Why You Should Stop Isolating Your Muscles and Start Doing Complex Movements for Strength Training. Are you one of those people who ask your personal trainer or fitness professional questions like this:
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"What exercise can I do to isolate my abs, quads, biceps, triceps, etc.?"
If so, you're missing the big picture of strength training. You're focusing on the wrong thing. You're trying to isolate your muscles, when you should be trying to integrate them.
In this blog, I'm going to explain why muscle isolation is a bad idea, and why complex movements are a better way to train your body for strength, fitness, and aesthetics. I'm also going to show you some examples of complex movements that you can do to work your whole body, burn more fat, and build more muscle. And I'm going to tell you how you can get my book The Truth About Six Pack Abs, where I reveal more secrets to creating a strong, lean, and functional body.
But first, let me introduce myself. I'm Mike Geary, a certified nutrition specialist and personal trainer. I've been working in the fitness industry for over 15 years, and I've helped thousands of people achieve their fitness goals. I'm also the author of the best-selling book The Truth About Six Pack Abs, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
What is muscle isolation and why is it bad?
Muscle isolation is the idea that you can target a specific muscle or muscle group by doing a single-joint exercise that only involves that muscle. For example, doing leg extensions to isolate your quadriceps, or doing bicep curls to isolate your biceps.
Many people think that muscle isolation is the best way to train their muscles, because they think that by isolating a muscle, they can make it bigger, stronger, or more defined. They also think that by isolating a muscle, they can avoid working other muscles that they don't want to grow or develop.
But the truth is that muscle isolation is not only ineffective, but also harmful. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Muscle isolation is unnatural. Your body is not designed to work in isolation. Your body is designed to work as a unit, with multiple muscles working together to perform complex movements. When you isolate a muscle, you're going against your body's natural function, and you're creating imbalances and weaknesses in your body.
- Muscle isolation is inefficient. When you isolate a muscle, you're limiting the amount of work that you can do, and the amount of calories that you can burn. You're also limiting the amount of stimulus that you can provide to your muscle, and the amount of growth that you can induce. You're wasting your time and energy on exercises that don't give you much results.
- Muscle isolation is risky. When you isolate a muscle, you're putting a lot of stress on a single joint, and you're increasing the risk of injury. You're also neglecting the stabilizing muscles that support your joint, and you're making your joint more unstable and vulnerable. You're setting yourself up for joint problems, tendonitis, and chronic pain.
So, if muscle isolation is so bad, what should you do instead?
What are complex movements and why are they good?
Complex movements are the opposite of muscle isolation. They are exercises that involve multiple joints and multiple muscles working together to perform a movement. For example, doing squats to work your legs, glutes, core, and back, or doing pull-ups to work your back, biceps, shoulders, and core.
Complex movements are the best way to train your body for strength, fitness, and aesthetics. Here are some of the benefits of complex movements:
- Complex movements are natural. Your body is meant to work in complex movements. Your body is meant to run, jump, climb, push, pull, lift, and throw. When you do complex movements, you're working with your body's natural function, and you're creating balance and harmony in your body.
- Complex movements are effective. When you do complex movements, you're doing more work, and you're burning more calories. You're also providing more stimulus to your muscles, and you're inducing more growth. You're getting more results in less time and with less effort.
- Complex movements are safe. When you do complex movements, you're distributing the stress across multiple joints and muscles, and you're reducing the risk of injury. You're also strengthening the stabilizing muscles that support your joints, and you're making your joints more stable and resilient. You're protecting yourself from joint problems, tendonitis, and chronic pain.
So, what are some examples of complex movements that you can do to train your whole body?
Some examples of complex movements for strength training
There are many complex movements that you can do to train your body, but here are some of the most effective ones that you should include in your strength training routine:
- Squats. Squats are one of the best exercises for your lower body. They work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core. They also improve your posture, balance, and mobility. You can do squats with your own bodyweight, or you can add resistance with dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, or bands.
- Lunges. Lunges are another great exercise for your lower body. They work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. They also challenge your stability, coordination, and flexibility. You can do lunges with your own bodyweight, or you can add resistance with dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, or bands.
- Step-ups. Step-ups are a simple but effective exercise for your lower body. They work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. They also improve your power, endurance, and agility. You can do step-ups with your own bodyweight, or you can add resistance with dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, or bands.
- Deadlifts. Deadlifts are one of the best exercises for your whole body. They work your hamstrings, glutes, back, core, arms, and grip. They also enhance your strength, posture, and performance. You can do deadlifts with a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or bands.
- Presses. Presses are one of the best exercises for your upper body. They work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They also develop your power, stability, and confidence. You can do presses with a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or bands.
- Rows. Rows are another great exercise for your upper body. They work your back, biceps, forearms, and core. They also improve your posture, balance, and functionality. You can do rows with a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or bands.
- Pull-ups. Pull-ups are one of the best exercises for your upper body. They work your back, biceps, shoulders, and core. They also increase your strength, endurance, and mobility. You can do pull-ups with your own bodyweight, or you can add resistance with a weight belt, vest, or band.
- Dips. Dips are another great exercise for your upper body. They work your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They also boost your power, stability, and aesthetics. You can do dips with your own bodyweight, or you can add resistance with a weight belt, vest, or band.
These are just some of the complex movements that you can do to train your body. There are many more variations and combinations that you can try. The key is to use free weights, bodyweight, or bands, and to avoid machines and single-joint exercises.
Conclusion
In this blog, I explained why you should stop isolating your muscles and start doing complex movements for strength training. I showed you why muscle isolation is bad, and why complex movements are good. I also gave you some examples of complex movements that you can do to train your whole body, burn more fat, and build more muscle.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to learn about strength training, nutrition, and fitness. That's why I wrote my book The Truth About Six Pack Abs, where I reveal more secrets to creating a strong, lean, and functional body.