Q: I have been doing some reading about lifting and keep hearing that multi-joint exercises are better to use than single-joint exercises. What is the difference and why?
A: A Multi-Joint Exercise is any exercise the involves action over two or more joints. (e.g. squats, rows, deadlifts, pull-ups, standing presses, push-ups, and lunges). These exercises require more energy to perform than single-joint exercises due to more muscle recuitment and involvement. Which is why they are preferred over single-joint exercises for building strength, decreasing fat, and building lean muscle tissue.
A Single-Joint Exercise is any exercise that only requires movement at one joint. These are typically isolation exercises (e.g. bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, side raises, leg extension, and leg curls). These exercises do not require as much energy to perform and have less muscles involved in the movement than compared to a multi-joint exercise. Which is why they are not preferred for building strength, decreasing fat loss, and building lean muscle tissue. However, there are a few instances when single-joint exercises are useful. This would be when you are rehabing an injured muscle or area of the body, when the body is too broken down to handle the stress of multi-joint exercises, or when bodybuilders are trying to get that extra cut needed in a muscle.
Overall multi-joint exercises are preferred over single-joint exercises and should make up the majority of your workout.
If you have any other fitness related questions email me at prochperformancetraining@gmail.com or leave a comment on the blog.
Until Next Time,
Josh Proch
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