Isometric or compound lifting???

[Russell]

Right then...

Who likes what and why. Ive seen some forums get pretty messy over this one before.

Personally I do 6weeks isometric then 2weeks compound.

[Aodhan]

Right then...

Who likes what and why. Ive seen some forums get pretty messy over this one before.

Personally I do 6weeks isometric then 2weeks compound.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by isometric and compound?

As I understand it, isometric exercise/contraction is muscle contraction against an immovable force, and has been shown to have limited gains in muscular strength, and almost any lifting exercise is compound, since it is very difficult to actually isolate one single muscle.

Aodhan

[Russell]

For pecks - Isometric would be machine fly, standing up.

compound would be bench press.

biceps - Iso, prone incline cable curl.

Comp, standing bi curl, or lat pull down.

the main one legs...

Iso, calf raises, quad extentions, ham curls, tib ant curl, glute puck backs.

Comp, squats.

I am a fan of both types of training, but tend to do more iso workouts cos I can pick and choose what I want to work on a particular day. I also seem to get back pains when I deadlift (muscular on spinal) so Id rather work core seperatly.

What is better for strength?

[Aodhan]

For pecks - Isometric would be machine fly, standing up.

compound would be bench press.

biceps - Iso, prone incline cable curl.

Comp, standing bi curl, or lat pull down.

the main one legs...

Iso, calf raises, quad extentions, ham curls, tib ant curl, glute puck backs.

Comp, squats.

I am a fan of both types of training, but tend to do more iso workouts cos I can pick and choose what I want to work on a particular day. I also seem to get back pains when I deadlift (muscular on spinal) so Id rather work core seperatly.

What is better for strength?

For overall general strength, movements that incorporate more muscles, the better, so gross movements such as squats, deadlifts, presses, etc. have more strength gains in general, although this is another hotly debated topic.

Also, you are confused on your terms. Isometric means without movement, such as if you pushed against a brick wall. Isotonic is the type of exercise that you are referring to, with movement against resistance.

Aodhan

[Russell]

Thanks for your scooling Aodhan. Im not sure why we call it isometric. In the UK every1 says Isometric.

I was just wondering why Compound exersises are better for strength gains. If you or anyone has any scientific back ground in to it I'd be very interested. I was under the impression that "Isotonic" was best as you can train each muscle seperatly and to its full potential. Rather than in compound when the more powerfull muscles take on the most of the load stopping other muscles form being worked.

Im not saying its ture, its just what I thought was True.

[Aodhan]

Thanks for your scooling Aodhan. Im not sure why we call it isometric. In the UK every1 says Isometric.

I was just wondering why Compound exersises are better for strength gains. If you or anyone has any scientific back ground in to it I'd be very interested. I was under the impression that "Isotonic" was best as you can train each muscle seperatly and to its full potential. Rather than in compound when the more powerfull muscles take on the most of the load stopping other muscles form being worked.

Im not saying its ture, its just what I thought was True.

Maybe because you're on the metric system? :D

If you want empirical proof, just look at the powerlifters. I see no powerlifters that look like bodybuilders. Most of the time they look like overweight pudges, but they have massive amounts of strength, and they do very few isolation exercises.

And, when the more powerful muscles take on the load, the other muscles are still working, just not as hard. And, when the large muscles start to fail, then the secondary muscles start doing more and more of the work.

You can do a google search on strength training, and see how it differs from bodybuilding.

Aodhan

[Russell]

Ok cool, thanks for ur input, Im gonna try pushing it to 50% compound and 50% Isometric. I got 3weeks left on my current program, I'm testing it out for a gym instructor friend of mine.

[Radok]

It seems to me that you are talking isolation vs compound movements. Isolation is one muscle at a time, compound is more than one. There really is no use for isolation exercises, I do all compounds. They build more strength and mass.