isolation only???

[straightbulkin]

i have just completed a 16 week GVT program and i was wondering if anyone has done an isolation only training program before and how effective it was.
one of my only concerns is that i will not grow any new muscle but just get more defined, which sounds kinda dumb but im just not sure. what if i did heavy iso exercises and one compound??? would this be effective??? has anyone tried this???

i just have not heard or read anything on this before, if anyone has any links or feedback that would be appreciated.

SB

[straightbulkin]

bump, anyone

[Crazy_enough]

Whats ur goal???

Ive made very decent gains on a program that looked kinda like this (chest as an example)

5 X 5 BB pressing (flat, incl or decl. rotating with workouts)
4 X 12 (or failure) on 2 different isolation moves.

[SLICK]

I will tell you that I train that way almost all the time anymore. Adding to much weight for me has cause some serious issues I have with some past injuries and current ones I am trying to avoid! I will throw in a heavier week about once a month. But my main training program that I have been doing for awhile is isolation. Concentrating more on the muscle that I am working out and the perfect posture of the lift. I have had great gains from this. Due to injuries (LIKE I SAID) I have almost thrown the super heavy lifts out completly! i also do some higher reps with lighter weight. But my motion of every lift is very slow and concentrated.

I like it! And I will keep doing it! Maybe throw in a heavier week once a month. Cut reps way down. and still try to use your isolation method.

[straightbulkin]

thanks alot for the responses, ill give that a try with the one heavy week per month.

i have been lookin into 5x5's aswell.
ill keep you guys posted asto how it goes.

[nextBIGone]

isolation is good & all, but if you want size...go for the heavy compound lifts. I do what SLICK does except I do one isolation week out of the month...so its completely opposite.

[cole617]

When you say "isolation" do you mean using lighter weight & concentrating ont he squeeze & the negative? Or, Do you mean using only "isolation exercises" (like flyes in lieu of Bench press)?
First let me say that total isolation isn't a possibility; Muscles don't work that way. Even your antagonistic muscle comes into play for stabalization. (Back for chest,etc..)
If you mean only doing isolation-type exercises, I don't think this is an effective program at all. I think you won't be able to generate the type of intensity neccesary to build or maybe even maintain muscle tissue with this.
If you mean lightening up the weight & focusing on the mind, muscle connection (I will post a thread on this later)- I think that can be a great Idea. Alot of us , BBrs, get caught up in ego-lifting, that ends up being almost a powerlifting routine & we risk our joints in the process. As has been proved a million times over, The negative -eccentric- portion of the movement stimulates more growth than the concentric portion; At the same time, explosive concentric portions cause sick amounts of muscle hypertrophy. You want to lower the weight, get better gains & stay safe ? Try this:
(Using Bench press as example)

Lower the bar under control, taking about 2-3 seconds & explode up, like you are lifting a car off of you- but be sure to not lock the elbows. Repeat for reps...

I am a big fan of pyramiding & will post a seperate thread on the whys & hows regarding that. I woul dpyramid this routine (I do actually) as well; Reps down & weight up, usinf your heaviest weight only for one set. ( then using rest pause, full negatives, or drop sets to go beyong failure & get things really growin'!)
This is the only way I do my exercises now, it is truly effective.

LMK how you do if you try it.

cole617

[cole617]

Another way to ge things intense without lifting the whole gym is to use "Giant sets":
That is 3 (or more) exercises for the same bodypart done with no rest in superset fashion. I train MOST of my clients this way & they get great results. I use it alot when cutting, and let me tell you- it burns a shitload of calories. Make sure to start with your most compound movement & use more single -joint and/or machine/cable exercises towards the end of the circuit (for the lack of a better word)

Chest:

Incline DB press (12-15 reps ..about 1 rep shy of failure)
Wide chest hammer press (same rep scheme)
Flat flyes (same rep scheme)
Low cable crossovers or dips (same rep scheme)
ABS (leg raises & swiss ball crunches)
Static strteching/ballistic stretching

REPEAT- HEAVIER, then repeat again even HEAVIER!

Do this 3x & you are done....

[Parth]

What were your results on the GVT?