Single muscle group isolation is one of my least preferred forms of exercise, period. Sure, there are instances where it's appropriate and should be done, but many times one can accomplish more by altering the exercise to recruit more muscle groups.
This week, we'll dive into the benefits of multi-joint training, and I'll introduce an exercise that demonstrates this concept.
Back in the day, single-joint isolation exercise was all the rage. Movements such as single arm bicep curls, calf raises and seated leg extensions ruled the era and became the "go-to" technique for people serious about building muscle mass.
There's also plenty of research suggesting that single-joint isolation exercises are effective because they are easy to do in a research lab. Exercise physiology scientists can attach electrodes to a specific muscle group, isolate that muscle group with a single-joint exercise and record the results. By all accounts, these exercises are effective at producing muscular strength and size improvements.
I'm certainly not advocating that this type of training is ineffective. If someone has 45 minutes to perform a comprehensive strength training routine using nothing but single-joint exercises, I say, "Knock yourself out." I prefer my workouts to produce higher heart rates and challenge many muscle groups in a short amount of time.
Efficiency is powerful in all areas of life, and workouts shouldn't be any different.
Multi-joint exercises allow the user to challenge many muscle groups with one big movement. Heart rate increases, respiration rate increases, and the exerciser focuses on big movement patterns rather than small isolation exercises. As a result, the workout naturally becomes more efficient as many muscle groups are firing at once. It's also a more natural way of training, as multi-joint exercises tend to mimic daily activity patterns that can translate into a personalized workout.
Exercises like the barbell clean and squat press are great examples of multi-joint movements that require the coordination of upper body muscles and lower body muscles to perform correctly. Such exercises set the standard for multi-joint training, but it's also possible to simply combine two or more single-joint exercises into one movement.
This week's exercise is a great example of that. The Kettlebell Arm Blast combines the bicep curl, overhead press and triceps extension into one continuous movement that increases efficiency, challenges the core and provides the challenge of controlling resistance across multiple planes.
1. Select a medium-weight kettlebell and kneel with both knees on the floor.
2. Hold the kettlebell with both hands, arms outstretched toward the floor while you're in kneeling.
3. Perform a curl by flexing the elbows.
4. As you reach the top of this movement (the kettlebell should be in front of your face), press the kettlebell up over your head by extending both arms.
5. With the arms fully extended, perform an overhead tricep press by bending the elbows and allowing the kettlebell to lower behind your head.
6. Press the kettlebell back up, then reverse the entire movement and go back into the curl.
7. Perform two sets of 12.
The Kettlebell Arm Blast takes a few attempts to get the hang of it, but it's awesome once you do. The cool thing is, the biceps get a little rest as you perform the triceps extension and vice versa. So there's a little built-in recovery as different parts of the movement are performed. I enjoy it, and I think you will too.
Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
vballtop@aol.com
Style on 11/11/2019