Torre Washington
Compound exercises vs isolation exercises – which is better?
Building muscle requires consistency and repetition, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix up your training. People regularly ask me “Is it better to isolate muscle groups or should I be doing exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once?”
My answer: there’s a reason my Centr workouts include a mix of compound and isolation exercises. Not only will it give you a fresh challenge, it will help get you to your goal fast.
What is a compound exercise?
A compound exercise is a multi-joint movement that works several muscles at one time – like a squat, which moves both your hip and knee joints and engages your core, glutes, quads, hamstrings and calf muscles.
What is an isolation exercise?
Isolation exercises target one specific muscle group – like a barbell curl working your biceps. Targeted muscle-building workouts workouts designed to strengthen and define one area are often made up of isolation exercises, like these upper-body cable exercises.
There’s a lot of debate about which – compound lifts vs isolation – is best for muscle building, but here’s why you need both in your training.
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Compound: The foundation of your power
If you’re a beginner, compound exercises help you build a foundation quicker by giving you more for the time and effort you put in. They help you lift heavier loads and build more strength overall. Let's talk benefits.
1. Compound exercises save you time.
Think about exercises like squats, clean and press, push-ups, and pull-ups – you could incorporate just two of those exercises into a workout, do 10-12 reps in five sets, and have a great full-body workout because you're utilizing the multiple joint movements. To hit all of those muscle groups one by one would take much longer.
2. Compound exercises are super effective.
The more muscles you engage, the more testosterone your body releases. More testosterone means you’re capable of more muscle growth. Think of a squat, where you’re balancing the barbell on your traps. You’re using your torso and core and you're engaging your shoulders, legs, glutes and stabilizer muscles to balance that weight as you bring it down and up. So that compound movement increases your growth factor, allowing your body to really build up power and strength.
3. Compound exercises increase your functional fitness.
You’re doing compound movements every day: reaching up to get something off the top shelf, squatting down to pat your dog. Adding functional exercises to your training will help you move easier through life. Plus, getting all-over strong will help you lift more weight in isolation.
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What are the best compound lifts?
Here are a few of the compound moves that every muscle builder needs in their tool box.
Squats: Squats are THE foundational strength exercise that every muscle builder needs to master. Get your squats down and you’ll build strength in your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, while also working your core and the rest of your posterior chain. This will not only give your workouts a power boost, you’ll feel the benefits of balance and mobility in your everyday actions.
Deadlifts: A well-executed deadlift engages multiple muscle groups to work your whole body. Your quads, hamstrings and glutes drive this movement, but they also work your core, lats and back muscles. Picture lowering your body to lift up a heavy box, and you can see how a deadlift is a highly functional movement that will help you in everyday life.
Bench press: An upper-body essential, a bench press will work your chest, shoulders and triceps. While there’s a limit to how hard you can make a push-up, the bench press allows you to keep stacking on weight and making progress indefinitely.
Pull-ups: While a bench press will cover your ‘pushing’ strength, a pull-up will work the muscles essential for ‘pulling’ motions (you might have figured that out from the name). Hit your lats, shoulders and back, with bonus action for your core as you work to stop from swaying and keeping your body rigid.
Isolation exercises: Your muscle-building accomplice
Isolation exercises still have an important part to play in a well-balanced muscle-building regimen. That’s why I added cable machine moves to my workouts to help you target specific areas and make use of that fancy gym equipment. So, why should you do isolation exercises as well?
1. Isolation exercises help target spots you might have missed.
Some muscles need isolated exercises. For example, the bicep is used in a lot of pulling movements – think rows and pull-ups – but as a secondary or supporting muscle rather than the primary one. There isn't a compound exercise that can really target the bicep on its own.
2. Isolation exercises keep you active all over.
If injury strikes or your muscles need time to recover from a tough workout, isolation exercises allow you to work on individual muscles while avoiding those that are overworked or injured.
3. Isolation exercises are perfect for fixing imbalances.
We’ve all got one – whether it’s biceps that won’t bulge or pecs that won’t grow. Isolation training lets you zero in on a muscle and bring it up to speed. My cable machine workouts on Centr will help to connect mind and muscle so you can sharpen and fine-tune.
Common questions about compound vs isolation workouts
Still have questions? Let’s get you up to speed so you can start getting results.
Compound vs isolation exercises – what’s the difference?
Compound exercises are multi-joint movements working multiple muscles at one time. Isolation exercises, on the other hand, target a specific muscle.
What are some examples of compound lifts?
Some of the best compound exercises include:
Squats
Deadlifts
Dips
Bent-over rows
Pull-ups
What are some examples of isolation exercises?
Depending on the muscle you’re targeting, some of the best isolation lifts include:
Bicep curls
Tricep extensions
Dumbbell fly
Calf raises
Leg extensions
What happens if I only do compound exercises?
Let me assure you that nothing bad will happen. Done right, compound movements can still help you achieve your fitness goals, and you will have a good level of overall strength.
That said, isolation exercises can help you drill down on certain muscles. This is why I’m a big proponent of doing a mix of both for optimal total-body results.
Are their negatives to doing compound exercises?
There are a whole lot more pros than cons when it comes to compound exercises. What I will tell you is that compound exercises usually involve a bit more technique – getting your form right is really important. Incorrect form could lead to injury, especially if you increase weight too quickly.
Keep it light until you get your form right, then increase weight in small increments.
What happens if I only do isolation exercises?
If you’re only performing isolation moves, you’re going to find that you need to do a whole lot of exercises to get a comprehensive workout in. That’s not going to make for a time-efficient gym session.
Are their negatives to isolation exercises?
We’ve talked about the benefits of isolation exercises for targeting smaller muscles, continuing to train when injured and addressing strength imbalances. However, if you get too caught up in doing isolation exercises you could possibly create a muscle imbalance or even overcorrect an existing imbalance. As they say: all good things in moderation.
Should I do more sets for compound or isolation exercises?
My advice: in general, aim to do more sets for compound movements vs isolation when training. You’ll work more muscles in a shorter span of time, boost lifting power and increase functional strength and mobility.
Can you build muscle with only isolation exercises?
Yes you can, but as mentioned before, it will take you a lot longer and will be extremely inefficient. As much as I love hitting the gym, I do not want to spend all day in there!
I want to build my biceps fast. Can I do compound bicep exercises?
The classic bicep curl is an isolation exercise. However, there are compound exercises that activate your biceps alongside other muscle groups, including pull-ups, bent-over rows and reverse-grip lat pulldowns.
If you want to beef up a bicep set, you can also add other moves onto a curl to create a combination exercise – for instance a bicep curl + press or lateral lunge + hammer curl.
Looking for more muscle-building advice from the Centr experts?
Torre Washington
MUSCLE-BUILDING • MEDITATION
Vegan bodybuilder Torre Washington is a championship-winning IFBB Pro and NASM Certified Coach in physique. Having followed his dream of sculpting a body like the comic book superheroes he grew up idolizing, Torre is our resident muscle-building expert, offering tutorials, full-gym workouts and at-home alternatives to ensure you don’t miss a muscle.
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