Isolation vs. Compound Exercises

There are two different types of strength-based exercises: isolation exercises and compound movements. Isolation exercises focus on one specific muscle; this can be useful for a few different purposes.

• Rehabilitation of a muscle can be facilitated with isolation exercises. If you have muscular imbalances or under-active muscles, isolation exercises are perfect for strengthening those areas. For example, if you have pain in your hip flexors after squatting, you may have under-active glutes. Isolations like glute bridges or clams can help you reactivate your gluteal muscles and prevent further pain or injury down the road.
• Aesthetics athletes (e.g. bodybuilders or bikini competitors) may utilize isolation exercises to really hone in and focus on one specific area. A lot of these athletes include exercises like lateral shoulder raises and biceps curls in their routines to really define those areas most important to the judges.

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While there are certain advantages to using these exercises, isolation exercises place a lot of shear forces on your joints. Put simply, shear force occurs when a joint is being pulled or pushed in two different directions. To better understand this, imagine a leg extension machine: the seat is pushing your femur upwards, while the pad is pushing your tibia down. This shear force can cause ACL strains as you start to use a heavier weight and higher reps. If you have preexisting knee problems, exercises like leg extensions or leg presses may not be well suited for you.

Compound exercises utilize multiple different muscles. Because more muscles are recruited, compound movements are more efficient. Instead of spending hours in the gym doing multiple triceps and shoulder exercises separately, you can use exercises like dips, push-ups or bench presses to target all of these areas simultaneously. You only need a handful of exercises to adequately train every muscle in your body. Spending hours on isolations exercises is unnecessary when you can spend half of that time in the gym and get just as great of a workout. 

Similarly, compound exercises are more efficient from a metabolic standpoint. The metabolic cost of doing squats far surpasses that of doing leg curls and leg extensions. Not only do you recruit more muscle groups, but you are also stimulating more muscle fibers. The more muscle fibers stimulated, the more anaerobic hormones (i.e. testosterone, Human Growth Hormone, etc.) that are released. If you're looking to have a greater caloric expenditure, compound exercises are the way to go.

Finally, compound exercises train multiple different aspects of athleticism. While isolations only focus on muscular hypertrophy, compound exercises function as a great neuromuscular exercise as well: they teach proper bodily positioning, improve range of motion, enhance core stability and balance, in addition to strengthening the muscles.

Depending on your goals, you may find it necessary to incorporate both types of exercise into your fitness regimen. Find exercises that work best for you and stick with them! Ultimately, any type of exercise is great for your body, and as long as you're working hard, your body will thank you.


Sources:

1. Lutz, G. E., R. A. Palmitier, K. N. An, and E. Y. Chao. "Comparison of Tibiofemoral Joint Forces during Open-kinetic-chain and Closed-kinetic-chain Exercises." The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (1993): n. pag. Web. 02 Sept. 2013.
2. Mihalik, Jason, Jeremiah Libby, Claudio Battaglini, and Robert McMurray. "Comparing Short-Term Complex and Compound Training Programs on Vertical Jump Height and Power Output." Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 22.1 (2008): 47-53. Print.
3. Wilk, Kevin E., Rafael F. Escamilla, Glenn S. Fleisig, Steve W. Barrentine, James R. Andrews, and Melissa L. Boyd. "A Comparison of Tibiofemoral Joint Forces and Electromyographic Activity during Open and Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises." The American Journal of Sports Medicine 24.4 (1996): n. pag. A Comparison of Tibiofemoral Join... Preview & Related Info. July 1996. Web. 03 Sept. 2013.

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More About Pilates For Rehabilitation

ByPauline B Dukoff

If you are in recovery from some kind of illness, injury or even some form of psychological condition, then rehabilitation is incredibly important to ensure that you recover as quickly as possible and to ensure that you avoid further problems.

In many cases, people will view rehabilitation as something that is largely passive - it is common to view recovery as the lack of activity - such as sitting down for long periods of time and get ting rest. If you have an injury specific to a particular area, then recovery might mean avoiding putting pressure on that area or using it.

This is all fine and well, and of course in many cases you certainly should avoid strenuous exercise or movement if you want to enjoy the speediest recovery possible. However this is at the same time certainly not the only form of recovery, and it is very important to recognize that there are many other ways you can help yourself to recover from injury or illness.

For instance if you are recovering from an injury that is to do with your muscles, bones or joints - then Pilates may well offer you the help you need to recover.

If you should injure your back or your leg for instance, and you aim to recover by simply resting your body and taking time out of your usual activities, then you may find that this doesn't help you to combat all of the potential problems. The worry here is that you will still exacerbate the issue by letting your muscles waste away. If you spend a lot time in recovery and don't get any kind of exercise during this time, then it will of course cause your muscles to deteriorate and that in turn will cause you to lose muscle mass and strength. Then, when you are recovered, you will find that you are unable to move properly and this can actually lead to further injury. Furthermore a muscle imbalance can cause unequal pressure to be exerted on the joints which can also cause injury and discomfort.

At the same time, if you injure any joint or muscle then you will risk overcompensating for this by altering your stance or your gait. For instance, if you injure a leg or an ankle, then this can cause you to limp and to stand somewhat lop sided. This in turn can lead not only to joint and muscle problems directly, but also potentially again make you more prone to falling and injuring yourself further.

As anyone who has ever been to a chiropractor or a osteopath will know - what affects one part of the body can have effects elsewhere in regions that are seemingly unconnected if you end up walking incorrectly or standing awkwardly.

Pilates can prevent all these problems by ensuring that while you recover from your injury you still get some forms of light exercise to maintain muscle tone and balance. At the same time it can help to encourage a correct stance and gait and thereby avoid your doing harm to yourself accidentally.

There is a big difference between Pilates classes, and one on one sessions. For rehabilitation or for more comfortable aging, this is usually called physiotherapy Pilates.

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