Push and Pull Before You Flex And Extend…Earn The Right to Isolate…

Isolating muscles while training versus training heavy and in big compound movements has always been at the centre of controversy. For example on ‘Bicep day’ doing about four different curl variations followed by some crunches. Dedicating an entire day to such a small and comparatively weak muscle just doesn’t sit right with me. Look at the following two weights sessions;

Session 1:

Barbell Bicep Curl
Hammer Curl
Reverse curl
Dumbbell alternate curls

Session 2:

Pull ups (pronated grip/ Palms facing away)
Chins (supinated grip/palms facing you)
Lat pulldown
Dumbbell Row

Look at session number one . . massive ‘pump’ right?

Hitting the biceps from every angle… Right?

Not really, you are hitting the muscle sub maximally with lots of repetitions and essentially you are training your biceps for endurance!

I know bodybuilders use these methods to an extent but you aren’t a bodybuilder. Less than 1% of the population are of the genetic predisposition that they will make muscular gains from this type of training. They make gains much easier than everyone else, regardless of the training type and that’s just life! If you wanted to be a bodybuilder you should have chose your parents better because they are the one that gave you those genes.

Now look at the session on the right. You might think there’s no bicep exercises in there but look closer. Any pulling movement is essentially a curl with a pull attached to it. I.e. Chins or any heavy pull are essentially working your biceps they way they were intended to work! A functional movement!

Now what if I said that isolating muscles was actually counterproductive? Not only are you at risk of not adding muscle but you are also breaking down muscle you added in previous sessions? Have I got your attention now?

Any exercise initiates a stress response from the endocrine system; cortisol. Low intensity and isolation exercise, by its very nature never allows the body to reach the intensity required to release growth promoting and fat releasing testosterone and HGH and continually exposes the body to unopposed cortisol which makes weight loss more difficult and breaks down muscle.

Cortisol, in its wisdom also increases blood sugar levels, thus increasing insulin levels and decreasing fat loss. What I’m getting at here is that most if not all exercise should contain a level of intensity that isolation exercises alone just cannot produce. Flexion and extension exercises should only be performed as a part of a heavy lifting, pushing and/or pulling session. They should never be preformed on their own! Ever heard of someone going to the gym to do their biceps and their abs? Could they have picked a more low intensity workout? Unopposed cortisol city!

I am not saying that isolation exercises should never be performed! I am merely saying that they should be performed as a part of a more intense workout involving bench presses and rows. I would also like to note that if somebody has only ever performed isolation exercises they are more than likely lacking in the strength department. Have you been curling them same 25 pound dumbbells for 3 months thinking that ‘maybe next week your biceps will get stronger/bigger. What is the definition of insanity?

‘repeating the same behaviour over and over expecting different results’ – Albert Einstein

Now in order to make a limb strong enough to do heavy enough curls to tax the muscle appropriately you need to train it the way it can be trained hardest! Makes sense yea? I don’t know about you but a 200 pound row or a weighted chin up would tax the biceps a LOT more then a concentration curl! You may perform curls after the aforementioned exercises at will.

So your take home points are. . .

Push and pull before you flex and extend,

‘Earn the right to isolate’

Bryan Kavanagh is a physique transformation specialist, speaker and co. author of The Athletic Body System’ and Athlete Physique. with the prestigious CSCS qualification he has also completed a BSc degree (hons) in Health and Human Performance in Dublin City University.

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