Fitness Friday * Compound vs isolation exercises

You may have heard about compound exercises or functional exercises, and how they're supposed to be more beneficial than isolated exercises. But what does it all mean?

Compound exercises (or functional exercises) refers to exercise that simulates real-life activities and uses a wide variety of movements through a wide range of motion. They use multi-joint movements that work several muscles or muscle groups at one time, for example, squats engage the quadriceps (front of thigh), the hamstrings (back of thigh), the calves, the glutes (butt), the lower back and the core.

Isolation exercises work only one muscle or muscle group and only one joint at a time, for example, a bicep curl or the quadricep extension. These exercises are often done with weight machines, which can isolate one muscle group easily. Isolation exercises are frequently used in physical therapy to correct a specific muscle weakness or imbalance that often occurs after injury, illness, surgery or disease.

There are times when isolation exercise is exactly the right thing to do to regain fitness. Most of the time, however, you'll benefit from compound exercises more. Fill your workout with squats, lunges, pushups, dips, pullups, and jumping rope. (And, you know, dance. Because it's fun, and it uses a lot of muscle groups.)