The isolation pattern
One joint, one muscle group, no help from anywhere else.
The shape of the movement
95MOVEMENTS
Curls, extensions, raises and flyes. They add volume to a specific muscle cheaply in terms of fatigue, which is exactly why they belong at the end of a session rather than the start.
44 of the 95 run without a gym. A pattern with no home version in it is a pattern you will skip.
మూలం·Published exercise references·PATTERN ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION, NOT BY EQUIPMENT·జూలై 2026న సమీక్షించాం
How a movement lands in the isolation pattern
- Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
- Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
- Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
- Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.
మూలం·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·జూలై 2026న సమీక్షించాం
Every isolation movement
The other patterns
The questions that come up on the floor
What is the isolation pattern?
One joint, one muscle group, no help from anywhere else. Curls, extensions, raises and flyes. They add volume to a specific muscle cheaply in terms of fatigue, which is exactly why they belong at the end of a session rather than the start.
Which muscles does isolating train?
Across the 95 isolation exercises on this site, the prime movers are the chest, lats, trapezius, front deltoid, side deltoid, rear deltoid, biceps, triceps, forearms, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves. Which one leads depends on the angle and the equipment, not on the pattern alone.
How often should I train the isolation pattern?
Twice a week is a sensible default for every pattern. A programme built on movement patterns rather than muscles is harder to leave holes in — if every week contains a push, a pull, a squat, a hinge, a carry and some trunk work, very little gets missed.
Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.
మూలం·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·జూలై 2026న సమీక్షించాం
The people behind these sites
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This site and nine others like it are built and photographed by two people: Amit Sharma — behind the build; Geeta Patel — the poses, demonstrated. New work goes up on Instagram and Facebook before it reaches a page here.
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