M
mr.b
Guest
I change my routine from time to time like everyone else but IMO theres one program that works better than all the rest.
I've read a lot of great articles on the net preaching that isolation exercises are only good for shaping and that compound exercises are all thats needed to reach ones maximum potential in muscle growth. While this sounds good in theory I have found it not to be altogether true.
For instance have you ever seen a guy who can do bench presses ( compound exercise) with a lot of weight who has little pecs? On the other hand have you ever seen a guy who does only flyes (isolation exercise) and has a large set of pecs? Hmm.. :chimney:
So what is the best approach for a bodybuilder wanting to gain as much lean mass as possible while taking their genetics to the upper limits????? Many years of trial and error have taught me to use both (isolation and compound movements) in my workouts but not to incorporate them into the same workout..Say what??? Yaupe, that's right!!! Don't use them in the same workout as the muscle and fitness magazine have been teaching us for years on end. But I thought?? Ignore what you thought and give this routine a try. If it doesnt work for you then please let me know..You'll be the first to my knowledge!!!!
DC (DOGCRAPP) has some great thoughts on training.. One of Dante's beliefs is that a muscle should be worked more than once per week while only using one exercises per body part in any particular session. I too have also found that by using only one exercise per body part I can stimulate new growth that would have not been so other wise. I use compound and isolation exercises to get the job done right. I do believe a muscle contracts as a whole like DC and a few others, but I have found through trail and error that two different exercises are needed to fully stimulate most areas of the body. For example; the lattimus dorsi contracts as a whole when doing a chin up but to fully activate the middle part of the back one must add rows into the equation. I realize some thickness can be obtained with pulldowns but not to the degree that can be achieved with rows.
Next we have the chest. The decline press will indeed make the whole pec region contract but most of the stimulation will be in the mid-lower section. Never mind what this study or that study has said. I've put the next day soreness test to myself and others and am confident in saying inclines flyes will be needed if complete chest developent is your goal. I could go on and on But I think I've made my point.
Now back to the subject of isolation exercises. Ever notice how most routines are set up so that the isolation exercises come after the compound movements?? By always doing isolation exercises after a compound movement, one limits his/her potential of using the most weight possible on the isolation exercises, therefore keeping one from not being able to stimulate the muscles fibers that could have been with that exercises. If presses arent working your pecs sufficiently, then what makes you think isolation exercises will not if you havent even given them a proper chance???? Have you ever done an isolation exercises or pre-exhausted before performing your compound movement??? If so you know how it destroys the amount of weight you can use for doing that particular compound movement. So why would we want to hinder the amount of weight used on isolation exercises by pre-exhausting our muscle groups with compound movements and vise versa??? We should not!!!!!
I've have found a simple but affective solution in helping me overcome my inferior chest genetics. I rotate one isolation and one compound movement each training session for that particular body part. I'll do nothing but declines one chest day and next time around I'll do one flye movement to hit more of the upper chest and isolate it more so. I have also found that by not doing pulldowns and rows in the same session my lats have not only grown "bigger" but "stronger". Hmm...
Ive found that by training my body parts only once per week it is impossible to ultilize the method mentioned. I have found the best way to properly split up the compounds exercises form the isolation exercises is with an eod split or a 2 day on 2 day off split. Both allow 3 days of rest before the muscle is taxed again. A MWF rotational split is also good as it allows 3 days of rest one week and 4 days the next week.
NOTE: You will be using more weight on the two exercises you choose per body part ( isolation) and (compound) making the intensity greater. This in return should stimulating more growth than what can be accomplished with a standard once per week program were the isolation is performed after the compound. It stand to reason more mass-strength will also be gained by alternating isolations and compound movements as opposed to using only compound/basic exercises every training session. :roll:
I've read a lot of great articles on the net preaching that isolation exercises are only good for shaping and that compound exercises are all thats needed to reach ones maximum potential in muscle growth. While this sounds good in theory I have found it not to be altogether true.
For instance have you ever seen a guy who can do bench presses ( compound exercise) with a lot of weight who has little pecs? On the other hand have you ever seen a guy who does only flyes (isolation exercise) and has a large set of pecs? Hmm.. :chimney:
So what is the best approach for a bodybuilder wanting to gain as much lean mass as possible while taking their genetics to the upper limits????? Many years of trial and error have taught me to use both (isolation and compound movements) in my workouts but not to incorporate them into the same workout..Say what??? Yaupe, that's right!!! Don't use them in the same workout as the muscle and fitness magazine have been teaching us for years on end. But I thought?? Ignore what you thought and give this routine a try. If it doesnt work for you then please let me know..You'll be the first to my knowledge!!!!
DC (DOGCRAPP) has some great thoughts on training.. One of Dante's beliefs is that a muscle should be worked more than once per week while only using one exercises per body part in any particular session. I too have also found that by using only one exercise per body part I can stimulate new growth that would have not been so other wise. I use compound and isolation exercises to get the job done right. I do believe a muscle contracts as a whole like DC and a few others, but I have found through trail and error that two different exercises are needed to fully stimulate most areas of the body. For example; the lattimus dorsi contracts as a whole when doing a chin up but to fully activate the middle part of the back one must add rows into the equation. I realize some thickness can be obtained with pulldowns but not to the degree that can be achieved with rows.
Next we have the chest. The decline press will indeed make the whole pec region contract but most of the stimulation will be in the mid-lower section. Never mind what this study or that study has said. I've put the next day soreness test to myself and others and am confident in saying inclines flyes will be needed if complete chest developent is your goal. I could go on and on But I think I've made my point.
Now back to the subject of isolation exercises. Ever notice how most routines are set up so that the isolation exercises come after the compound movements?? By always doing isolation exercises after a compound movement, one limits his/her potential of using the most weight possible on the isolation exercises, therefore keeping one from not being able to stimulate the muscles fibers that could have been with that exercises. If presses arent working your pecs sufficiently, then what makes you think isolation exercises will not if you havent even given them a proper chance???? Have you ever done an isolation exercises or pre-exhausted before performing your compound movement??? If so you know how it destroys the amount of weight you can use for doing that particular compound movement. So why would we want to hinder the amount of weight used on isolation exercises by pre-exhausting our muscle groups with compound movements and vise versa??? We should not!!!!!
I've have found a simple but affective solution in helping me overcome my inferior chest genetics. I rotate one isolation and one compound movement each training session for that particular body part. I'll do nothing but declines one chest day and next time around I'll do one flye movement to hit more of the upper chest and isolate it more so. I have also found that by not doing pulldowns and rows in the same session my lats have not only grown "bigger" but "stronger". Hmm...
Ive found that by training my body parts only once per week it is impossible to ultilize the method mentioned. I have found the best way to properly split up the compounds exercises form the isolation exercises is with an eod split or a 2 day on 2 day off split. Both allow 3 days of rest before the muscle is taxed again. A MWF rotational split is also good as it allows 3 days of rest one week and 4 days the next week.
NOTE: You will be using more weight on the two exercises you choose per body part ( isolation) and (compound) making the intensity greater. This in return should stimulating more growth than what can be accomplished with a standard once per week program were the isolation is performed after the compound. It stand to reason more mass-strength will also be gained by alternating isolations and compound movements as opposed to using only compound/basic exercises every training session. :roll:
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