Compound vs Isolation Exercises

One of the most common important ways of categorizing weight training workouts is how they train the body and the group of muscles that are being used when performing the workouts. This way we can categorize exercises into two groups. These are:

• Isolation exercises
• Compound exercises

Perhaps you have heard a lot of theories such as how isolation exercises suck or how compound exercises are the best. However, it is not a good idea to generalize this much. This is because the truth of the matter is that isolation vs compound exercise serves a wide range of purposes in different workout routines based on your goal as well as the body. This means that the only option through which you can know the best workouts for you is by getting to the specifics of each.

Compound workouts

The compound workouts are exercises that involve using more than one of the major groups of muscles each time. In a typical case, there is a single muscle that performs most of the work while the smaller groups of muscles are recruited in a secondary way. Some of the major compound workouts include:

• Flat, decline or incline press - This mostly workout the chest, shoulders and the triceps
• Dips - Workouts the chest as the primary muscle group and the shoulders and triceps as the secondary group of muscles
• Overhead shoulder press - These primarily work the shoulders and the triceps as the secondary muscle group.

Other exercises include dead-lifts, squats, pull-ups; chin up s and the lat pull down.

Isolation exercises

These are the workouts that affects only one key muscle group. In a typical case, the movement is done in a way where  there is avoidance of the use of the muscle groups and this leaves one group of muscles isolated and with the ability to do the work. These include bicep curls, triceps extensions, flat, decline or incline flies, calf raises, leg curls and much more.

The 6 Worst Leg Strength Training Exercises For Men

Some legs workouts can be absolute detrimental exercises and must be avoided.   
   
When weight training for legs, the movements are never the same. Actually some move do more bad be executed with a lot of caution. In order to escape bad physical injuries and subsequent medical bills, the following no-no exercises are not worth the risk.

1. Knee Extensions

It is very risky to put your knees under a great force. Instead of doing a knee extension, try out some yoga movements in order to strengthen the flexibility of the quadriceps.

2. Using the Smith Machine

Smith equipment has a fixed elevation for doing squats. The vertical angle in particular is the most dangerous. If the body is fixated to a particular spectrum of movement, one cannot loco mote in the intended natural manner hence compromising the body mobility. It is the back that hurts the most when this exercise is executed.

3. Upright Rows

The exercise compels your shoulders to drift away from the torso while twisting in a dangerous internal point. This creates an immersive force at the shoulder joints. You also risk impinging your muscles or tendons. The wrists too are at risk due to excessive stress. The best alternative exercise is the bend-over row which in addition improves your bench press. 

4. Leg Press

The press equipment is not mechanically efficient for the body. It inhibits the proper functioning of joints while creating bigger tension on knees and the back. Leg presses are the major causes of a lumbar hernia in gym users.

5. The Lat Pull-down

This involves a pull behind your head and extreme rotations of your shoulders. The shoulder joint ligaments are also tensed inappropriately. These can lead to instability, impingement, and hyper mobility of the joints.

6. Bench Triceps Dips

The dips risk shoulder injuries. Putting the hands behind is a strenuous exercise for your elbows. The workout causes the head to come forward hence creating a discomfort.

Now that you know, weight training for legs must be done with a lot of care unless you want to end up a cripple. 

How To Stay Motivated For Weight Loss

You have joined the gym, tried to diet but still there is no progress in your weight loss goals. You begin with high motivations but with time, your motivation plateau. It could be that you get bored with consuming steamed veggies every night. If this describes you, here are a few motivation tips that will help to keep you on your track to success.

Set some realistic goals

The first step towards your diet success is to set the right kind of goals. In case you happen to set goals that are unattainable for instance, losing thirty pounds in a period of a few months, you will be setting yourself for failure. In case you focus on your health as well as creating good eating strategies; you are more likely to stick with the diet. Therefore, you should set some small goals such as 5 pound; you will get the confidence to help you continue.

Go slow

In order to achieve success, you will need to your entire lifestyle. This is not something that can happen overnight. You will be in a better position to maintain the weight loss if you do it in a slow manner. If you are starving, you are likely to feel irritable and your chances of failure will be higher. 

Expect setbacks

There are times when we all fall into temptation. The danger is not that single splurge but making it an excuse for bringing all every day.

Avoid being a perfectionist

Having the mind of a perfectionist will get in the way of your success. Whenever you slip up, you need to get over it and think about tomorrow.

Use a buddy system

In case you will be swimming upstream alone; it will be difficult for you to make any meaningful lifestyle change. This is why you will need to find other people who have a similar goal and this will help to improve your odds of success.


If you want to find more information about the motivational tips for weight loss, you should get in touch with Muscle Prodigy.

The Best Full Body Strength Training Workout

As a beginner, you may be wondering which are the best full body strength trainings. You ask yourself what it took the great body-builders such as Jay Cutler or Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, what you should realize is that even these great men also started like you as no one was born with a 6 pack Abs And just like you they all had a desire to see an improvement and used resistance training to build their physique. However, they understood the important elements of full body strength training workout. Here are some of the important tips that you need to know before you get started.

Workout the major muscles

There are high chances that the main reason why you started lifting was to get that bigger chest & arms and strengthen your body for the sake of a particular sport. When you work out all the key muscle groups such as chest, shoulders, quads, hamstrings, biceps and triceps, it is possible to build that symmetrical physique. The complete training can help to hinder muscular imbalance that occurs when certain body parts are favored over others. Imbalance can cause serious injuries.

Practice of form first

You will find that most of the body movements suggested here may appear quite new to you. This can cause challenges when trying to coordinate them. However, this should not be a source of major concern as all you need to do is keep rehearsing and practising the movement pattern and in a short time, it will become part of you especially after gaining the strength and size.

Do several sets of each exercise

Decades of scientific research show that doing 3 or 4 sets of each exercise can help you to attain some maximum benefits. It is important to begin with a warm-up set or 2 of each movement before moving on to the weights that are more challenging. For more ideas on full body strength training, get in touch with Muscle Prodigy.