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FACT CHECKEDWhen you start working out, your workout routine may initially consist of a few compound exercises– most often including squats and lunges for sculpting your buttocks, shoulder presses, bench presses to build your upper-body strength, etc. However, suppose you really want to start seeing real progress in your fitness journey.
In that case, it becomes necessary to supplement your regimen with exercises that engage specific joints and muscle groups in your body. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner, elderly, or a seasoned athlete; you can benefit from including isolation exercises in your programming.
In this guide, I will explain the best isolation exercise for each muscle group and add some tips I give my clients to take full advantage of what isolation exercises can offer.
Table of Contents
In this section, I will give some of the best isolation exercises to add to your routine. I will also give you the benefits of every movement, a step-by-step guide on performing it, and variations you can do.
Upper body isolation exercises are a great addition to your routine, regardless of whether you're trying to become the next world's strongest man, improve your physique, see significant muscle growth, or simply reduce the risk of injuries.
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Tricep kickbacks are a fantastic way to hit the triceps to improve definition and get a great pump in the process. You don't need a ton of weight; instead, focus on the mind-muscle connection and squeeze at the top of the movement, resulting in strength gains.
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If you want to focus on building strength in your triceps, especially in the long head, then overhead extensions are a fantastic option. They don't need a lot of equipment to be effective and can be added to any upper-body workout.
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The key to massive biceps is isolating them while focusing on the peak contraction. Concentration curls help you to do this and are a great way to finish a back or bicep workout.
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By keeping your hands neutral, you isolate the biceps brachii. This is the muscle that many consider essential to work for aesthetics because it is easily visible and helps improve overall strength.
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Wrist curls are probably the most common isolate exercise to build forearm strength as they are incredibly effective for increasing muscle thickness and power from the wrist joint.
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Try this alternative once you get comfortable with standard wrist curls. Instead of your palms facing upward, they face the floor, which engages the forearm extensor muscles and focuses slightly more on the wrist. These can really help get the appearance of bigger forearms.
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A classic movement for isolating the chest muscles, the dumbbell flyes target the outer chest, can reduce upper back pain, increase range of motion, and can lead to significant bench press increases.
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Bring the weights back together, squeezing the chest at the top.
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Like chest flyes, cable crossovers add a more dynamic range of motion that effectively isolates the inner chest, improves definition, and can increase shoulder mobility.
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Lat pulldowns are one of the best ways to target the latissimus dorsi, which can improve upper back development and posture. Building the lats up can lead to that sought-after V-taper physique.
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If you've struggled to build thickness in the middle back, seated cable rows must be incorporated into your workout. It also engages the rhomboids and traps for overall back development.
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The side lateral raise is an incredibly effective shoulder-building movement that isolates the lateral head of the deltoids.
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Incorporating face pulls into your programming is one of the best ways to hit the often-neglected rear delts. Strengthening the rear delts can lead to better shoulder strength and reduced risk of injuries.
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The lower body comprises many strong muscles that allow you to do simple and complex movements. So, making sure that you work them is essential for overall strength and stability.
To keep this article from being as long as a book, I will focus on the major muscle groups that can be found in the lower body.
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It can be performed in various positions and makes a great addition to any leg workout as it effectively targets and isolates the hamstrings.
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Lower the weight in a controlled manner to complete the repetition and stretch the muscles.
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Romanian deadlifts should become an important aspect of your workout program if it isn't already. It engages the hamstrings and glutes for better lower body development and increased flexibility.
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Leg extensions target mainly the quadriceps, which can lead to better size and definition on the front of the thighs.
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Lower the weight with control to complete the repetition.
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Another great variation is to experiment with different foot positions on the machine. Varied foot placement puts the focus on different parts of the quads.
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As a single leg, unilateral movement, Bulgarian Split Squats target the quads while engaging stabilizing muscles.
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It is easily one of the best exercises because it is a simple exercise that isolates and activates the glute muscles for better development and strength gains.
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Hip Thrust is a glute bridge variation I recommend including in almost every leg workout. They provide a full range of motion and target the lower/upper glutes.
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When it comes to weight training, calves are often ignored. Adding calf raises to your lower body workout can improve lower leg development and isolate the muscles in the calves.
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Donkey calf raises provide a unique stretch and contraction in the gastrocnemius muscles for better calf development from a bent-over position. This was a staple of Arnold Schwarzenegger's calf workout.
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The core is made up of two main muscle groups that play an essential role in stabilizing the body and providing movement and rotation of the torso. Unfortunately, isolating these muscle groups can be difficult, so the exercises I have below are as close as it gets to doing so.
My biggest recommendation for isolating the core is to focus on your mind-muscle connection and proper breathing techniques.
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Hanging leg raises is a fun and challenging exercise that isolates the rectus abdominis for better lower abdominal strength and definition.
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If you want to engage the entire core, including the rectus abdominis and obliques, then ab rollouts must be included in your workout.
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Developed for Soviet soldiers during the Cold War, this popular exercise targets the obliques for a leaner and stronger look.
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Side planks are excellent for strengthening the obliques and promoting lateral core stability.
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Isolation exercises can help anyone who wants to focus on better aesthetics and muscle development; however, they have advantages and disadvantages when compared to compound exercise.
Building a well-rounded fitness routine requires a healthy blend of compound and isolation exercises. If you have a routine that offers too many isolation exercises, it allows you to hit a higher volume of repetitions. Still, you don't tax the muscles nearly enough to see significant results.
To optimize muscle engagement and effectiveness, I recommend incorporating only one or two isolation exercises (toward the end of the workout) per trained muscle group. Check out our article about what compound exercises you should incorporate towards the beginning of your workouts.
At SET FOR SET, we strive to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed for your fitness journey. Our team of experts, including certified trainers, dietitians, and athletes, brings over a decade of industry expertise. Our goal is to be your primary resource for all fitness inquiries, guiding you toward a stronger and healthier life. Sign up to stay up-to-date!
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Andrew Lenau
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