Open-Chain vs. Closed-Chain Exercises: Which Should You Be Doing?

Understanding when to use each type of exercise can help you build strength, prevent injuries and create a smarter workout plan.

When I was studying for my personal training certification nearly 15 years ago, all the study guides said you should be prepared to answer a question about the difference between open-chain and closed-chain exercises.

It's one of those classic exam tricks where test makers pull a question from a sidebar or footnote just to make sure you're really paying attention. Sure enough, on page 403 of the fourth edition of NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, you'll find a sidebar defining these two terms (which we'll dig into more in a moment).

I'm grateful I was introduced to this concept early in my career, but I'll admit that simply knowing these two types of exercises exist doesn't take you very far. What's far more useful is understanding when to prioritize one over the other and how each can help you move closer to your goals.

Have you ever heard someone say, "It's all connected" when discussing your body, pain, movement or posture?

It's true. Our bodies don't operate as isolated parts. Muscles, joints and connective tissues all work together through what is commonly called the kinetic chain. If you're interested in learning more about this concept, I highly recommend checking out this NASM article.

I've found myself discussing open-chain and closed-chain exercises a lot lately with physical therapist friends, fellow trainers and clients who enjoy learning the "why" behind their workout programs.

So let's start with the definitions before exploring why this distinction actually matters.

As defined by NASM:

Closed-chain exercises involve movements in which the distal extremities (hands or feet) are in a constant fixed position and the force applied by the individual is not great enough to overcome the resistance (such as the ground or another immovable object). Examples include push-ups, pull-ups and squats.

Open-chain exercises involve movements in which the distal extremities (hands or feet) are not in a fixed position and the force applied by the body is great enough to overcome the resistance (such as barbells, dumbbells or weight machines). Examples include the bench press*, lat pulldown and machine leg extension.

*Side note: As with many things in health and fitness, not everyone fully agrees on every classification. Some experts argue the bench press is different because the hands remain fixed on the bar during the movement. Rather than getting bogged down in semantics, it's important to understand that different organizations sometimes classify certain exercises differently.

While those definitions are technically accurate, they don't tell us much about how to actually apply this information in the gym.

Should runners prioritize one over the other? What about someone trying to build muscle? Are closed-chain exercises really more "functional" as they're often portrayed?

As with most things in fitness, the answer isn't that one is better than the other. The best choice depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

"The key is sequencing: building a stable closed-chain foundation before reintroducing the higher-velocity open-chain patterns a runner eventually needs for return to sport. Research increasingly shows the strain differences between well-selected closed- and open-chain exercises are often smaller than we once assumed, giving us more flexibility to program both intelligently rather than treating one as universally 'safer.'"

— Dr. Nicole Sabes, PT, DPT
Clinic Director & Physical Therapist, Renew Physical Therapy (San Francisco)

I love Dr. Sabes' emphasis on sequencing because that's really the point of this discussion. The goal isn't to choose sides—it's to choose the right exercise at the right time.

So...Which Is Better?

If you're hoping for a simple answer, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. I tell my clients all the time “I rarely have short answers.” 

Open-chain and closed-chain exercises are simply different tools in the toolbox. One isn't inherently superior to the other any more than a dumbbell is better than a kettlebell.

The question isn't, "Which one is best?"

The better question is, "Which one is best for what I'm trying to accomplish?"

Let's look at a few common goals.

If Your Goal Is Getting Stronger

Most strength programs are built around compound, multi-joint exercises. Squats, deadlifts, pull-ups and presses train many muscles at once and generally allow you to move heavier loads than isolation exercises.

That doesn't mean open-chain exercises don't belong in a strength program.

Accessory movements like hamstring curls, leg extensions, triceps pushdowns and biceps curls can strengthen muscles that might otherwise become limiting factors.

If your triceps are always the weak link during pressing exercises or your hamstrings fatigue before your glutes during deadlifts, some targeted open-chain work may help improve your bigger lifts.

Think of compound lifts as building the house and isolation exercises as reinforcing the individual rooms.

If Your Goal Is Building Muscle

This is where both open-chain and closed-chain exercises can be valuable.

Muscle growth is driven primarily by training hard enough, accumulating sufficient volume and progressively increasing the challenge over time. Your muscles don't know—or care—whether an exercise is open-chain or closed-chain.

However, isolation exercises can make it easier to target a specific muscle without another muscle group compensating.

For example, if you've been squatting consistently but your quadriceps still seem to lag behind, adding leg extensions may provide additional stimulus. Likewise, lateral raises remain one of the best ways to develop the middle deltoids even though they may be considered less "functional" than an overhead press.

Many bodybuilders actually perform a significant amount of open-chain training because their goal is maximizing development of individual muscles.

If Your Goal Is Improving Athletic Performance

This depends entirely on the sport.

Athletes need coordinated movement, force production and stability, all of which are developed through well-designed strength training programs.

But athletes also have weak links.

A runner with relatively weak hip abductors may benefit from isolation exercises targeting the gluteus medius. A baseball pitcher recovering shoulder strength may spend considerable time performing open-chain rotator cuff exercises before progressing to more complex movements.

The best athletic programs usually blend both approaches rather than choosing one exclusively.

If You're Recovering From an Injury

This is probably where the conversation gets the most interesting.

For years, there was a common belief that closed-chain exercises were automatically safer than open-chain exercises. Today, most rehabilitation professionals recognize that the answer is much more nuanced.

"In early-stage rehab, I lean heavily on closed-chain exercises like split squats, step-downs and single-leg Romanian deadlifts because they load the joint with compressive forces that improve stability and proprioception while minimizing shear stress. Open-chain work comes in once I need to isolate a specific weak link that a compound movement might be masking."

— Dr. Nicole Sabes, PT, DPT
Clinic Director & Physical Therapist, Renew Physical Therapy, San Francisco

Dr. Sabes' approach is a great example of how many rehabilitation professionals now think about programming. Rather than labeling one category of exercise as "good" or "bad," the focus is on using the right exercise at the right stage of recovery.

Following an ACL reconstruction, for example, patients often use carefully selected closed-chain exercises and gradually incorporate open-chain knee extension exercises as appropriate during recovery. Each serves a different purpose.

Likewise, someone recovering from shoulder surgery may begin with controlled open-chain exercises before progressing to more demanding closed-chain movements.

The takeaway?

The best exercise is often the one that is appropriate for your current stage of recovery.

Are Closed-Chain Exercises Really More Functional?

This is probably the biggest misconception surrounding this topic.

Yes, many daily activities involve closed-chain movement. Standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, walking uphill and getting off the floor all resemble closed-chain exercises.

But "functional" doesn't simply mean your feet are touching the ground.

If strengthening your quadriceps with leg extensions helps you walk downstairs without knee pain, I'd argue that's incredibly functional.

If lateral raises improve your ability to place a suitcase in an overhead bin, that's functional too.

Function should be defined by whether an exercise helps you do something meaningful in your life—not by whether your hands or feet happen to be fixed during the movement.

How I Program Them

For most healthy adults, I don't think of this as an either-or decision.

Instead, I generally build workouts in layers.

First, perform one or two compound exercises that train multiple muscle groups and require coordination. These movements typically provide the greatest return on your training time.

Next, add exercises that target muscles needing additional attention. Sometimes those will be open-chain. Sometimes they'll be closed-chain. It depends on the individual.

Finally, consider the person's goals.

A powerlifter will have a different ratio of compound to isolation work than a bodybuilder.

A runner may spend more time strengthening calves and hips.

Someone recovering from an injury may temporarily prioritize exercises they'd rarely perform once fully healthy.

Good programming isn't about blindly following categories.

It's about solving problems.

The Bottom Line

I still remember memorizing the definitions of open-chain and closed-chain exercises for my certification exam many years ago.

Looking back, that was probably the least important part of learning the concept.

Understanding when to use each is what actually matters.

Closed-chain exercises are excellent for developing coordinated strength and teaching the body to work as a system.

Open-chain exercises are outstanding for isolating muscles, addressing weak links and supporting rehabilitation.

Rather than asking whether one is better than the other, ask yourself a different question:

Which type of exercise best serves my goal right now?

That's the question that leads to better programming—and ultimately better results.