When To Use Isolation Exercises

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When should you use isolation exercises? Many people simply like doing them (think biceps curls) but in all practicality, there basically are two instances where they make sense: to correct visual imbalances and to address musculoskeletal problems caused by diferences in strength of muscle pairs.

As said in the video, check the below articles for tons and tons of information about what isolation exercises exist for what occasions and when to use them:

Important Isolations -- The Calf Raise:

http://evilcyber.com/fitness/important-isolation-exercises-calf-raise/

Important Isolations -- The Rotator Cuff:

http://evilcyber.com/fitness/important-isolations-rotator-cuff/

Important Isolations -- Fingers, Shins And Overall Balance:

http://evilcyber.com/fitness/important-isolation-exercises-fingers-shins-bala...

Me and Freddie say thanks for watching and visiting!

Title image courtesy of U.S. Army:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/2901413509/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• isolation
• exercises
• workout
• bodybuilding
• evilcyber
• freddie

[AodhanChance]

I like how you simplify things. It really helps to keep it simple

[Evilcyber]

@AodhanChance Thank you! I believe that most things that appear complicated can be broken down to some basic principles.

[DieTheDeath]

did i hear you say don't do bicep curls very often? what other exercise works out biceps good except maybe pull-ups?

generally speaking, i follow scooby1961's advanced workout videos, though i mix it up.

[Evilcyber]

@DieTheDeath The biceps is, in one form or the other, involved in many exercises where you have to bend the elbow: pull-ups, as you said, but also chin-ups (more than during pull-ups), dumbbell rows, shoulder presses, supine rows etc.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't give the biceps a dedicated isolation, but it may need fewer of those than it might appear. Personally I give it one on back / biceps day: the curl.

[nemen91]

Thanks a lot again for the great info :)

[Evilcyber]

@nemen91 Glad you found it helpful! All the best!

[muza3000]

Hi there,

another reason for isolation exercises can be the fact that different muscles need different rest durations - for example you can't work out your chest as often as your triceps.

When you want to optimize your overall muscle growth you might consider to exercise smaller muscle groups more often than the big ones.

Long resting times: Legs, Chest, Back

Medium resting times: Triceps, Biceps, Shoulders

Short resting times: Forearms, Abs, Calves

Hope this helps.

[AIversonI]

Was eagerly awaiting your first 2012 video Evil! :) Thx 4 the gr8 video again! One question though....... how do I know how far apart opposite muscles are to each other? For example..... I seem to have a lot of trouble strengthening my hamstrings compared to all my other muscles; I've heard deadlifts are good for them, but I've never done them as I have a lot of problems with my lower back. Any way I can see how far apart they are to my quads? Thx a lot!

[pkidro]

@nine151 you know i asked myself the same question, but with the dumbbell i seem to have more of a squeeze on the top and i wanna make sure i get 12 sets for my chest before i move on, i hate doing the cables or decline bench press. I am open for tips and suggestions

[nine151]

@pkidro No offense but why do you do dumbbell bench presses after you just did the same exercise with a barbell?

[adgeee000]

@Evilcyber Thanks brother! Can't believe you made this lol made me smile, many thanks!