Not all exercises are created equal...sure, you knew that!
But in your quest to build some serious muscle, you'll need to fire up as many muscle
fibers as possible to stimulate the kind of deep growth you're looking for. And
for this mission, you have a strong ally in compound exercises.
Compound vs. Isolation Exercises
First some quick clarification...compound exercises move the body through more than
one joint movement, while isolation exercises only move the body through a single-joint
movement.
Probably the best exercise to demonstrate the difference is the barbell squat. This
"king" of all compound exercises moves your body using a majority of your
muscle groups and bends you at your ankles, knees, waist, hips, and to some degree,
even your shoulders.
Compare this to an isolation exercise such as leg extensions, which only moves your
body by bending one joint...the knee.
So which is better?
To provide complete muscle fiber stimulation, you should take advantage of the benefits
of both types of exercises. However, if you're main goal is to build muscle, you
should use compound exercises as the main focal point of your weight training program
and bring in complimentary isolation exercises to supplement the "big movers".
Compound exercises allow you to lift heavier weights and work more muscle groups
at the same time than isolation exercises. This saves you precious time in the gym
while stimulating the maximum amount of muscle fibers.
In addition, compound exercises, due to the increased amount of muscle used for
the movements, are better at sending your endocrine system a "distress call"
to pump out more anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone.
Here's a list of the most powerful mass-building compound exercises to build into
the core of your bodybuilding program:
Shoulders: Military Press, Hang Clean and Press, Arnold Press
Arms: Close-Grip Chin-Up (w/palms facing toward your face), Dips, Close-Grip Pushup,
Twisting Dumbbell Curl
Legs: Barbell Squat, Deadlift, Lunges
Back: Chin-Up, Pull-Down, Deadlift, Row
Chest: Push-Up, Dips, Bench Press