Are bicep curls better than pushups?

Functional (Multi-Joint) Exercises vs Bro (Isolation) Exercises

“Functional” vs “Bro” movements

I’ve seen this topic debated on social media.

What’s better? ”Functional” exercises that replicate daily movement like a pushup or squat? Or isolation exercises that target specific muscle groups like a bicep curl or leg extension?

Choosing one style is like asking, “what’s better, a screwdriver or a hammer?” They’re both great at what they do. It doesn’t have to be a debate, just use the tool needed for the job.

My take- do both! I typically prescribe compound exercises at the beginning of workouts and isolation exercises towards the end.

Upgrade Your Nutrition

If I had to perform some dark art magic on your nutrition today, I would figure out how much protein you take in daily. If you took in less than 70% of your bodyweight lbs in grams of protein, I’d have you take a scoop or two of whey protein. (So if you weigh 150lbs, we want at least 105g of protein)

Why protein?

  • It takes more energy to digest than carbs + fat. (More calorie burn)
  • Your body rebuilds via protein. (Maximize muscle gain + less soreness)
  • You’ll feel fuller. It’s easier to not eat an extra scoop of ice cream when you’re full.

Not getting enough protein in a day is like getting taxed on your hard-working training paychecks (your workouts). No one wants that. Eat your protein to get the most out of your workouts.