Some calisthenics movements would certainly qualify as total body movements such as squats, jumping jacks, and pull-ups. But then there other calisthenic movements which are completely the opposite of total body movements (situps, crunches, calf raises).

It’s kind of a dated term and probably needs to be updated or refined for today’s fitness goals.

Mike

Awesome comment my friend. I was right there with you reading those bodybuilding magazines and listening to all of them talk about isolation. Well, when your that size, isolation is all you have because of the amount of bulk these guys pack on.

Using a heart rate monitor is a fantastic idea with regards to measuring the response of isolation vs. compound exercises. Why isn’t there any studies comparing the results? Is it beneath them? Are there variables that I’m missing?

Mike

Now I’m no longer training for size, and instead just trying to get fitter, healthier, stronger (within reason) and less fat, then almost all of my exercises are compound in one way or another, and again almost all use body weight or free weights to improve the amount of stabilising muscle which is used.

I wear a heart rate monitor whenever I do any exercise, and the peak I get to when doing compound exercises, particularly with a lot of weight, shows that this is the way to go. Isolation exercises barely register on my heart rate monitor – quite simply not enough muscle is activated to stress the system…

It’s interesting that something similar happens between running and cycling. For the vast majority of people, they find that their heart rate while cycling is substantially lower than that when they are running, even at the same perceived level of exertion. That’s because cycling does not use as many muscle groups as running – yet more proof that it takes (a) intensity/lots of weight and (b) lots of muscles to be activated to really stress the system and produce a beneficial response…

Cheers!