Isolation training is an exercise approach where movements target just one specific muscle group or area. This differs from compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses that engage multiple muscle groups at the same time.
While compound lifts are crucial for building overall size and strength, isolation exercises offer targeted benefits:
- Hypertrophy: Grow and develop the shape of specific muscles
- Fix muscle imbalances: Smooth out strength differences
- Rehab injuries: Gradually rebuild tissue stability
In contrast with compound movements that require full-body tension and coordination, isolation moves let you truly focus on one muscle area:
| Isolation Training | Compound Training |
|---|---|
| Single muscle group | Full-body engagement |
| Target area directly | Multiple joints involved |
| Concentration on mind-muscle connection | Balance and coordination |
The list of muscles that can be isolated is extensive. The most common groups targeted with isolation exercises include:
- Legs: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves
- Back: Lats, Rhomboids, Lower Traps
- Chest: Pecs
- Shoulders: Front, Side, and Rear Delts
- Arms: Biceps, Triceps, Forearms
- Core: Rectus Abdominis, Obliques
By fully stretching and contracting these muscle groups with focused exercise and mind-muscle connection, you stimulate growth directly.
Isolation training enhances compound lifts and general programming for sports, aesthetics, and health. Just don’t make it the whole program!
Integrating specific isolation work for lagging groups makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. You shore up weak links.
The next sections will cover the top isolation moves for every major muscle along with how to create integrated training routines.
The Top 121+ Isolation Exercises and How to Do Them
Now that you know the principles and benefits of isolation training, let’s get into the top exercises to perform.
Having a comprehensive database of isolation options lets you tailor programs to target weak points or muscle groups you want to prioritize.
We’ll structure the movements across lower body, upper body, and core groups:
| Lower Body | Upper Body | Core |
|---|---|---|
| Quads | Back | Rectus Abdominis |
| Hamstrings | Chest | Obliques |
| Glutes | Shoulders | |
| Calves | Biceps | |
| Triceps | ||
| Forearms |
The full list contains 121+ isolation exercises in total across all of these major muscle groups.
Having a deep and diverse pool prevents plateaus. You can rotate new movements in every 4-6 weeks to keep providing novel stimulus.
For example, the lying leg curl and Nordic hamstring curl both target the hamstrings. But the stimuli differ – the leg curl emphasizes the lateral hamstring while the Nordic curl engages the medial hamstring more.
Small differences of angles, equipment, and form add up!
This comprehensive list gives you endless programming and progression options.
Lower Body
Alright my friends, time to focus on that lower half and get sculpted glutes, quads, hammies, and calves! I’ll break down the best moves for each major area.
Quads
You can’t skip leg day if you want to build an impressive set of quads! They make up the bulk of size in your upper legs. Hitting them from different angles is key for full development. My top picks:
High Bar Squats
These are technically a compound movement, but with the right bar placement and stance you can absolutely isolate your quads! Keep the bar high on your traps and your stance narrow.
Leg Press
Don’t worry if you aren’t comfortable with squats! You can get similar results with a leg press. If you really want to fire up those quads then keep a narrow stance for leg press as well.
Front Squat
If you want to target quads even more effectively with a squat variation, try front squats. Quads are the primary muscle used when squatting this way.
To really burn those quads, pause at the bottom and keep a slow descent.
Bulgarian Split Squat
This is another one of those compound moves that just really works one muscle group well. It’s a quad crusher! Add weight by holding a dumbbell or using a smith machine.
Hack Squat
Just like the leg press above, keep your stance narrow to really target the quads with the hack squat machine.
Leg Extension
Finally! One of the true isolation movements.
This is one of the best isolation exercises to use for quads. Most likely the best.
Sissy Squat
These are one of my absolute favorites for destroying quads if you have the right equipement! But, even if you don’t they are a fantastic way to finish a quad session.
You can duplicate this movement using a smith machine bar behind the calves if you are feeling dangerous, or do traditional sissy squats.
Make sure to control the movements – no half-reps! Really squeeze those quads on each rep.
Hamstrings
A strong set of hamstrings balances out the thighs and prevents injury. You need them to bend the knee and extend the hip. I recommend hammering them with:
Leg Curl
There are tons of variations for leg curls! Seated, standing, and prone with all different types of machines. These can be done together or unilaterally, and they are generally considered the best hamstring isolation movement you can have in your fitness routine.
Nordic Curls
If you have limited equipment or really want to target your hammies in a different way try these! If you can’t quite do them yet use a mobility stick or something similar to help hold up your weight.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curls
Another great option if you have limited equipment or as a finisher to a hamstring/leg day.
Romanian Deadlift
This is actually one of the best compound exercises there is for total body strength, but it needed to be included for its ability to hit hamstrings so well. Since this article isn’t about the benefits of compound movements I’ll move right along.
Glute Ham Raise
The glute ham raise is very similar to a Nordic curl but it has it’s own unique piece of equipment. If you really want to feel your hammies burn, make sure this is in your workout program.
Single-Leg Deadlift
Perform this exercise using a kettlebell or dumbbell. Hold it opposite of the hamstring you are wanting to target, then switch for the opposite leg.
Resistance Band Leg Curl
This is another great option if you don’t have a leg curl machine to use. You can perform the movement anywhere that you can attach a band. Target one hamstring by wrapping the band below your calf muscle on one leg, or target both by getting both in the band.
If you don’t want to use a band, you can do a similar movement using a dumbbell and elevating your body on a bench. Just grip the dumbbell between your feet.
Eccentric Hamstring Curl
This movement uses any leg curl machine, but deserves to be its own exercise. It’s a great way to overload the hamstrings. Just be sure to take the eccentric part slow!
Have a training partner and want to overload both hammies at the same time? Have your partner help lift the weight, then lower it slowly with both legs rather than using just one side of your body.
Good Morning
This is another one of those movements that is technically a compound movement. However, it does target one muscle really well, so it still made the list.
Focus on feeling them stretch on each rep. Time under tension builds them babies up.
Glutes
Alright, be honest – who doesn’t want a badonkadonk booty?! The glutes are key for power and preventing back issues. You gotta train them directly with moves like:
Barbell Hip Thrust
Although this movement does also hit your hamstrings, it’s one of the best ways to stimulate your glutes. There is a specialized piece of equipment you can use for these, or you can simply use a barbell and a flat bench.
Weighted Walking Lunge
I’m sure you saw lunges earlier, but this variation deserves to be on the glutes list. It just happens to target that particular muscle better even while using the same movement pattern. All you need is a barbell or dumbbells.
Cable Pull-Through
Don’t have a way to do hip thrusts? Don’t worry! This movement is a great way to still target those glutes.
Machine Glute Kickback
This is another specialized piece of equipment that can be found in most commercial gyms. It’s a great way to directly work that specific area. These machine come in a wide variety, so if you don’t see one at your gym it’s worth asking if they have one. It just may look different than you expected.
Glute Bridge
If you don’t have much equipement to work with or you simply want to get a glute workout in on the go this is a great option. However, it can also be done with a barbell for even more muscle growth.
Quadruped Hip Extension
This is another great way to target glutes at home. Add more resistance by using ankle weights or a band around your foot!
Kettlebell Swing
These are a great way to warm up for a glute day or for finishing them off after a workout. All it takes is a kettlebell!
Squeeze those cheeks on each rep! Mind-muscle connection builds a better backside.
Calves
Last but not least on the lower body – the calves! They complete the leg aesthetic and it ain’t a fitness glow up without them. Smash them with:
Seated Calf Raise
This is probably the most common way to train calves. However, it primarily targets the soleus. If you want to target the gastrocnemius muscles, other exercises work them better. Don’t have a machine for them? Watch the video below!
Standing Calf Raise
Here is a good place to start if you want to grow the gastrocnemius. As a bonus, these exercises aren’t difficult to do with limited equipment! They can be done anywhere with stairs. However, you can add more resistance by holding a dumbbell or using a smith machine.
Single Leg Calf Raise
This isn’t too different from the movement above. However, it does allow you to target one side at a time.
Donkey Calf Raise
This is one of my personal favorites for training calves. You may have seen Arnold doing these with his training partners on his back. You can also add resistance using a dip belt, a smith machine, or your own creativity.
Leg Press Calf Raises
This is basically the reverse position of the donkey calf raise. All it takes is a leg press machine.
Control each rep, flexing the calves fully at the top. They’ll be popping in no time!
Upper Body
Time to focus on building that upper body! A strong, muscular top half not only looks good but also improves posture, athleticism, and overall functionality.
Let’s break it down by major areas – back, chest, and shoulders. I’ll highlight the critical isolation moves for each.
Back
A wide, thick back is the hallmark of a fit physique. Plus, it provides crucial support for movement and preventing injury. Chisel yours out with:
Pullup
One of the most classic back exercises! This is another one of those we are going to treat like a compound and isolation exercise. These exercises can help build the foundation for any back routine at home or in the gym. There are a ton of variations too!
Lat Pulldown
If you can’t do pullups these are a great place to start! These isolation exercises can help you build to the point of pullups, but they are also great on their own. Once again, there are too many variations to list here.
Straight Arm Pulldown
I didn’t know what these were called for the longest time. But that didn’t stop me from loving them! They provide a fantastic stretch in the lats.
Hammer Strength High Row
These machines or something like them are available in most gyms. The primary benefit to this machine is that you can work one side at a time if you want to. You can also get a fantastic stretch.
Bent Over Row
These compound exercises primarily work one major muscle group: the back. It was work including them for that reason!
Inverted Row
This movement is almost a hybrid of a pullup and a bent over row. Its a great way to target the middle back with limited equipment. It’s typically done on a smith machine, however, any solid bar will work.
Seated Cable Row
This is another classic movement. It can be done with an overhand grip, an underhand grip, or anything in between to target the back in different ways.
One Arm Dumbbell Row
This is an amazing power move to build up unilateral back muscle and strength. This move can also be done similar to the barbell row, holding two dumbbells.
Incline Dumbbell Row
This is another personal favorite! It’s a perfect move after a heavy row or deadlift to really stretch out that back.
Back Extension
Back extensions do require a special piece of equipment. However, most gyms have them.
Superman
If you don’t have any equipment or prefer to work out from home this is a great way to target the lower back! I didn’t want to attach an incredibly long video to demostrate, but this one gives the general idea.
Bird Dogs
This is another great option if you don’t have equipment or want to work out from home. It’s not a true isolation movement, but it does target the lower back well.
Dumbbell Shrug
Similar to a barbell shrug, but with some extra mobility allowing you to target the traps from different angles. Because of the lighter equipment needs, this one is also easier to do from home or on the go.
Machine Shrug
If you have a cable machine to work with this is another great option!
Seated Dumbbell Shrug
This option isolates the traps much better by taking most of the rest of your body out of the equation. It also happens to be easier on the spine.
Prone Cobra
The prone cobra takes things up a notch from the traditional superman.
Pay attention to really flexing the back muscles on each rep – don’t just move the weight!
Chest
Who doesn’t want a set of juicy pecs to show off? Build a massive chest with:
Incline Barbell Bench Press
I know I’ve included multiple isolation and compound exercises in this list. However, there are few better ways to really grow your upper chest than incline barbell bench press.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
This dumbbell chest move is kind of the little brother to the barbell version and is a great way to get some serious muscle gains in the chest. If you start to get shoulder pain, pay attention to your elbow placement.
This option may actually lead to better hypertrophy for some lifters.
Smith Machine Bench Press
Great for flat or incline movements! This isolates the chest further by reducing the need for stabilizing muscles.
Incline Dumbbell Fly
The perfect move after a heavy set of bench. Incline dumbbell flys really allow you to stretch out the pectoral muscles.
Cable Incline Fly
This machine chest fly uses cables to keep constant tension on the pectoral muscles. Just make sure to slowly lower them and focus on that mind-muscle connection.
Barbell Bench Press
I know the goal here is to hit one muscle group at a time, but you really can’t talk about a chest isolation day without talking about bench press. Go wider to target chest more.
Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbells allow for greater isolation of the chest by improving range of motion.
Machine Press
Machines built for chest presses typically isolate the chest more and often provide a better movement pattern for really squeezing those pecs together. The one in the video doesn’t have it, but those with a movement pattern that brings the hands together do.
Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell flys hit the middle and lower chest better than the previously mentioned incline dumbbell flys.
Machine Chest Fly
These provide more consistent tension on the chest compared to the dumbbell movement. If your gym has a pec deck, even better!
Cable Fly
Cable exercises can help you reach unique angles and keep constant tension. This traditional version is a great way to really burn out the chest.
Pushup
The classic bodyweight chest exercise. Whether you’re at home, at work, or at the gym, these should be part of your chest routine every once in a while.
Go easier on yourself by using incline pushups.
Low Cable Crossover
This move is amazing for really finishing off those upper pecs. But it’s also easy to do wrong. Adding some isolation to you upper chest? Watch the form video.
Squeeze the pecs, feel that deep burn baby!
Shoulders
Well-built delts complete that v-taper. Make cannonballs with:
Standing Shoulder Press
If you really want to add some mass to your delts, you can’t leave out this movement. These compound exercises can help grow your delts more than any other.
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Want to isolate the delts a little better? Switch to dumbbells! This may also help relieve any wrist discomfort you get from the barbell.
Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
Take some extra muscles out of the equation by doing the same barbell movement from a seated position. Make sure your back is supported correctly!
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Once again, you can isolate the delts even better by switching to dumbbells.
Machine Shoulder Press
Even less stabalization is required when using a shoulder press machine. These are a great way to overload the delts.
Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
If you don’t have a shoulder press machine, try a smith machine for a similar affect. Just don’t forget you will need a very stable seat with a fully upright supported back.
Barbell Front Raise
Breaking down the shoulder even further, these are a great way to target the front delts.
Dumbbell Front Raise
Dumbbells allow you to target one side at a time and have a more natural movement pattern.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
One of the most popular side delt movements. The goal should never be to go heavy with these. Always focus on that mind muscle connection and perfect form.
Egyptian Lateral Raise
The Egyptian lateral raise puts you in a better position to target one side at a time and take any momentum out of the movement. The constant tension also keeps the delts working harder through the entire movement.
Barbell Upright Row
Barbell upright rows are excellent for adding mass! Just make sure you perform them correctly, otherwise they do more harm than good.
Cable Upright Row
Want constant tension on the delts? Try this cable variation!
Dumbbell Upright Row
If you experience any wrist pain from a fixed bar then give these a try.
Cable Face Pull
Want to target rear delts? Cable face pulls are one of the best option for adding isolation to this area.
Seated Cable Face Pull
Isolate the delts more by taking out some need for stabilization.
Banded Face Pulls
If you are on the go or prefer to do at home workouts you can also do this movement with a resistance band.
Dumbbell Rear Delt Lateral Raise
An old school favorite for targeting those rear delts!
Rear Delt Machine Fly
This requires another common piece of equipment you can find at most gyms.
Lying External Rotation
This is often considered a rehab type of exercise but it’s an excellent way to strengthen the rotator cuff and prevent injury as well. This can also be performed standing with bands.
Seated Lateral Raise
Take some momentum out of the lateral raise by moving to a seated position.
Cuban Rotation
Another rehab movement that is a fantastic way to prevent future injuries.
Control and isolate delts through full range of motion. Let’s get some boulder shoulders!
Arms
Alright folks, time to blast these arms! No one ever complains about having a set of jacked guns. Let’s breakdown how to carve out eye-popping biceps, horseshoe triceps, and vascular forearms.
Biceps
Want shirt-splitting pythons you can flex on the haters with? Curl with intention:
Barbell Curl
This is one of the most common curl variations. Just curl the bar toward the face while keeping your upper arms parallel to your torso.
EZ Bar Curl
If you have wrist discomfort with the barbell, give the EZ bar a shot!
Alternating Dumbbell Curl
Curl each dumbbell up one arm at a time to isolate each side. This allows one side a brief rest while the other works, potentially leading to more reps!
Two-Arm Dumbbell Twist Curl
Work the brachialis more by twisting the dumbbell as you curl up. You can also perform this without the twist, just as you would a barbell curl
Hammer Curl
Want to involve your forarm more and hit that brachialis harder? Try out some hammer curls. They are the same movement pattern as the dumbbell curl, but a different grip position.
Cable Curl
My suggestion is to set up the EZ bar attachment on a low cable pully. The benefit to these is the constant tension on the bicep.
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Get a better stretch and further isolation of the bicep by setting up an incline bench to perform dumbbell curls.
Dumbbell Spider Curl
To take out momentum entirely and really stretch that bicep, try the dumbbell spider curl. These can also be done with an EZ bar.
Preacher Curl
This move can be done with an EZ bar or dumbbells and is a classic bodybuilding movement.
Machine Preacher Curl
The resistance is more consistent using a preacher curl machine.
Drag Curls
Really overload your biceps by performing drag curls. The main difference is that the weight will not curve away from your body during the movement.
Band Curls
Don’t want to head in to the gym and don’t have dumbbells to work with? Don’t worry about it! Band curls are an excellent way to target those biceps too!
Concentration Curl
This is the ultimate bicep isolation move. Just make sure you do it right, no ego lifting here!
Squeeze those biceps hard on every rep! Feel the mind-muscle connection.
Triceps
The tri’s make up 2/3rds of your arm mass – gotta prioritize them for arm dominance! Build those triceps with:
Cable Pushdown
The cable pushdown is one of the most common tricep exercises you see in the gym. There are many variations, the most common being the rope pushdown, the straight bar pushdown, and the underhand pushdown. Each targets the tricep in a different way, but they are all similar in movement.
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension
Hit the tricep from a different angle with overhead extensions. Really stretch your tris out by going lighter and letting the cable pull at the bottom.
Barbell Skull Crusher
One of the most classic tricep mass builders. It is crucial to lower under control with this movement.
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Add some flexibility and better isolation by switching to dumbbells for your skullcrushers.
Inverted Skullcrusher
You can perform a very similar movement using a bar or other stationary solid object.
Dips
Don’t want to go in to the gym? Dips provide excellent tricep isolation and can be done with parallel bars, a bench, or even a chair.
Machine Dips
Some gyms have a dip machine that allows you to change the resistance. The seated position further isolates the triceps.
Machine Triceps Extension
If your gym has one, these machines are a fantastic way to really isolate the triceps. Perfect for end of workout burnouts!
Seated EZ Bar Triceps Extension
This is the free-weight versio of the cable extensions from earlier. If you don’t have a cable machine this might be a good option for you.
Dumbbell Kickbacks
Really want to finish off those triceps? Give these a shot! I prefer to do one arm at a time and lean on a bench similar to a dumbbell row.
Band Tricep Pushdowns
Isolate your triceps at home with this movement.
Band Tricep Extension
Hit triceps from a different angle at home with these! Extend your arms overhead instead of down and attach to a lower anchor point.
Lying Triceps Extension
Similar to skullcrushers, but pushing the arms further back and hitting a slightly different angle.
Overhead Dumbbell Extension
This is a classic movement you can see at almost any gym. No need to go super heavy here, really focus on the squeeze and the stretch.
Ring Triceps Dip
If you have a set of rings this is another great tricep dip variation. However, it does involve more stabilizer muscles than other options.
Control the weight through a full range of motion – no half repping!
Forearms
Grizzly forearms complete that rugged look. Crush them with:
Barbell Wrist Curls
Isolate the back of the forearm by holding the bar with an overhand grip. Use an underhand grip for the front.
Cable Wrist Curls
Cables can add more constistent tension.
Wrist Roller
This is an excellent at home option! You can use any sort of dowel or bar, some rope, and some kind of weight.
Dumbbell Bench Wrist Curls
These can be performed at home as well if you have a dumbbell or kettlebell to work with.
Train them 2-3 times a week for vascularity. Remember – squeeze don’t swing!
Abs
Any ripped physique wouldn’t be complete without a poppin’ six-pack! Remember, abs might be grown in the gym, but they’re revealed in the kitchen.
Situps
The classic ab isolation movement! Can be done anywhere you can sit on the floor.
Rope Crunch
Add in some extra resistance by using a rope to a cable machine.
V-Up
Make those situps more challenging with this variation. You can even add weight!
Machine Crunch
This works similar to a rope crunch but is a specialized machine.
Decline Situp
Use a decline bench to make the situps more challenging and really isolate those abs.
Hanging Leg Raise
If you have a pullup bar or something similar use these to target abs from a different angle. If they are too difficult try hanging knee raises.
Ab Roller
Challenge your core further by using an ab roller.
Russian Twist
This isn’t quite an isolation move as it does target abs and obliques.
Plank
Like the situp, this is another traditional core workout that can be done just about anywhere!
Side Plank
Isolate your obliques more by switching to a side plank.
Putting Together Effective Isolation Routines
Alright my friends, we’ve covered a boatload of awesome isolation exercises to hit every major muscle group in your body. Now it’s time to take that knowledge and apply it into crafting superior training routines!
I know things can get overwhelming fast with so many movements and choices. So I’ll break this down and make it simple to build routines that deliver results.
Full isolation workout plan.
Here are the key principles to follow:
- Prioritize weakest links – We all have muscle imbalances. Before blasting your favorite body parts, assess what needs the most work. Bring up weaknesses to elevate your whole physique.
- Train through full ROM – Every isolation exercise has an ideal range of motion. Achieve a full muscular contraction and stretch for maximum gains in size and strength!
- Focus on MMC – The mind-muscle connection is real bros! Concentrate on squeezing the working muscle through every inch of the movement.
- Allow 48 hours of rest – To grow, muscles need recovery time. Don’t annihilate the same body parts two days in a row. Space isolation sessions out.
Let’s use legs for example:
Day 1 Lower Body
- Glute kickbacks – 3 sets x 15 reps
- Seated calf raise – 4 sets x 10 reps
- Leg extensions – 3 sets x 12 reps
Day 2 Lower Body
- Lying leg curl – 3 sets x 12 reps
- Hip thrust – 4 sets x 6 reps
- Standing calf raise – 3 sets x 15 reps
This splits quads, hammies, glutes, and calves with ideal rest. Now just rinse and repeat for each major grouping! You’ll be shredded before ya know it.
V. Sample Full-Body Isolation Workout Routine (200 words)
- Header keywords: isolation workout routine
- Workout split by muscle groups
- Sets, reps and recommended rest
FAQs – Isolation Exercises
By this point in the guide you should have a beastly grasp on isolation training principles and tons of exercise choices.
But I’m sure a few questions are still brewing in that muscle-building brain of yours. Let’s tackle some frequent FAQs:
Should I do isolation or compound lifts first?
- Generally it’s best to start workouts with big, hard-hitting compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, etc. when your energy is highest. Do multi-joint moves first.
- Save isolation exercises for the second half of your sessions when fatigue kicks in. You’ll be able to better focus on mind-muscle connection with pumps going!
How much weight should I use for isolations?
- First, check your ego! Chasing crazy weight with crap form doesn’t build muscle.
- Start light, focus on really squeezing the target muscles through a challenging 10-20 rep range before upping weight. Yes, even you beasts!
- Make sure you can handle whatever weight with perfect technique for at least 8 quality reps.
Should I feel isolation exercises working right away?
- When performed correctly, yes! But some focus better on MMC over time.
- If after a few sessions something still feels off with a movement, try changing angles, equipment, or form cues until you feel that sweet targeted burn.
- Be patient and experiment – once it clicks, those gains will have no choice but to explode!
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