How To Get The Most Bang For Your Buck: Try Compound Exercises When You're Crunched For Time
What is a compound exercise?
A compound exercise is any exercise that uses multiple joints and trains many muscle groups at the same time.
Advantages of training using compound exercises
Efficient Training Process:Training multiple muscle groups at the same time means spending less time in the gym for the same effort.
Requires Greater Work Effort: The exercises are more challenging and improve strength levels dramatically.
Improves Coordination: A compound exercise requires more coordination than an isolation exercise (single-joint exercise)
Mimics Functional Movements: Exercises have greater translation to functional activities you do every day.
My Top 5 Picks For Compound Exercises And Muscles Trained
Power Snatch- Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, lower back, upper back, deltoids, triceps, biceps.
Squat- Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, calves, ankles
Dead-lift- Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector spinae of the lower back, trapezius, forearms
Bench Press- Pectoralis major, triceps, anterior deltoids, serratus anterior.
Pull-ups- Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, teres minor, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps, brachioradialis
The alternative to doing compound exercises is doing isolation exercises (single joint movements such as bicep curls). If you have all the time in the world to do your strength training workouts, a program that isolates each muscle group (think body-builder workout) is feasible. Isolation training is very popular with body-builders who are trying to bring up lagging muscles. But you have to remember that most body-builders are all show and NO GO. If you are going to do isolation exercises, do them at the end of your workout.
