Whole Body Strength Training Versus Isolation Strength Training

Nearly all commercial health clubs today introduce its members to bodybuilding style exercises, which were originally designed to maximize muscle gain. You can certainly make great strides in fitness using bodybuilding style training exclusively (and not worry about getting “bulky”either…unless you want to!) but such isolation training does have its limits.

Whole body strength training provides you with several benefits that traditional isolation training simply cannot compete with; here are a few:

• Increased coordination because using many muscles during each exercise ties the body together, training them to work as a unit
• Balanced Strength that often eliminates chronic pain and prevents injury because when opposing muscles have a strength imbalance they place a heavy burden on the weaker muscle.
• Affordability and Convenience because whole body training utilizes less weight (or none in some cases), whole body strength training doesn’t require a gym full of equipment and you can excel with just a single kettlebell, a pair of ammo cans, a suspension trainer, and other affordable equipment at home or virtually anywhere!
• Most Bang For The Buck whole body strength training allows you to get a full strength and cardio workout in one session so that you not only save time and money not having to join a gym, your workouts themselves are completed in half the time of conventional workouts.

I am currently working on several whole body training videos that you will be able to follow along with at home. Until they are available, a great way to get started is by doing the MARSOC (Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command) short card. I was introduced to this routine by my son (a Marine) and it is a great workout for overall fitness and requires very little space.

Note: The idea is to move from one exercise to another, not stopping until the whole routine is done. You will most likely not be able to perform the number of repetitions asked for; don’t get discouraged! Simply do your best and work up until you can. Once you can do them all, a great way to keep getting fitter is to either do another set or to do a couple of cardio-only sessions on other days (like walking, running, cycling, or swimming).

MARSOC Short Card (not me in the video)