Benefits | Examples | Safety Measures
Resistance training mainly comprises two types of exercises – compound exercises and isolated exercises. Here you will learn everything related to compound exercises only.
What Are Compound Exercises?
Compound exercises are exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and multiple joints. In these exercises, different muscle groups work together at the same time.
For example, a squat is a compound exercise that works on your quadriceps, glutes, and calves. However, some other muscles are also involved in it but these are the major ones.
Compound exercises are different from isolation exercises. In an isolation exercise, only one muscle group works at a time. For example, the bicep curl is an isolation exercise that strengthens your biceps only. No other muscle is involved in it.
On the other hand, compound exercises allow you to train various muscles simultaneously. In some exercises (like squats and deadlifts) your full body works as a whole.
SUMMARY: Compound exercises are exercises in which multiple muscles and joints work together. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, etc are some examples of compound exercises.
Why Should You Do Compound Exercises?
Compound exercises give you a lot of benefits over isolated ones. You must add them to your workout routine. Here are some benefits of doing these exercises.
Compound Exercises Improves Strength and Muscle Mass:
Compound exercises are supposed to be the best way of increasing strength and muscle mass. The reason is, these exercises give you the luxury to lift super heavy weights.
It is easier to lift heavy in a compound exercise as it involves multiple muscle groups. For example, you can lift more weight in squats than in leg extension because, in addition to your quadriceps, squats include glutes and calves too.
Compound Exercises Are Time Efficient:
This may be the biggest benefit of doing compound exercises. Doing them, you can get more in less time. You will get better results in less time by adding them to your workout routine.
If you don’t have enough time, you’ll work more muscles and build more strength by doing compound exercises.
About 6-8 exercises are sufficient to stimulate all the major muscles of your body. Due to this reason, it is recommended to do compound exercises for more time-efficient workouts.
In addition, compound exercises are the best way to change your body composition in minimum time. These exercises help in the overall development of your body.
Compound Exercises Burn More Calories:
The amount of calories you burn in your workout depends on the type of exercise you are doing. Different types of exercises burn different amounts of calories.
Exercises that involve more muscles, burn more calories. Since compound exercises recruit multiple muscles, they burn more calories than other exercises.
Improves Cardiovascular Ability:
Improving cardiovascular ability means improving the ability of your heart to pump blood. For example, running is a cardiovascular exercise because it increases your heart rate. In this way, you strengthen your heart.
Compound exercises help you in doing the same. They elevate your heart rate and give a cardiovascular training benefit.
Requires Less Number Of Equipment:
All the different types of compound movements can be done by using a barbell only. There is no need for dumbbells and fancy exercise machines.
SUMMARY: Compound exercises are very time efficient and the best way to build strength and muscle mass. They also give cardiovascular benefits and don’t require any fancy machines.
Examples of Compound Exercises
Here are some examples of the best compound movements you must add to your workout regime…
Deadlift
This is the best exercise you can do to build a muscular back. Along with the back, a deadlift strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, forearms, and your core muscles.
Here is how to perform that:
- Stand with feets shoulder-width apart, barbell on the floor, and toes under the bar.
- Push your hips back, keep your core tight and your spine must be neutral as you squat down.
- Grab the bar with your hands. Place your hands on the bar slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Push through your heels as you start to lift.
- Pull the bar up, keeping it close to your shin bone as you lift.
- Finish the lift with a glute squeeze at the top.
- Slowly lower the bar to the ground keeping your back straight.
- Perform anywhere between 6-12 reps and rest for 1-3 minutes between sets.
- Do 3-5 sets.
Squat
A squat is the best compound exercise for your lower body. In addition to your quadriceps, it includes glutes and calves also.
Here is how to perform that:
- On a squat rack, go below the barbell and put the bar on your neck.
- Feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your chest up, core tight, and stand straight.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below parallel. Your knees should not go ahead of your toes.
- Push through heels while standing back up to the starting position.
- Make sure to keep your spine straight throughout the whole movement.
- Perform 8 to 12 reps and rest for 1-2 minutes between sets.
- Perform 3-4 sets.
Barbell Overhead Press
This compound exercise will strengthen your shoulders, triceps, and core. Here is how to perform that:
- Sit on a bench with a tight core and straight spine.
- Hold the barbell with your hands. Place your hands on the bar such that when you lower the bar, your forearms should be perpendicular to the ground.
- Push the bar over your head until you have a very slight bend in your elbow joint. The reason being, locking your elbow will remove all the tension from your deltoids (shoulder muscles).
- Slowly lower your arms to a 90-degree angle, until the barbell touches your nose. Going lower than that can injure your shoulder joint.
- Perform 6-12 reps with a rest of 1-2 minutes between sets.
- Perform 3-5 sets.
These were some examples of compound exercises you must add to your workout. Apart from these, there are some other compound movements also, including bench press, bent-over rows, etc.
Safety Measures
Compound exercises allow you to lift a very heavy weight which increases the chances of injury. So make sure to keep your form up to the mark, especially in deadlifts and squats. These exercises lead to injury in your lower disc if your technique is not correct.
Work with a professional fitness trainer or a training partner while performing compound movements. They can keep an eye on your form and support you in case of heavy lifts.
If you are a beginner, then don’t go for heavyweights from the first day. Start with a weight with which you can perform at least 12 reps comfortably with the correct form.
Compound exercises recruit multiple muscles and joints to lift heavyweights. So a proper warm-up is mandatory before beginning your workout.
You must have read:
How To Do Warm-up Before A Workout
SUMMARY: Perform compound exercises with a training partner who can check your form and make sure your joints and muscles are thoroughly warmed-up before starting the exercise.
The Bottom Line
Compound exercises are an efficient way to better utilize your time in the gym. Try to add more and more compound movements to your workout routine because of their various benefits. In contrast to isolated exercises, they work on the overall development of your body.
Compound exercises are the best way to gain muscle mass and build strength. They also burn more calories and give a cardiovascular training benefit.
If you are a beginner or you don’t know the correct technique then ask a professional trainer before doing the exercise.
Thank you for reading this so far. I hope you liked this article and learned something valuable from this.
If you have any queries regarding compound movements, feel free to ask in the comments.
