Compound vs Isolation

Exercises can be classified either as compound, which are exercises that involve more than one muscle group, or isolation exercises, which are exercises that isolate a muscle group by concentrating on that one group of muscles.

For the most time-efficient workouts, compound exercises are recommended because 8-10 exercises can stimulate all the major muscles in the body and create the greatest change in body composition in the shortest time. As an added bonus, compound exercises help develop the body proportionately.

Compound exercises are movements that use multiple joints at one time. When you perform compound exercises, more muscle groups are recruited and used per exercise.

For example, a bench press is a multi-joint exercise because both the shoulder and elbow joints are working to execute the movement. In turn, the bench press works several muscle groups, including the muscles in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

On the other hand, the bicep curl is a single-joint exercise since only the elbow joint is moving. The biceps curl only works the biceps muscle and is more of an isolated exercise. So, when you are looking for a quality workout that hits lots of muscles, compound exercises help you do more in less time. By working several muscle groups at the same time, you can perform fewer exercises and reduce the total amount of time you spend in the gym.

Compound exercises also increase strength and size far more effectively than single-joint, isolation exercises. This doesn't mean that single-joint exercises are ineffective. Exercises that isolate certain muscles and muscle groups do have an important role in fitness, especially for advanced lifters. However, if your schedule calls for reduced exercise time, compound exercises are the way to go. As an added bonus, they are more functional since virtually every movement in everyday activities, such as sitting or kneeling, and in sports like basketball or baseball, involve moving multiple joints.