Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : January 6, 2015 7:09 PM IST
All weight training exercises are divided either into isolation exercises or compound exercises. Isolation exercises are those that work only one muscle or muscle group while compound exercises are those that work more than one muscle group. While compound exercises are great for people who want massive transformation since it burns more calories and works more muscles, isolation exercises are also necessary because they help you specifically target the various muscles like the biceps, triceps or calves.
Isolation exercises are great for those who have achieved a certain level of proficiency in weight training and are often performed with machines found commonly in most gyms. The main idea is to isolate one particular body part which can be done with machines like cable machine or pec machine (used to do curls for the chest). They also help target those muscles which don't get the maximum impact with compound ones. The most common example are the biceps since the compound exercises which target it like pull-ups don't do them justice. So the only way to get bigger biceps is though isolation exercises like biceps curls. The effective way to train therefore should include both isolation and compound exercises.
Some top isolation exercises include:
Dumbbell Chest Flyes (Muscles targeted: Chest)
Step 1: Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each arm. The palms of your arm will be inwards, facing one another.
Step 2: Hold the dumbbells perpendicular to your chest up with a slight bend in your elbow. This will be your starting position.
Step 3: Lower your arms on both sides creating a wide arc until you feel a slight stretch over your chest. Make sure your arms remain stationary while doing this and the movement is powered by the shoulder joint.
Step 4: Return to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and breathe out. This is one complete set. Hold this position for a second and repeat the desired the number of times.
Preacher curls (Muscles Targeted: Biceps)
The preacher curl is a great exercise to work your biceps. It can be done using dumbbells or an E-Z bar. Here's how you do it
Step 1: Position yourself on the preacher bench with a E-Z bar in your hands, your palm facing up. With your upper arms and chest positioned against the preacher bench pad, hold the bar at shoulder level. This will be your starting position.
Step 2: Inhale as you slowly lower the weight until your arm is almost fully extended. Exhale, using your biceps muscle to curl the weight back up until your arm is fully contracted at the starting position.
Step 3: Squeeze the biceps and hold for a brief moment at the contracted position to get the maximum benefit. Once you have completed the exercise with the left arm, do the same with the right.
Biceps Curl (Muscles Targeted: Biceps)
Step 1: Stand up straight holding a barbell with a shoulder-width grip. The palms of your hands should be facing away from your body and your elbows should be close to your torso. This will be your starting position.
Step 2: Exhale and curl the barbell upward by contracting your biceps. Be sure to keep your upper arms stationary; continue raising the barbell until it reaches shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief moment. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar to the starting position.
Standing calf raises (Muscles Targeted: Calf raises)
Step 1: Place your shoulders under the pads of a standing calf press machine and position your toes so that they are facing forward.
Step 2: Place the balls of your feet which is right below your toes on the platform while your heel shall be extending off it.
Step 3: Push lever up by extending your hips and knees until you can stand straight. This will be your starting position.
Step 4: Now exhale as you raise your heels by extending your ankles while flexing your calves. Hold this position for a moment and then slowly lower yourself back to your staring position.
Leg Extensions (Muscles Targeted: Quads)
Step 1: Choose your weight and sit on a leg extension machine with your legs under the pad, your hands holding the sidebars. This will be your starting position.
Step 2: Make sure your legs form a 90-degree angle between the lower and upper leg. Using your quadriceps, exhale and extend your legs while the rest of your body remains stationary on the seat.
Step 3: Pause a second in the contracted position, then inhale as you slowly lower the weight back to the original position, stopping right before the weight load touches the weight stack.
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You could also try out these exercises for specific body parts:
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