Tweak My Workout Routine and...

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: presidentender

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Bold part is not quite right. Unless you isolate nearly every muscle group, that won't be the case.

Which is why you isolate nearly every muscle group.

Edit: you're right about rows being good for rotator cuff. They engage the posterior deltoids, which are tough to isolate. However, I know for a fact that light laterals are assigned as beginning PT in some cases (a buddy of mine has shoulders which have been known to pop out after a vigorous sneeze. Makes me grateful for my problems). All the other stuff you listed is valid as well. Still no reason that type of work can't be part of a BB program.

It's not a lateral raise (or at least it shouldn't be). It's a balance between lateral and ventral. It's more like a diagonal, and those are with inverted thumbs to isolate rotator cuffs. It is a very different lift than lateral raises since it is pretty much a compound of that movement.

And isolating every muscle just sounds terribly inefficient. Why isolate when you can pound them all out in one motion? I think you're just playing devil's advocate now

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

BB squats would be a better choice since you can go heavier much easier. DB lunges are a fairly good idea though, but aren't really necessary if you squat 3x a week.

Of course if he has a barbell BB squats are far superior to DB squats, but I was under the impression that he only had access to dumbbells. I'd say lunges would become more important for a full leg workout when you are limited to only what you can to with DBs.

Fair enough

 

[gramboh]

I don't see how doing a bunch of isolation work as a novice will prepare you for safer compound lifting. The problem is, the compound lift is exactly what it is called, a large movement involving a large group of muscles/ligaments through space. If the muscles are trained in isolation in short specific movement patterns, how will they be stronger when it comes time to do the compound movement? I think starting light (as in with the bar, on all exercises) with compound lifts is the way to go for novices.

 

[presidentender]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
And isolating every muscle just sounds terribly inefficient. Why isolate when you can pound them all out in one motion? I think you're just playing devil's advocate now

Because you can't, not quite. Bench press and OH press are great exercises, but they both hit your anterior delts much more than your medial delts (which results in the unappealing appearance I'm sure you've seen).

Let me reiterate: the idea for the beginning lifter is to progress to the point where he can choose whatever workout he wants later. Isolation exercises and compound exercises with light weight will bring everything up to balance quickly and with a smaller chance of injury than large compound lifts with heavier weights.

You're right, though. This does take more time. It also doesn't result in increased poundages on specific compound lifts as quickly.

Originally posted by: gramboh
I don't see how doing a bunch of isolation work as a novice will prepare you for safer compound lifting. The problem is, the compound lift is exactly what it is called, a large movement involving a large group of muscles/ligaments through space. If the muscles are trained in isolation in short specific movement patterns, how will they be stronger when it comes time to do the compound movement? I think starting light (as in with the bar, on all exercises) with compound lifts is the way to go for novices.

I don't advocate cutting compound lifts out completely, far from it. Any bodybuilder who doesn't squat, bench, and deadlift (and row, and overhead press...) isn't a bodybuilder, he's a moron or a douchebag. However, adding strength to the muscles and ligaments results in stronger muscles and ligaments just the way that large compound lifts do. What you don't get from isolation exercises is muscle memory regarding form. That's a big part of why big lifts are important, even for beginners.