Anyone who has ever been to a gym once asked himself the question: What is the best exercise for an effective training ?
The goal here is not to choose and train with the best one, but to realize what makes an exercise effective.
Certainly each muscle group corresponds to a number of exercises. However, if we had to do an analysis of the different exercises, we could categorize them into basic and isolation exercises.
What are generally considered as basic exercises are also called multi-articular exercises. They often work a good part of the body and also put the heart function to work. These are the most effective exercises for gaining muscle volume or strength. These are the exercises you need to master when you start bodybuilding, they work with several muscles and are more tiring. They are also more effective because by working the big muscles, they also ask the help of the small neighboring muscles and develop more completely the requested body part. In addition, these movements cause bigger stress on the muscles and produce greater release of anabolic hormones.
These are, for example, the squats, bench press, incline, push-ups, deadlift ... and more ...
One could also say that basic exercises save time because they allow you to work several muscles at the same time in one exercise, where normally you would have to work with several insulation exercises.
The basic exercises allow a harmonious development of the body as they work all the muscles, including the small associated muscles. Of course, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so the development of some body parts may be lagging behind ... or be in advance, depending on everyone's predisposition.
This is why the isolation exercises exist. If you have a part that does not develop in the same way as the rest of the body, you can use this type of exercise to try to correct this lack. This is not the basis of a program, but an association with basic exercises in obtaining a harmonious development.
In conclusion, work on your basic exercises first, and use the insulation exercises at the end. If you have to build a program, do something coherent, related to your body and its development, not a program found on the internet that has nothing to do with your personal predisposition. And if you have to remove all the exercises and keep only one, let it surely be the squats! They work of course the thighs, but also the buttocks, the ischios, the calves, the lower back, the arms, the forearms, the abs and the back......
Yves Bondroit coach for QNT