sondring, I defined sculpt above as changing the size of a muscle relative to the surrounding muscles.
"Shaping" and "sculpting" are kind of misnomers in the sense that it is of course understood that we can't change the shape of the muscle, but rather we are changing its size in comparison to other muscles.


kcb, you are repeating yourself.
This is all very common information in weightlifting circles and I am well aware of it.
However it is not addressing the issue that I am.

My only point is that there are some goals that are better achieved via isolation exercises as opposed to compound lifts.
I see nothing you posted to refute that statement.

you're right:

If you want to spend a lot of time in the gym and have a body that's not very functional then isolation movements are the best way to workout.

Otherwise I can't think of a reason you wouldn't want compound exercises to form the core of your workout routine.

Take a look at: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-download/CFJ-trial.pdf

I've read a ton of stuff on it already -- fitness kind of being part of the job and all. And you have all those kettle-bell guys hyping their stuff too, which is another version of the same philosophy.

But there are still reasons for isolation. Are you sure you're getting everything you can out of your biceps if you're just doing pull-ups? Maybe you're maximizing your lats but leaving something on the table with your arms.

Also, full body strength isn't the only reason to work out -- maybe you want to maximize weight loss. Maybe you want to concentrate on one area of your body that doesn't seem to be developing as well as the rest.

And tell me what good is a pull up bar if you're not in a place with your workouts where you can do a pull up yet? Sure you might be able to do negatives with a spotter, or use a machine that spots you, but what if you don't have a partner available? Or what if you weigh 300 pounds and you can't do a pull up even with a spotter?

I also believe there's nothing wrong with combining the two. What if I do preacher curls first, then do pull ups? Not every work out, but once in awhile. I get a super-set kind of thing with my arms, which is good to mix in I think. Works for me, anyway.

I was being sarcastic. Obviously you are too close minded to have an intelligent discussion about it. I'm done with this thread. Won't add to it, won't read it. So don't bother responding.