Do you think that you need to do a lot of isolation exercises to build muscular strength and burn fat? Do you want to experience all of the benefits of a comprehensive workout but don’t have the time to do hundreds of individual exercises? If so, then compound exercises are exactly what you’ve been looking for!
Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that are designed to effectively and efficiently work multiple parts of your body at once. In this article, we will discuss the power of compound exercises and how you can use them to build full-body muscle with fewer movements.
What are Compound Exercises?
Before getting into the power of compound exercises, let’s go over exactly what compound exercises are. Compound exercises are typically referred to as “compound movements” or “multi-joint exercises” and are movements that involve multiple muscles and joints. Common examples of compound exercises includes squats, deadlifts, cleans, jerks, bench press, rows, pull-ups, dips, and the shoulder press. There are many variations of these exercises that allow you to target different muscles of the body.
Benefits of Compound Movements
Compound exercises offer a number of benefits, including:
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Time-Efficient: Compound movements allow you to get a full-body workout in a short amount of time. Generally, compound exercises are larger movements that target several muscles at once, allowing you to get more work done in less time.
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Increasing Strength: Compound exercises recruit multiple muscle groups in a single movement, allowing you to move bigger loads, which can lead to increased muscle strength.
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Hormone Release: Compound exercises are typically anaerobic in nature and require a lot of energy as well as several muscle groups. This stimulates the release of hormones, including testosterone and human growth hormone, which can stimulate muscle growth.
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Cardio Benefits: Compound exercises are largely aerobic in nature and can give you a good cardiovascular workout while also increasing muscle strength.
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Increased Range of Motion: Compound exercises typically involve more “functional” movements, meaning they involve natural body movements that we use in everyday life. This helps to increase your range of motion, which can help you to perform better in day-to-day activities.
How to Use Compound Movements
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of compound exercises, let’s talk about how to use them in your workout.
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Beginner Workouts: If you’re just starting out, it’s best to focus on compound exercises first. Pick 2-3 compound exercises and focus on perfecting the form. Aim for 12-15 reps for each exercise and shoot for 3 sets.
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Intermediate Workouts: If you’ve been working out for a while, you can start to add in more exercises. Aim for 4-6 compound exercises and perform 15-20 reps for 3-4 sets.
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Advanced Workouts: If you’re looking for a real challenge, you can start adding in more challenging exercises and heavier weights. Aim for 6-8 exercises and aim for 20-25 reps for 4-6 sets.
Compound exercises are a great way to get a full-body workout with fewer movements. Compound exercises involve multiple muscle groups and joints, which helps to increase muscular strength, improve range of motion, and stimulate the release of hormones. Also, because compound exercises tend to involve larger and more functional movements, they can be completed faster, allowing you to get a comprehensive workout in a short amount of time. If you’re looking to maximize your results with minimal time, then compound exercises should definitely be part of your regular exercise program.
