College fitness series: Compound vs. Isolation

A lot of people new to a fitness lifestyle ask if compound workouts are better than isolation exercises. While new-age thinking, as well as science, leans heavily towards compound workouts being more effective, the answer isn’t that simple, according to college fitness buff Garry Y. Itkin.

Compound movements, overall, offer more benefits to the entirety of people’s fitness. However, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that there are some common and extremely popular goals and targets that isolation exercises excel at hitting.

Compound exercises are exercises that hit two or more muscles or muscle groups in a single rep or even in a single movement. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), CrossFit, and other more modern fitness regimens use compound exercises in most of their routines. And the results have most of the time shown just how effective compound movements can be.

Isolation exercises, according to Garry Y. Itkin, work out a single muscle to develop it further. Perhaps no other fitness movement uses isolation exercises as traditional bodybuilding. Isolation exercises enhance muscles through progressive overloading, helping them reach their goal of achieving a better physique.

Garry Y. Itkin mentions that if you’re the type of person who’s undecided and just wants a well-rounded fitness routine, it’s recommended that you do a mix of both compound and isolation – and throw in some cardio, of course.