Posted by AFammo in StrongLifts.com Forum

“With the Beginner Strength Training Program there’s no isolation for muscles. So some muscles won’t grow. Sure you get a triceps workout with Bench Press and Overhead Press but where is the actual triceps workout? How about calf workouts?

These are very broad workouts. They aren’t going to show the results as if you did isolation exercises. I just don’t understand how you can’t even do one triceps or biceps isolation workout.”

Muscle Isolation. StrongLifts.com gives you ways to build muscle & lose fat through strength training. Using compound barbell exercises. This isn’t a blog about isolating muscles or bodybuilding.

If you want to isolate muscles, feel free to experiment. I’ve played that game before & from my experience, nothing beats a concept explained in the book Essentials of Weightlifting & Strength Training: Axial Training.

Axial vs. Peripheral Training. Axial training means working the muscles close to your spine, pelvis & shoulder girdle. Peripheral training is working muscles on joints far away from your spine. Examples:

• Axial: Squat, Deadlift, Barbell Rows, Overhead Press, Power Clean, etc.
• Peripheral: Bench Press, Biceps Curl, Triceps Extension, Calf Raises, etc.

Benefits of Axial Training. The Beginner Strength Training Program emphasizes Axial Training. Benefits:

• Works major muscles: back, glutes, hams, delts, pecs, quads.
• Indirectly works smaller muscles like biceps, triceps, forearms & calves.
• Increased endurance & health because physically more demanding.

Drawbacks? Technique is harder to learn. Axial training causes more soreness. And it’s mentally more challenging. You know it: always do exercises you hate.

Problem with Peripheral Training. Disadvantages of peripheral training:

• Unproductive. Squats work you whole body. Biceps curls one muscle.
• Disproportions. Huge upper-body’s with skinny legs doesn’t look right.
• Imbalances. Bench Press without Rows causes shoulder problems.

Mixing Axial Training with Peripheral Training. Biceps work during Barbell Rows & Pull-ups. Triceps during Bench & Overhead Press. And Calves during Squats, deadlifts, Power Cleans. If you still think you need more:

• Biceps. Biceps Curls with an Olympic bar.
• Triceps. Dips or Close Grip Bench Press.
• Calves. Low Olympic Pulls.

If Axial Training sounds counter-intuitive to you, you’ve been brainwashed by magazines. The tree with the largest branches is the tree with the largest trunk. Same with your body. You want big arms, Squat first.