Compound and Isolation Exercises - What's the Difference?

Today many people try to tailor their workouts to focus on functional fitness. This simply means exercise that mimics real-life activities and uses a wide variety of movements through a wide range of motion. At the heart of functional fitness programs you'll often find compound exercises. These multi-joint movements work several muscles or muscle groups at one time. A great example of a compound exercise is the squat exercise, which engages many muscles in the lower body and core, including the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the calves, the glutes, the lower back and the core.

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