Ask Joe Weider, April 19

Tip of the Week: Unless you're training to be a bodybuilder, limit the number of isolation exercises you perform in favor of compound movements.

An isolation exercise is one in which you primarily use a single muscle group to lift a weight. For example, a strict barbell curl will employ your biceps muscles first and foremost, with a little assistance from your forearms. In contrast, an exercise like the squat incorporates muscle groups ranging from the front to the back of the thighs, the lower back, glutes and the abdominals.

While bodybuilders rely on isolation movements to bring out certain muscles in relation to others, the goal of the fitness enthusiast should be to get the body fit and strong, with all of its parts working in harmony. Compound movements best achieve this. Deadlifts, bench presses, bent-over rows, chins, dips, walking lunges and hanging leg raises are all good examples of compound movements.

Q: I hope it doesn't sound like I'm succumbing to an old wives' tale, but I remember hearing as a girl that there were certain exercises one could do to increase one's bust line. Is this true, or have I fallen for another one?

A: Although your query does have the ring of a classic old wives' tale, there is actually truth to the assertion that exercise can increase a woman's bust line. Now, I want you to note that I didn't say that exercise can increase breast size, because it cannot. Since breasts contain no muscle tissue, there's no way to develop them. However, you can train the muscles over which your breasts sit, and by firming them you can lift and extend the tissue atop them.

Your chest muscles, or pectorals, comprise one of the larger muscle groups on your body and can be worked from a variety of angles. I suggest prioritizing the upper pecs, as the lower pecs are all but totally covered by breast tissue.

To work the upper pecs, you'll want to focus on incline exercises. That means the back of the incline seat should be adjusted to anywhere between 30 degrees and 45 degrees. You can do either dumbbell or barbell bench presses and-or dumbbell flies for the upper chest.

From there, I'd move to the middle pecs, which means doing flat bench work such as flat flies, flat bench presses or pec dec flies. Finally, you can do some assisted dips (on an assisted pull-up/dip machine), which are primarily for the lower pecs, but also hit the outer portion of your chest, just under your armpits.

I've included a simple workout for you to follow that is sure to give your bust line a new, improved look in only six to eight weeks.

 

Bust Lift Routine

Exercise —— Sets —— Reps

Incline dumbbell press —— 3 —— 16-13-10

Pec dec flies with dumbbells —— 3 —— 16-13-10

Assisted dips —— 3 —— 12

 

Joe Weider is the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders, creator of the Mr. Olympia and Ms. Olympia bodybuilding contests, and publisher of numerous fitness magazines. To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.