5 Benefits of Isolation Exercises

With so many ways to exercise nowadays, it’s important to get back to the basics every so often. Isolation exercises are some of the most basic and simple exercises because they selectively isolate one muscle group at a time, allowing you to put your complete focus, attention, and effort into them. 

Today we’re exploring five benefits of isolated exercises. 

1 | Focus on form

One of the benefits of isolation exercises is that you solely focus on one specific muscle area at a time. You can allow isolation exercises to act as a type of meditation; find focus and power through your body’s movement and hone in on the proper form. 

When doing things quickly and focusing on multiple areas of the body, muscles can build and strengthen faster, however, proper form can also be overlooked. This is where isolated exercise can be beneficial. As you focus on a specific area in your body, you’ll notice where your form can be improved and where other muscles may have been overcompensating. We recommend finding a video demonstration online or working with a trained fitness or health professional who can help you correct your form. 

2 | Zero in on a specific muscle group

If you’re trying to build and focus on a single muscle group, isolation exercise will be your best friend. When it comes to isolating one exact muscle, isolation exercises give you more control than compound exercises would.

3 | Correct post-injury muscle imbalance

Isolation moves and exercises are commonly used during physical therapy to help people regain strength in a part of their body that is lagging behind the rest. For example, if you break your wrist and have a cast for six weeks, your wrist and arm muscles will be weak compared to the rest of your body. Isolation workouts designed to strengthen the weak arm, such as bicep curls or wrist circles, can help bring the wrist back up to par with everything else. 

4 | Revitalize balance and harmony within the body 

When every muscle in your body is aligned and balanced with everything else, you’ll feel your absolute best! This looks different for everyone since we all have individual and unique physical builds. Understanding how your body works, what it does every day, and having health-related goals you want to strive for can help you best structure your workout routine and lifestyle. 

This is why it is important to be mindful of how the muscle group you’re focusing on works in whole with the entire body. When you overdo muscle isolation exercises, you run the risk of over strengthening some parts of your body while neglecting others, which could have the opposite intended effect and lead to new body imbalances. 

 

 

5 | Reduce required downtime between workouts

When it comes to isolation exercise, you can use the “rotation method” to help reduce the downtime required between workout sessions. When you work your muscles to their max, you must rest and recover before you work the same muscle again. If you don’t factor rest and recovery days into your routine, you’re at higher risk for injury. Listening to your body’s needs will help you become fit in the safest and healthiest way. 

The “rotation method” reduces your required downtime because you can rotate between which muscle group you work each day, giving the muscles that need their rest the space to do so. Therefore, you don’t need to worry as much about injuring or overworking a recovering muscle because you won’t be strengthening it even though you still go to the gym. This can be a great method for someone who loves consistency and needs a routine in order to get themselves regularly to the gym.

Many strength training machines are designed with isolation exercises in mind and can help you isolate your muscle groups more easily. Visit a Chuze Fitness near you to check out the many machines and equipment we have to help you succeed in your fitness journey.