Biggest Mistake when trying to tone up
by Roger Davies
Being a personal trainer there is one question I get asked time and time again. How do I isolate my……..(abs, biceps, quads etc.) When I hear people ask this I think that they are missing the big picture. Whatever muscle group it is they always want to isolate it. My first response is always, “why the hell would you want to isolate it.”The first thing I explain to them is that the bodys’ muscles don’t work well in isolation. Rather it works better in along a kinetic chain where different muscle groups are recruited together to complete a complex movement. There is not such a thing as muscle isolation, whatever movement you are doing there is always a nearby muscle that is helping. This article compares muscle isolation through single joint exercises and multi-joint complex movements and which is the most effective way to lose fat.
Training by muscle isolation will result is joint injuries because the body is not working in the functional way it is designed to. If you want joint problems, tendonitis and excess body fat then by all means carry on trying to isolate body parts. The smart way to get a toned, muscular, lean and injury free body is to change your focus away from muscle isolation.
Take a look at the physique of the world class sprinters and some of the NFL running backs. These guys’ coaches would NEVER allow them to train for muscle isolation and they are ripped to shreds so they must be doing something right.
The biggest benefit of moving away from muscle isolation to using complex movements is that you will find it much easier to lose fat. The reason for concentrating on multi-joint movements is that you not only burn more calories per workout than single joint muscle isolation, you will also increase the metabolic rate and stimulate the release of fat burning and muscle building hormones like testosterone and growth hormone.
Take an example. Probably the most common leg exercise used in gyms across the world is the leg extension, a single joint exercise that mainly works the quadriceps. This exercise doesn’t even burn that many calories and has the potential to cause knee joint instability in the long run. Examples of multi joint exercises are deadlifts, squats, lunges, step-ups. These exercises work hundreds of muscles (including the quadriceps) as a functional unit. They will improve joint stability in the long run, when done properly, and also burn massive amounts of calories compared to single joint exercises.
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About the Author
I am a personal trainer, specialising in fat loss and body sculpting. Get your free e-report at http://easyfitnesstips.com/sixpackabse-report.htm
