Basic, formative and isolating exercises in their total mass are usually identified by the nature of the impact on the athlete's body, through the number of muscles or muscle groups involved in their implementation. These or other exercises, depending on their type, give completely different results. In order for us to talk about the most efficient construction training process, you first need to deal with their classification and purpose in order to understand what result should be expected. This will be discussed in this article.
Both in the description of exercises and in training programs, we have repeatedly mentioned such expressions as “base”, “form” and also “isolation”. Today we will try to clarify these definitions. We are specifically talking about three types of exercises, which in the training process are divided into three categories: basic, formative and isolating. The type of exercise determines both its expediency in relation to a particular training program, and the result obtained, so it is really necessary to understand the essence and see the difference between them. To begin with, let's describe literally in a nutshell what these terms mean, and then move on to a more detailed description.
- Basic exercises - involve the maximum number of muscles or muscle groups in the work, and also involve several joints. Used to build overall muscle mass and increase strength. Example: bench press, deadlift, squats, pull-ups.
- Formative exercises - involve both one and several muscles or their groups in the work and involve one or more joints. They are used to hone the shape and give relief to the muscles. Example: vertical thrust, hack squats.
- Isolation exercises - involve one muscle or muscle group in the work, often only one joint is involved. They are used to build specific muscles and increase their strength. Example: sitting leg extensions, reverse dilutions in the butterfly simulator.
Well, that's true short description, certainly does not give us a complete picture of what is happening, however, it is already becoming clear to us that exercises as such should not be used randomly in the training process. In order to understand in what order they should be built into the program, it is necessary first of all to understand the mechanism of their effect on the athlete's body. Let's move on to this.
What are basic exercises
Basic, as we have already found out, are called heavy multi-joint exercises, which sometimes involve up to two-thirds of the muscles of the body. It is for this reason that they are the foundation of building muscles. But why involvement in work a large number muscles or muscle groups leads to active muscle building? Let's figure it out.
If you formulate the answer as simply as possible, it will sound something like this. Since the basic exercise involves several muscle groups, the total weight lifted by the athlete is much higher than what could be lifted using just one muscle or muscle group, which is quite logical. It also follows that the more weight you lift, the higher the traumatic effect, or rather the training stress that the working muscles receive. As you know, healing and growth with subsequent compensation are the body's natural response to such training stress. Hence the conclusion that what more muscle simultaneously receive stress, the greater the compensation effect will be obtained as a result. The logic of such conclusions is incredibly simple and absolutely logical, but if we did not mention the role of the hormonal system in the process of building muscle, such an answer would not be complete.
Connection exercise and the endocrine system, which regulates the release of hormones, is explained by the spread of nerve excitations from the brain to the spinal cord. This phenomenon is called the central motor command. The more weight you work with, the stronger the intensity of the load and, as a result, the motor command, which initiates the release of hormones, increases.
It is quite logical that when performing such a complex basic exercise as squatting with a barbell, the nervous excitation that is transmitted from the brain to the spinal cord will be stronger than when performing, say, flexion or extension of the legs while sitting, where only one joint and working weight work. much lower. Since the fact that the hormonal release during strength training depends on the volume of muscles involved in the exercise is scientifically proven, from this we can conclude that for muscle building, the advantage of basic exercises is obvious.
BASIC. The most popular basic exercises are: bench press, deadlift and squat with a barbell. No less effective multi-joint basic exercises are pull-ups on the bar and push-ups on the uneven bars.
What are formative exercises
As a rule, among bodybuilders, such a term is quite rare. Most often, in the terminology of both athletes and instructors, you can hear about either basic or isolating exercises. Nevertheless, formative exercises have a place to be, they are known to everyone and are quite popular. They are used to form volume, highlight symmetry, trim the shape and delineate the relief of both specific muscles and their individual areas and bundles.
The best way to demonstrate this is with the barbell bench press at an angle. Basic barbell bench press horizontal bench pumps the entire volume of the pectoral muscles, however, if we want to emphasize the load on the upper or lower edge of the pectorals, we need to resort to using inclined benches. The higher the slope of the bench relative to the horizontal, the more the emphasis of the load will shift to the top of the pectoral muscles (to the area of the collarbones). The lower the slope of the bench relative to the horizontal, the more the emphasis of the load will shift to the bottom of the pectoral muscles (into the plane solar plexus). Thus, the bench press at an angle up and the bench press at an angle down are exercises that allow you to form the upper or lower edge of the pectoral muscles. Hence the name of the type of exercise - formative.
Quite often, formative exercises include training program to enhance the effect of basic exercises, since they allow you to include in the work those parts of the muscles and their fibers that cannot be “reached” when performing the “base”, as we described in the example above. This, in turn, allows you to more fully pump the working muscle, which ultimately adds to it a much better shape and fullness. At the same time, when you press the bar at an angle, you shift the emphasis of the load to the upper or lower edge of the chest, which automatically will not allow you to pump its entire volume, which means that this exercise can no longer be called basic. This is the difference between the formative exercise and the basic one. Here we note that, as regular bench press lying on a horizontal bench, the bench press at an angle also includes the front bundles of deltas and triceps, that is, it involves several muscle groups in the work and does not allow calling the exercise isolating. This is the difference between a formative exercise and an isolation exercise.
Hormonal release when performing formative exercises is less significant than when performing basic ones, however, this type of exercise is the best suited for “pumping”, that is, pumping blood into those muscles that a particular exercise is aimed at forming. This contributes to the expansion of the capillary network in the working muscles, and allows you to purposefully transfer large volumes of hormones with the bloodstream to precisely those areas and areas of the muscles that you are forming.
SHAPING. The most popular shaping exercises for the chest: bench press at an angle. On the back: vertical traction. Legs: hack squats. Shoulders: Arnold press. Triceps: french press lying. Biceps: lifting dumbbells for biceps "hammer".
What are isolation exercises
If we look at the training process through the prism of factors that affect the acceleration of protein synthesis in muscles, an increase in the concentration of hormones in the blood and hydrogen ions in muscles, then we will come to the conclusion that this effect is achieved mainly through the implementation of basic and to some extent formative exercises. But if we are talking about isolation exercises that involve one muscle or group of muscles, we must also be aware that the working weight in the exercise will be much lower. And this leads us to the conclusion that the central motor command, which we have already talked about and which initiates the release of hormones, will be extremely small, which significantly reduces the result obtained at the end, compared with basic or formative exercises. The disadvantages are clear, but what are their advantages?
Once again, we will give an example on such a popular basic exercise as a bench press lying on a horizontal bench. By and large, in addition to the pectoral muscles, the anterior bundles of the deltas and triceps also participate in it, that is, we raise the weight of the bar by involving at least three muscles in the work. For comparison, let's take an isolating chest exercise - information in the butterfly simulator. The simulator fixes the position of the body, back, shoulders and arms so that all movements are made solely due to the efforts of the pectoral muscles. Thus, in the bench press, the weight is distributed over several muscle groups, and during the information in the butterfly simulator, the entire load falls solely on the pectoral muscles. For building mass, information in the simulator is not suitable at all, but they allow, as follows from the type of exercise, to work out the chest in isolation, that is, aiming and better. And here's how it works in practice.
The fact is that an increased concentration of hormones in the blood and hydrogen ions in the muscles can be achieved both when performing basic, and when performing shaping and isolating exercises. And even more than that. Isolation exercises allow you to achieve a significantly higher concentration of these substances. Performing again the same information in the “butterfly” simulator, you do the work exclusively with the pectoral muscles, and when failure occurs, you can be absolutely sure that it has come due to the exhaustion of energy reserves precisely in pectoral muscles. At the same time, in the bench press, failure can occur due to exhaustion of the triceps or anterior deltas, at a time when the concentration of free creatine in the pectoral muscles has not yet reached enough high level. As a result, the processes of protein synthesis in the pectoral muscles will be negligible. This is the difference between isolating exercises and basic and formative ones.
INSULATING. The most popular isolating chest exercises: butterfly and crossover. Back: T-bar row. Legs: leg extension in the simulator. Shoulders: reverse breeding in the simulator. Triceps: arm extension with a dumbbell. Biceps: lifting the barbell in the Scott bench.
Exercises
In order to get acquainted with the full illustrated list of exercises, the technique of their implementation and tips, you can follow the links to the articles with the corresponding title. Each exercise has a label describing which type of exercise it belongs to:
Afterword
So, we went through a rather voluminous material in the most accessible form. Summing up, it is worth recalling that whatever one may say, it is basic exercises are the core component of building training programs. Formative exercises are a cross between basic and isolation exercises, and they are also very important in the training process. You will not build large muscle mass with them, as with the help of the “base”, and at the same time, you will not pump specific muscles, as with the help of “isolation”. Isolation exercises are important for high-quality, targeted study of individual muscles. If your goal is to build muscle, building a workout solely from such exercises is rather pointless, as the result will be minimal. The ideal muscle-building training program should be varied enough to include all three types of exercise combined in the most effective way.
Conclusion
So what should be the approach to strength training if both basic and isolating and formative exercises are important and objectively irreplaceable in their own way. And the approach to building the training process is always the same, and it is fundamentally simple. At the beginning of a workout, there should always be basic exercises that cause the maximum release of hormones, then they form, enhance the effect of the basic ones and allow you to work out the muscles under different angles, then isolating ones, with which you squeeze the maximum out of the target muscles. With such a setting of exercises, after completing the “base”, the increased level of hormones with the bloodstream will go to those muscle bundles that you will pump through “formation”, and then “isolation” will allow you to achieve the maximum concentration of hydrogen ions in the trained muscles, which will ultimately make your workout to be as effective as possible.
Every now and then you have to hear that isolation exercises masses do not bring. Why then do them? A training program that includes only gives less muscle gain than the same basic one, but supplemented with isolations. It would seem that it is not entirely clear why. After all, this type of exercise is in no way aimed at muscle growth, with its help the muscle is well polished, it becomes more prominent. Sports science explains it simply. Basic exercises activate only the growth mechanism itself muscle tissue and that's it. Simply put, they only give a command to muscle growth. Isolating exercises, on the other hand, have the property of expanding the thin capillary network in muscle tissue. Due to this, the muscle is filled with blood, and with it, it absorbs anabolic hormones, along with nutrients, which provide muscle growth.
It turns out that isolating exercises are the basis for the start of building muscle tissue. It is worth noting that basic exercises also increase blood saturation of the muscle, but here we are only dealing with an increase in the lumen of large vessels. Without isolations, basic exercises in terms of their function of muscle growth simply will not work. However, another statement is also true here. Without basic exercises, isolated exercises are also meaningless, and by definition they cannot give any increase. Basic exercises, supplemented by two or three isolating ones, are the biological basis for success in bodybuilding, leading to pumping huge muscles that are not available for other sports.
Basic rules for performing isolation exercises:
- To achieve a strong pumping (blood filling) of the muscle use a light working weight. With excessive weight, the load is also distributed to the assistant muscles, which receive a large pumping, and with it the blood. Light weight will also help you maintain perfect technique from the very beginning to the end of the exercise. In this case, you will definitely direct the load to target muscle.
- To enhance pumping do the exercises with maximum emphasis. Do not "hollow" the working muscle indifferently, exclude the principle "just to do it." You must fully feel your muscle. Remember that the intensity of isolation should not be less than in basic exercises. A prerequisite here there is also a pause at the top point of the amplitude, which will allow for a greater pumping of the working muscle, to expand the lumen of the vessels more, which will give a greater muscle gain.
- More replays! The optimal number of repetitions in isolating exercises is 12-15 times. In the case of a decrease in the number of repetitions, the working muscle simply does not have time to get the proper level of pumping. If after 12-15 times you still have strength, do it without hesitation until 18-20.
Here are the best isolation exercises for each muscle group:
Related videos: "Isolated Biceps Workout"
insulating(isolation) are called exercises, during which only one muscle group or one muscle (it works in isolation) and only one joint is always involved. These exercises are focused on the qualitative study of one muscle.
Isolation exercises are also called grinding exercises, as they are the ones that polish your muscles and give them relief and the right look. These exercises are accessory exercises, they are performed after the basic exercises and give you the opportunity to work on the target muscle or work on the lagging one and cause it to grow.
Isolation exercises are performed with dumbbells, in special devices or simulators.
Beginners in bodybuilding are not recommended to resort to isolating exercises in the first year of training, since the muscle mass is still too small for muscle polishing. An integral part of beginner training is this, since it is they who allow you to gain muscle mass.
In the future, when sufficient muscle mass is gained, in order to obtain the best effect from the training, isolation exercises should be included in the training programs along with basic exercises, but not more than 20%.
A training program consisting only of basic exercises gives less muscle gain than the same basic exercises, but supplemented with isolations. Why is this happening? After all, these exercises are not aimed at muscle growth, with their help you can only polish the muscles well and make them more prominent. Scientists explain this by the fact that basic exercises only start the mechanism of muscle tissue growth, and isolated exercises provide an opportunity to expand the thin capillary network in muscle tissue. Muscles are filled with blood and nutrients, which ensures the growth of muscle fibers.
Complementing basic exercises with isolation exercises will be the basis for success in pumping huge muscles.
Examples of isolation exercises
Shoulders
Triceps
back muscles
Hello friends!
I immediately apologize for the two-week break, I was a little distracted by other projects - this is not a plus for me. Also welcome to everyone who has recently joined us in these two weeks. So, today we will talk about the sequence of performing certain exercises. To be more precise: what exercises should be performed first, basic or isolating? This is very important point especially for beginners. Your further progress will depend on the sequence of execution.
What exercises to do first?
First, let's remember what basic and isolating exercises are. Basic exercises are when several muscle groups work at once, they are also called multi-joint exercises. Isolation exercises are the work of only one muscle group or otherwise - single joint exercises.
The main basic exercises are:
- Barbell or Dumbbell Bench or Angled Press (CHEST + Shoulders + Triceps)
- Standing or sitting barbell or dumbbell press (SHOULDERS + triceps)
- Barbell Squats (glutes + quads)
- Deadlift (lower back + glutes + front and back thighs)
- Pull-ups with medium or wide grip(biceps + latissimus dorsi)
- Barbell or dumbbell row to the belt in an incline (back + biceps + rear deltas)
- Push-ups on the uneven bars or from the floor (chest + triceps + shoulders)
Basic isolation exercises:
- Barbell or dumbbell curls (biceps)
- Extension of arms with a barbell or dumbbells (triceps)
- Mahi with dumbbells in front of you (front shoulder delta)
- Mahi with dumbbells to the sides (back shoulder delta)
- Breeding dumbbells lying down (pectoral muscles)
- Leg extension on the simulator (quadriceps)
- Leg curl on the simulator (hamstrings)
Remembered? Great. Let's get to the point. Always try start training with basic exercises- this will positively affect the development of your muscles and the growth of strength. strength = growth. Strength is one of the main criteria for muscle growth.
If you start with an isolation exercise, such as a barbell curl, then you won’t be able to fully work on pull-ups, because. a clogged bicep won't let you do that. As a result, they will not receive the load. Another example: a tired triceps will interfere with the bench press, etc.
But there are options when you can start training with isolating muscles if they are not involved in the basic exercise. For example, French press for triceps and then deadlift or squats, but count the energy. Isolation exercises can be as exhausting as basic exercises. Therefore, I almost always start my workouts with basic exercises. For beginners, this is especially recommended, mainly for laying the muscular foundation.
That's all for today. Follow the sequence.
Many have probably heard such names of exercises as “basic” and “isolation”, but at the same time they have no idea what is hidden behind these terms. It often seems to novice athletes that these words are complicated terminology used in the field of bodybuilding, but in fact there is nothing complicated in these definitions.
When a beginner comes to a gym filled with various equipment - from a dumbbell to a Smith machine, he is lost, and does not know where to start and what to approach. And often he works on his body without really thinking about what exercises he does - the main thing is to work hard. This is where our article today comes in handy.
Simple weights - dumbbells, barbells and pancakes from them are called free weights. For gaining muscle strength and mass, they are much more useful than any multifunctional simulators. In order to correctly decide where to start, it is best to understand the concepts of base and isolation: by choosing the right exercises for your workout, you can achieve very rapid muscle growth.
Basic and isolating exercises - what is the difference
All exercises used in bodybuilding can be divided into basic or, as they say, multi-joint, and into isolating - single-joint.
Basic exercises include exercises that can make several muscle groups (joints) work simultaneously, i.e. if the exercise involves two muscles or more, then it is considered basic. To perform such exercises, significant effort is required from the body - and as a result, it is more effective for muscle growth than isolating exercises. That's why the "base" is the basis of all strength training, an indispensable component of all training programs.
But there are some nuances: not every basic exercise is multi-joint. Bending the arms with a barbell is considered a basic exercise! Although if it is performed correctly, it will use the only one - elbow joint. By all logic, it should be called isolating, but there is such a tradition - to call some of the most effective exercises basic.
Unlike basic exercises, isolation exercises involve only one muscle, using a single joint. These exercises in training are auxiliary.
An example - a workout may consist of three basic exercises, which are the main ones, after which a single isolating exercise is added to them, which plays an auxiliary role. This completes the workout. This is just an example, the point of which is to show that you need to start with hard work, cause a surge of hormones (which provides a base), and then isolation exercises help to load specific muscle groups. This composition of the workout is good for advanced athletes, and for beginners, in general, it is worth abandoning isolating exercises and focusing on basic ones.
Why are basic exercises good?
If you choose a training program for yourself in the gym, composed of basic exercises, the result will be a significant gain in muscle growth and strength indicators. If you do single-joint isolating exercises aimed at developing a single muscle, the effectiveness of training will be much lower.
Coming in Gym beginners often make the mistake of ignoring the basic exercises and doing only isolation exercises. Everything is very simple - you will not be able to give a good load to stimulate uniform muscle growth of the whole organism! (of course, if you don’t have a goal to pump up only biceps and abs).
If your goal is to gain muscle mass, then pay attention to the training program for gaining muscle mass. It is based on basic exercises, which, as you have already learned, are most effective in mass gaining.
How to plan a workout
If your goal in the gym is to increase muscle mass and strength, then as already mentioned, your training program should begin with hard work with basic exercises and then some isolation exercises. Remember, it is the basic exercises that lead to muscle building, and the isolating ones do not give such results.
Of course, those people who say that using modern pharmacological preparations, it is possible to achieve muscle growth through isolating exercises are right. This may be true, but this growth will still occur much more slowly than when training with a base.
Training consisting of a large number of isolation exercises is the lot of professionals who selectively train a certain group, for example, preparing for a competition.
Conclusion
Going to the gym to increase muscle mass? Do basic exercises. Isolation exercises “finish off” a specific muscle.
But if you are going to work "on relief", everything should be done the other way around: increase the number of isolating exercises and reduce the number of basic ones.
Liked? - Tell your friends!
