Top 13 Isolation Exercises That Can Help Maximize Your Muscle Gain

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Isolation exercises could be what you need if you are yet to achieve your muscle-gaining goals after many hours of trying.

Isolation exercises involve the isolation and working of only one joint or muscle group. They are movements that allow you to focus on good form and technique to help you get better results and help reduce the risk of injury.

Many isolation exercises may require specific gym equipment, some of which may only be available in commercial gyms due to the high purchase price. But others will need simple equipment, such as dumbbells or a cable machine, making them accessible to many.

Related: 9 Best Rubber Hex Dumbbells To Help You Build Strength And Muscle Mass

Top Isolation Exercises That Can Help Maximize Your Muscle Gains

We have put together some of the best isolation exercises that can help you maximize your muscle gain. We hope including them in your training regimen can help you to achieve some of the goals that have eluded you.

Concentration Curls

Concentration curls are some of the best isolation exercises for targeting and working the biceps.

Some believe they are some of the best movements that help build a mind-muscle connection and for developing a bicep pump.

Concentration curls are single-arm exercises that allow you to support your elbow with your inner thigh while you concentrate on curling your biceps.

Concentration curls are some of the best isolation that allows you to target each side of your biceps individually, helping you to correct imperfections for a more symmetrical body.

Target Muscle: Biceps
Required Equipment: Dumbbell

You can find the steps to follow for the concentration curls here

Standing Barbell Curl

Barbell curls are some of the most popular and best isolation exercises for targeting and building the biceps.

The movement can help build strength in the upper arm muscles to give you some sleeve-popping biceps.

They are one of the few curls variations that allow you to load heavily on the barbell, helping to speed up your expectations.

Target Muscle: Biceps
Required Equipment: Barbel or EZ Curl bar

Using an EZ curl bar can help reduce stress on your wrist.

Steps to follow

• Load the barbell with your preferred weight and stand upright, holding the bar in front of your thighs with arms stretched. Keep your grips at shoulder width, knees slightly bent, and your palms facing forward.
• Keep your upper arms still, contract your biceps, start breathing out, and curl the bar up as far as possible toward your shoulders.
• Pause for a second when the bar is at shoulder height and squeeze the biceps hard.
• Start breathing in and return the bar to your starting position slowly and under control.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set and 3-4 set per session.

Cable Push-Down

The cable pushdown is one of the best isolation exercises for activating and building the triceps, especially the lateral head.

The movements are not challenging to master. You will need a cable machine for the exercise. Alternatively, you can use a resistance band if you don’t have access to a cable machine

Target Muscle: Triceps
Required Equipment: Cable machine

Steps to follow for the triceps cable pushdown exercises are available here

French Press

The French press is a classic isolation exercise for working the tricep muscles.

One of the best ways to work the triceps is to opt for exercises that can help target the long head. The EZ bar French press can help you do that.

Using an EZ curl bar also helps to reduce the pressure and stress on your wrist and also helps to reduce the risk of injury.

You can perform the exercise standing or by lying on a flat weight bench

Target Muscle: Triceps
Required Equipment: Weight bench, EZ Curl bar

Steps to follow to do the Frech press exercises are detailed here

Dumbbell Tate Press

The dumbbell Tate press uses a unique range of motion to help isolate and build the triceps. The exercise can also help improve pressing variations with more tricep strength requirements at lock out.

The Tate press is one of the best isolation exercises that allow a deep stretch in the triceps and for building strength and mass. It can target all three tricep heads.

It requires a proper form to eliminate the risk of injury and elbow pain.

You perform the exercise lying on a bench and holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Target Muscle: Triceps
Required Equipment: Weight bench, Dumbbells

Detailed steps to follow for the Tate press isolation exercises are available

Leg Extension

The leg extension is one of the best isolation exercises for building strength and mass in the quads.

Incorporating leg extensions into your workout can help strengthen the ligaments connected to your knee joints, thereby helping to reduce the risk of injury.

Leg extensions are also one of the best accessory movements for stronger squats.

You will need a lever or a leg extension machine for the isolation exercises.

Leg extensions can be demanding on the knee joints. Thus lifters with knee issues should consider other isolation exercises.

Target Muscle: Quads
Required Equipment: Leg extension machine

Related: 5 Best leg extension machines for building and toning your legs

Steps to follow

• Set the desired weight on the extension machine and sit on it.
• Position your legs under the pad and adjust it to sit on top of your lower leg and just above your feet. Point your feet forward and hold the sidebars. Ensure your lower and upper legs are at 90 degrees.
• Start exhaling and using your quads, and extend your legs as much as possible to lift the pads. Ensure you keep the rest of your body still. Pause for a second at the top of the movement.
• Inhale and lower the weight to your starting position in a slow and controlled manner. Ensure you stop the downward movement when your lower and upper legs are 90 degrees.
• Repeat 10-12 reps for a set and 3-4 sets in a session

PS: No access to a leg extension machine? Check these leg extension alternative exercises too you strengthen and build your quads.

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

The lateral raises are upper body isolation exercises that target and work the deltoid muscles of the shoulder.

You can perform lateral raises without equipment but holding a dumbbell in each hand for the exercises emphasizes the muscles for better results.

Including dumbbell lateral raises in your training regimen can help strengthen the delts and reduce the risk of shoulder injuries.

Dumbbell lateral raises are some of the best isolation exercises for building a broad and well-developed upper body to give you the sort-after V-shape.

You can do the lateral raises standing or seated. You will need a weight bench if you opt to sit.

Target Muscle: Middle delts/Shoulders
Required Equipment: Dumbbells, Weight bench (optional)

Detailed steps to follow for the dumbbell lateral raise isolation exercises are available here

Seated Barbell Wrist Curl

The barbell wrist curl is one of the best isolation exercises for building forearm strength.

Adding wrist curls to your workout or arm training routine can help strengthen your grips, making it possible to carry out several activities, including lifting heavy weights, without risking injury.

The exercise can also help improve flexibility in the wrists.

They are some of the best isolation exercises for targeting and strengthening the forearms.

You will need a barbell or a pair of dumbbells for the exercise.

You do the wrist curls standing or seated on a bench holding the barbell with both hands or a dumbbell in each hand, forearms resting on your thighs, and hands extended over your knees.

Target Muscle: Forearms
Required Equipment: Barbell or Dumbbells, Weight bench (optional)

Detailed steps to follow for the seated barbell wrist curl isolation exercises are available here

Nordic Curls or Partner Assisted Hamstring Curls

The Nordic curls are some of the best bodyweight isolation for strengthening the muscles of the hamstrings.

It uses your body weight to target and work your hamstrings.

Nordic curls are for aesthetics and for strengthening the leg muscles. Including them in your training regimen can help prepare you for other challenging compound leg exercises, such as deadlifts and squats.

Target Muscle: Hamstrings
Required Equipment:  Nordic hamstring machine or Training partner

Comprehensive steps to follow for the Nordic hamstring curl isolation exercises are available here

Leg Curl

Lying leg curls are isolation exercises for targeting the back of the legs, that is, the hamstrings.

Including leg curls in your lower body exercises can help build strength and mass in your hamstrings and prepare you for such compound movements as deadlifts and squats.

They are some of the best exercises for a leg day burnout.

You will need a leg curl machine for the exercise.

Target Muscle: Hamstrings
Required Equipment:  Leg curl machine

Steps to follow

Start with a light weight to avoid the risk of lower back injury or hamstring tear.

• Lie on the machine face down with the pads just above the back of your ankles or just above your heels.
• Take the weights slightly off the stack to tense up the hamstrings. Hold the support handles on each side of the machine to stabilize yourself.
• Exhale, squeeze your hamstrings, lift your legs to curl the weights up as far as possible to your buttocks, and pause briefly. Ensure your hips remain firmly on the bench.
• Inhale and slowly lower your feet to your starting position under control.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set and 3-4 sets per session

Incline Dumbbell Flys

A dumbbell fly is a movement pattern that targets the chest muscles. It is one of the best isolation exercises for growing and strengthening the chest muscles.

Keeping your elbows bent throughout the movement limits the focus on the chest and eliminates other muscles.

Ensure you do not overstretch the shoulder joints when lowering the weight. Stop the movement as soon as you feel a nice stretch in your pectoral muscles

You can do chest flys in a flat or incline position, holding a dumbbell of appropriate weight in each hand.

Target Muscle: Chest (Pecs or Pectoral muscles)
Required Equipment: Dumbbells, Weight bench

Check out the steps to follow for the incline dumbbell fly isolation exercises

Hanging Leg Raise

Hanging leg raises are some of the best bodyweight isolation exercises for targeting and working the ab muscles.

The exercise targets the lower part of the rectus abdominis, aka “6-pack” muscles.

You perform the exercise hanging from a high rigid bar, such as a pull-up bar.

It is best to perform the exercise slowly if you are new to the movements.

You can include weights to make them more challenging when you get the hang of it.

Including hanging raises in your training regimen can help strengthen your grip and straight-arm pulling powers. It can also improve the flexibility of your hamstrings.

Target Muscle: Abs
Required Equipment: Pull-up bar (Optional)

Extensive Steps to follow for the hanging leg raises are available here

Dumbbell Shrug

The standing dumbbell shrug can help isolate and build muscle mass in the traps. It can help give you a broad back and big shoulders.

Including the exercise in your training routines can also help improve many other movements, including overhead presses, deadlifts, carries, and pull-ups. It can also help relieve neck pain.

While it requires the correct form to get the most out of them and prevent injury, dumbbell shrugs are easy to master. Thus it is accessible to athletes and exercisers at all levels, including novices.

Target Muscle: Traps
Required Equipment: Dumbbells

Extensive Steps to follow for the dumbbell shrugs isolation exercises are available here

Final words from LiveLIfe

Isolation exercises may not be time efficient, but they are some of the most effective ways to target and work those hard-to-reach muscle groups.

Combining compound and isolation exercises will give you a more comprehensive training regime and help you to reach your fitness goals with few headaches.

It can be challenging and sometimes frustrating when trying to build muscle mass. It requires hard work, dedication, and at times trying new things.

Add these isolation exercises to your training regimen to help you build strength and muscle mass and push you closer to the body of your dreams.