What Are Compound Exercises? - Effective Compound Movements
Here we will go through what compound exercises are, why they are so efficient, and of course give you lots of examples of compound movements to add to your workouts.
What are compound exercises?
Compound exercises are movements that engage multiple muscle groups and involve more than one joint at a time.
Unlike isolation exercises which target a single muscle group, compound exercises work various muscles simultaneously. This makes them highly efficient.
Some examples of compound exercises:
- Push ups (chest, triceps, shoulders, core)
- Burpees (full body)
- Lunges (quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves)
Benefits of including compound movements into your workout routine
There are many positive effects and benefits from doing compound exercises in your workouts.
Here are 5 examples of their benefits:
Multiple joints and muscles working together improve coordination and balance
Increased Muscle Mass & Strength, through more testosterone and growth hormone release
Many compound movements engage the core, which improves your strength and posture.
Efficiency because the exercises give you more results in less time by working several muscles at once.
Progressive overload friendly – easy to increase weights over time to build more strength. Here you can read more about progressive overload.
Compound Exercises – Full body
Burpees
Muscles: Full body (legs, chest, arms, core)
Mountain Climbers
Muscles: Core, shoulders, legs, chest
Weighted Barbell Back Squat
Muscles: Lower body, core stabilizer and upper back
Compound Exercises – Lower Body
Wall sit
Muscles: Quads, glutes, calves
Bodyweight squat
Muscles: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
Barbell Front Squat
Muscles: Quads, glutes and hamstrings, plus core stability and upper body support
Tip: Here you get more squat examples.
Compound Exercises – Upper Body
Dumbbell Bench Press
Muscles: Chest, shoulders and triceps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Muscles: Deltoids, triceps, traps, and core stabilizers
Bent-Over Barbell Row
Muscles: Lats, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and biceps