Ready to take your workouts to the next level? Forget spending hours isolating tiny muscle groups – it's time to unlock the power of compound movement exercises! These multi-joint movements are the foundation of any effective strength training program, and for good reason. They engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, maximising your muscle activation and building a strong, well-rounded physique.
Think squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups – these compound muscle building exercises are your gateway to a stronger, fitter you. Whether you're a gym newbie or a seasoned weightlifter, incorporating a compound movement workout program into your routine is a guaranteed way to boost your results.
This blog will equip you with everything you need to know about compound movements. We'll explore a compound exercises list of the top 10 exercises perfect for beginners, provide a sample compound movement workout plan, and answer the burning question: can compound exercises help you burn fat? Let's dive in and unlock the full potential of your training with the power of compound movements!
Table Of Contents
1. What Are Compound Movements?
2. 10 Best Compound Movement Exercises
3. Do Compound Exercises Burn Fat?
4. Expert’s Advice
5. The Final Say
6. FAQs
7. References
What Are Compound Movements?
Compound exercises are also called "multi-joint" movements because they require you to move more than one joint. A compound exercise uses multiple muscle groups simultaneously to perform the movement, assisting you in gaining or preserving muscular mass faster than isolated exercises. The squat is an excellent illustration of a complex exercise; it helps strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, core and lower back and increases general fitness.
Compound exercises are super practical because they aim for multiple muscle groups simultaneously, saving you time while training. Compound exercises are also a good choice if you want to lose weight or get your heart pumping more because they produce a more significant energy expenditure than smaller, isolated movements like biceps.
Also Read: What Are Barre Workouts Benefits And Exercises | ToneOp Fit
10 Best Compound Movement Exercises For Beginners
The 10 best compound movement exercises for beginners are:
1. Bench Press
It works the triceps and front delts and is primarily a chest exercise. The primary powerlifter competition event is the bench press, which gauges competitors' upper body strength. Including the bench press in your chest training program is one of the best ways to increase strength from your push muscles and add muscle mass to your pectorals.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Lie on a bench facing the sky with your back slightly arched.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than the shoulder distance apart.
- Inhale, hold your breath and bring down the bar with control to a level that touches your chest somewhere near your sternum.
- As you exhale, push the bar up to the starting position. Repeat for repetition.
2. Incline Dumbbell Press
The incline dumbbell press is a great exercise to add to the bench press to strengthen the upper body and is a fantastic workout for the pectorals. Performing the exercise on the incline bench will emphasise the upper chest muscles compared to the chest press with flat dumbbells. Incline presses lead to more significant upper chest muscle growth than a flat bench.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Adjust the incline of the bench to approximately 30-45 degrees.
- Raise a pair of dumbbells to the starting position while seated.
- As you exhale, press the dumbbells to your straight arms.
- Inhale at the top or as you lower the dumbbells with control back to your shoulders.
3. Push-up
The push-up is a traditional bodyweight exercise that works the triceps, shoulders, and chest. It is an excellent example of a compound exercise you can do anywhere with no special training equipment other than your body weight. Anywhere, anytime, is the right place and time for some push-ups. Push-ups are as good for increasing muscle and strength as the barbell bench press.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Take the starting position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Create a straight line from your head to your feet and support your stomach slightly.
- As you inhale, lower yourself as deep as possible.
- When you touch the floor, reverse the movement and rise back into straight arms as you exhale.
- Repeat for repetition
4. Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the best compound movements for strengthening the hamstrings and posterior chain muscles, specifically the glutes, hamstrings, erector spinae, and quadriceps. It's almost a full-body workout in its own right, benefiting everything from your most prominent muscle groups to your grip strength. Incorporating the deadlift into your exercise routine will improve your overall functional fitness movement patterns that you can use in your everyday life.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Stand close to the bar so it is about halfway up your leg.
- Inhale, lean forward and grab the bar.
- Hold your breath, tighten your core slightly, and lift the bar.
- Once you are standing straight, pull the bar in close to your body while maintaining a straight back.
- Bring the control bar back to the ground.
- Breathe in again and repeat for repetition.
Also Read: The Perfect Deadlift Form & Its 3 Key Benefits | ToneOpFit
5. Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are an old-school bodyweight training exercise for building a robust, broad back that has stood the test of time. They are also a great exercise to increase upper-body pulling strength since they work the back muscles, especially the lats, as well as the arms and rear delts.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Hold the bar with your palms facing away, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your chest up and look at the bar.
- Take a breath, then raise yourself until the bar meets your upper chest or your chin is over it.
- Release your breath and carefully descend until your arms are fully stretched.
6. Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell Row is apparently the king of upper-body pressing exercises. It primarily works your lats, trapezius, rhomboids, and rear deltoids, but it also effectively targets your lower back, biceps, and forearms.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Grasp the bar with an overhand grip.
- Bend forward with the bar hanging from straight arms.
- Inhale and pull the bar towards you.
- Pull the bar as high as possible to touch your stomach or chest.
- With control, bring back the bar to the starting position.
7. Overhead Press
The overhead, shoulder, or military press is a basic movement for improving upper body pressing strength and building deltoid size. It is primarily a shoulder exercise but also targets your pecs and triceps. Shoulder presses also enhance athletic performance and other overhead activities, such as throwing and climbing. They improve shoulder stability and reduce the risk of injury.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- First, place the barbell in the rack at approximately chest height.
- Step toward a bar that is marginally wider than your shoulders.
- Inhale and let the bar rest against the front delts.
- As you exhale, press the bar up toward your straight arms.
- Inhale at the top or as you lower the bar with control back to your shoulders.
- Repeat for repetition.
8. Upright Row
The upright row is the only open-chain, multi-joint movement that targets the middle deltoid and effectively targets both the deltoid and the upper trapezius. It's also a significant movement to master in weightlifting as part of the high-tension portion of the clean.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Using an overhand grip that is marginally narrower than shoulder-width apart, grab the bar.
- Raise the bar straight up until your chin is level with it.
- Bring back the bar with control to the starting position.
9. Chin Up
The chin-up is a useful exercise for strengthening the muscles in the upper back, much like the pull-up. However, using a supinated grip (palms facing you) lets you focus more on the biceps. Your biceps are working hard to help lift your body weight as you raise your body toward the bar. Chin-ups are one of the few compound movements that emphasise your biceps, making them an excellent addition to your compound workout.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Grip the bar with a supinated grip, approximately shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your chest up and look at the bar.
- Take a breath, then raise yourself until the bar meets your upper chest or your chin is over it.
- Release your breath and carefully descend until your arms are fully stretched.
10. Squat
For good reason, the squat is one of the most used exercises in strength training programs. Squat exercises like the back and front squat involve the hip, knee, and ankle joints and strengthen several major muscle groups in the lower body. It is one of the best exercises for improving lower body strength and increasing muscle mass.
How do you do this compound movement exercise?
- Place the bar on your upper back. Inhale, lean back slightly and open the bar.
- Take two steps back and adjust your feet.
- Squat as deep as possible with a good technique.
- With control, stop and reverse the movement and extend the hips and legs again.
- On the way up, exhale or exchange air in the upper position.
- Breathe in and repeat for repetition.
Do Compound Exercises Burn Fat?
When you perform exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously, you strain your nervous system, which must coordinate your muscle activation and movement, and your cardiovascular system, which must deliver more blood to your working muscles.
Because of this higher demand, compound exercises stimulate greater adaptation, meaning you will get fitter faster. Also, being outside burns more calories. Since you use more muscles and burn more calories doing a few sets of squats than a few sets of lateral raises, focusing your training on compound exercises means you'll get more bang for your buck at the gym. A more efficient workout means more calories burned overall and less time spent doing it.
In addition to burning more calories in the short term, compound exercise has also increased strength and muscle hypertrophy. The more muscle you build with compound exercise, the more and more calories your body automatically burns each day. Over time, this faster metabolism significantly affects your ability to lose body fat and keep it off.
Also Read: Unlock The Best Exercises For Losing Weight Quickly And A 7-Day Workout Plan!
Expert’s Advice
Compound exercises are an efficient and effective way to maximise your time in the gym. Mix up your exercise routine every few weeks and add new compound exercises. Doing compound exercises regularly improves your overall strength and engages you in efficient and functional training; then, one full of compound exercises will give you what you need.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Compound exercises use more muscle groups and thus a larger amount of muscle mass. This increases caloric energy demand during exercise and recovery, so compound lifts are ideal for weight loss. Finally, due to their capacity to load compound lifts heavily, they are suitable for training adaptations such as strength and should, therefore, form a large part of your training program.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between compound movements vs. isolation movements?
A compound exercise is one that uses multiple muscle groups simultaneously to perform the movement. A good example of a compound exercise is the squat. In contrast, an isolation exercise or movement targets a single muscle or muscle group. A good example is the bicep preacher curl.
2. Mention 5 compound movement exercises for fat loss.
The five common compound movement exercises for fat loss are:
- Walking Lunges
- Barbell Lunge
- Burpee
- Front Squats
- Shoulder Press
3. Which exercises should be included in a full-body compound workout?
Some exercises that can be included in a full-body compound workout are:
- Squat
- Deadlifts
- Pull-Up
- Bench Press
- Lunge and Twist
4. What are the most effective compound movement exercises for biceps?
The top most effective compound movement exercises for biceps are:
- Row
- Barbell Thruster
- Hammer Row
- Chest Press
- Pull-Up
References
- https://www.strengthlog.com/compound-exercises-list/
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/13723630-compound-exercises-fat-loss/
- https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/compound-exercises/
- https://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/blog/education/what-are-compound-exercises/
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