The current thinking or fad in fitness,is to incorporate multi joint /muscle group exercises as they tend to create more, for lack of a better word "athleticism".
Besides the primary muscles being worked,a lot of others are activated to help stabilize you.
For athletes and basically everyone else ,this sort of training offers the most "real world" benefits.
Crossfit has also become hugely popular and it falls in line with this type of thinking.
Generally, there is a steady movement toward more body weight exercises (ie pistol squats,pullups,burpees etc) and away from weights entirely.
Bookmarks