One of the big factors that many talk about when looking for the right ways to gain weight and build muscle is the type of exercises selected for each muscle group.
Exercises such as the bench press (for the pecs), squats (for the quads), the deadlift (for the back), military presses (for the shoulders), and incline bar rows (for the lats) have the longer amount of time. they have been praised as the leading “mass builders”.
Everyone says that if you want to build the most muscle in the shortest amount of time, focus on these compound exercises in your exercise routine.
To be clear, a compound exercise is any exercise that forces more than one muscle group to work.
For example, the bench press, which everyone thinks is hands down the best move to build a thick chest, is considered a compound exercise because not only does the chest have to work, but the shoulders and triceps come into play. largely as well.
A compound exercise would be considered different from an isolation exercise, which only uses 1 muscle group for movement.
An example of an isolation movement would be the flyes, which work the chest almost exclusively.
Now, this is where the myth begins that “compound exercises are the best muscle builders for gaining weight and muscle” …
When you compare the amount of weight you can lift with a compound exercise and an isolation exercise, there is almost no comparison.
You can lift much more weight with a compound exercise than with an isolation exercise.
So everyone seems to be reasoning, “Hey, if I can lift 250 pounds when I bench press, instead of 90 pounds with flyes, then because I’m lifting a lot more weight on the bench press, I must be building more muscle! ! “. !! “.
Sorry to be the bearer of the truth, but that’s not how it works.
You can certainly lift a lot more weight with a compound exercise. But why is that?
Because with a compound exercise you have 2-3 different muscle groups, sometimes more, all helping to lift weights.
Of course you are going to lift more, since with an isolation exercise you are only using 1 group of muscles.
But this is where the reality of the situation comes into play …
Following the example of the bench press: 9 times out of 10 if you are doing the bench press it is because you are trying to build a bigger chest.
Well, keep in mind that of the total amount of weight you may be lifting, the muscles that do the most work are the
triceps, then shoulders, … then, and only then, does the chest enter the picture.
Your chest isn’t doing half the work, regardless of what it takes to bench press, how well you do that exercise, and how well you focus on your pecs.
Now, consider the flies, the chest isolation exercise.
With flyes, the chest is forced to do more than 90% of the work! Almost all for her little self.
You will focus more tension and work your chest muscles with an isolation exercise, such as flyes, and then with any compound exercise, such as the bench press, and as a result, you will stimulate more muscles.
Just because you can lift more weight overall with a compound exercise than an isolation exercise, don’t let your ego or overall numbers get in the way of doing the right thing to help you build and gain muscle weight.
Have you ever noticed that there are some people who can bench press a ton of weight, but have almost no chest to show for it?
Have you ever observed someone who can squat in a house, but when you look at their thighs / quads, you would never think that person exercises?
Have you ever seen all these people who love to do benches, who have huge shoulders and triceps and yet have flat chests?
Prove my point.
Sure, you may not be able to lift as much weight with an isolation exercise, but you will build bigger muscles.
Who cares how much you can lift. Let’s be honest. What matters most is how muscular, defined and big we look.
Copyright (c) 2006 Jonathan Perez
