises he intends to do.
Classification of weight training exercises
How are weight training exercises classified? A common way is how a specific exercise trains your body and which muscle groups are used. That said, the exercises are divided into two groups:
1. Compound exercises
2. Isolation exercises
Compound exercises require the combined effort of muscle groups and joints. For example, dips, a popular compound exercise, require the engagement of the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Similarly, pull-ups need back and biceps, deadlifts need posterior chain, much of the lower and upper body, and so on.
Isolation exercise targets one joint and one specific muscle group at a time. Here are some isolation exercises with the muscle you train. Chest during flat, incline, or decline flyes, shoulders during lateral or front raises, biceps during bicep curls, triceps during tricep extensions, and hamstrings during leg curls.
Advantages of compound exercises
• Take care of general muscle development and form a better training base.
• You can exercise more muscles in less time.
• You don’t need to spend more time in your gym and fitness center.
• Since multiple muscle groups are involved, you can double the weight you are lifting.
• Strengthens core muscles and helps prevent spinal injuries.
Advantages of isolation exercises
• Targets special muscle groups in the body.
• This form of exercise is ideal for parts of the body that need special attention.
• Helps you gain mass and increase the volume of training.
The verdict
Compound exercises or isolation exercises?
When you’re planning a workout, it’s important to first set your goals in mind. What is it you intend to achieve? Is it function or aesthetics? Do you want a summer body or do you want to increase strength and performance instead?
You need to understand your goals because both compound and isolation exercises are performed in certain ways that are unique to each other. You will need to come up with exercise routines based on your fitness goal for your body. The trainers at Fit O’Clock, the best gym in Raja Park, Jaipur, take note of every detail and help you commit to the ideal type of exercise for your body and needs.
So if you’re looking to build muscle or tone your arms or work on any specific area of the body, isolation exercises are what you should consider. But, if your focus is on your upper body muscles, compound exercises are your way to go.