Hey, guys! Question. My workouts have evolved over the years to include 1)more basic, compound movements (forget the “fancy fu-fu”!) and 2)more (what I call…may not be the correct term!) “Compound Isolation Movements” like the “Arnold Press” (with the idea that if you do an isolation movement, gain as much benefit from it as possible).
Anyway…any thoughts on the “Arnold Press” comparing it with the basic dumbbell press? Do you guys have some “compound isolation movements” that you like? (In other words, a movement that would otherwise be an isolation move, but because of an added movement or angle becomes more “compound”?)
The Arnold press is more effective than the dumbbell press for developing shoulders when preformed correctly. Too many people focus on the pressing action. The original Arnold press was taught by Vince G. and I was luck enough to learn from Larry Scott.
First you lean into the dumbbell rack slightly, placing you body at a forward angle. With the dumbbells resting infront of you slowly under tension move your elbows out to the sides and up. You should visualize that the dumbbells are balanced on your plams and that all the movement is focused in your delts. Slowlly move to the top of your delt range and tense the delts. Now slowly lower and stop just short of releasing the tension on the delts. This press is real a form of laterial raises with the weight balnced on your palms.
Another favorite "compound isolation movement is what I call the Larry Scott close grip bench press. With an EZ curl bar, start with the bar at arms length, slowly lower it to just above the nipple line. Now move the bar out over then lower jaw. Stop and in a slight arch return it to just short of full extension (keeping pressure on the triceps). Repeat until, you can not complete another correct rep. Cheat the bar back to lock-out and now do burns. Lower the bar until just short of the chest and return it too just short of lock out. Repeat until exhausted. great for triceps especial down near the elbows.
Best of Luck.
I prefer Arnolds over regular presses anyday. I like the fact that Arnolds take into condsideration that the shoulder joints are “ball and socket” not just a “hinge”.
It is important to remember that Arnold had no physiological basis for believing “Arnold Presses” would be any different. You can thank the muscle rags for things like this.
This kind of stuff happens all the time. A writer asks the “star” about his workout, then the writer realizes it’s the same as just about every other bodybuilder. This obivously doesn’t make for a good article. So the writer asks the star what he does differently. For some it’s eating chocolate before they workout. In Arnold’s case it was that extra little twist at the bottom of his DB shoulder press.
Think about it. Is the deltoid’s function to supinate the forearm? I think not.
T: Good point…but that’s the reason I called it a “compound isolation movement”…it other words…I do work the delts well with “The Arnold”…no question about that…while at the same time hitting the brachialis? (I think) pretty good without compromising the delts. That seems advantageous. What do you think?
Compound-isolation movements…sounds like a Mufasa-ism! I think that there are plenty of good ones out there. One that comes to mind is the cuban press for the rotator cuff and delts. Also, fly presses for chest (do flyes to failure, then do as many presses as possible, or just alternate them).
The type of exercise you descibe I’m starting to see show up a lot in the “Men’s Health/Fitness” type of mags. That’s not to say that they are not beginning to “see the light” with heavy, compound movements, but I’m seeing a lot more of these “hybrid?” movements like you describe. Anybody with any thoughts on why? (I’m guessing that they look “cool and unique” to be doing in the gym, thereby appealing the average readership of these mags…just a thought…)
I have always considered the Arnold Press to be a front delt and side delt exercise, and regular shoulder presses mostly side delt - therefore I have never used Arnold Presses much since my front delts are usually already worked enough, if not overworked, from bench and other chest exercises. Am I wrong in this line of thinking?
I think you’re right about them wanting to try something new and innovative. As much as I wish it were so, most people just aren’t T-Men. In other words, training hard isn’t satisfying by itself. Instead, they prefer to pussyfoot around, curling in the squat rack and reading the “middle of the road” mags that encourage them to exercise and eat right, yet include articles about selecting the best beers and candy bars. To be honest, I was amazed to see a quote from Louie Simmons about improving your bench press in a recent issue of Men’s Health that I was reading in the waiting room at my ART appointment!
I didn’t catch that “compound isolation” term the first time.
Sure, it will work the brachioradialis, but to what extent? Obviously you aren’t going to fatigue your brachioradialis using this exercise.
The point I’m trying to make is that you could find a better exercise for your forearms.
This is a principle I use with all my clients, online or one-on-one. Why waste your time doing a second-rate movement for any muscle group?
People think they are maximizing their time in the gym when instead they are wasting their energy on crap movements.
On the same note, this is why I think circuit training is crap. People who do circuit training are trying to make anaerobic exercise (weightlifting) aerobic.
Do one thing and do it right.
Just as a traditional cardio exercise is better than circuit training (for the cardio benefit) so too are there better movements for the forearms than the Arnold Press.
What about those guys who do cable rows by doing a back extension? Are they just throwing in some extra work for the erector spinae?
You call it “compound isolation,” I call it poor form and a waste of time. And I’m not knocking you, as it is a common misconception that these types of movements save time.
Hey…I think that threads like this are the Forum at it’s best…not sure about something? Throw it out there to the Forum; see what everyone thinks; come to your own conclusions.