[BendtheBar]

Some can be ok...but rarely superior to compounds or bodyweight lifts.

Some can be good for pre-hab/re-hab (shoulders). Some muscles require isolation lift to properly strengthen (calves, abs).

Back isolation exercises are fairly useless. Trap isolation lifts are never as good as the more explosive variations, in my opinion. I don't think chest and tricep isolations are better than dips, presses, etc. I am not a fan at all of shoulder isolations.

Then, of course, if we bring drugs into the equation things can change...

Being able to isolate a muscle is often place upon this golden pedestal, as if it's the only method that can build muscle. In my training I have never found this to be the case, and over the years have all but removed most isolation work for this reason.

Also, many isolation lifts are not "natural" movements for the body, meaning the body was not meant to move weight as such. Many (not all) have poor natural leverage, and I don't believe adding progression to these lifts is in any way good for the body.

Modern bodybuilding is a funny game...we see people turning isolation lifts into compounds to add more leverage and weight, and people turning compounds into isolations to feel the mind muscle connection. Too much voo doo for me.