Compound Exercises To Maximize Your Time and Get Results

Compound exercises are exercises that work two or more joints and more than one muscle group. They are more integrated than most of the machines at your gym which focus mostly on isolation moves.

There are four exercises that should be included in your workouts: squats, bench press, pull-ups and deadlifts. Whether you’re a beginner or have a lot of experience in the gym, make sure you work these staples into your regimen.

Doing a leg curl is great for the hamstrings, but if you want to save time and boost your results, a well-performed squat is much more beneficial. A squat is going involve your hips, knees, and ankles. The muscles being used are your hamstrings, quads, glutes, core and back.

Pull ups are tough plain and simple. Not everybody can do a pull-up but there are a couple of ways to perform this compound movement. The assisted pull-up/dip machine is found in most gyms and is a great place to start. You kneel on a pad and there is a counter weight that basically subtracts from your body weight so you’re only lifting a fraction of what you actually weigh.

Resistance bands are another way to progress to a pull-up. Hook the handles on the ends of the chin up bar and put either one or both feet in the middle of the hanging band so the tension gives a little boost while you work through the motion. Having a friend hold your knees and spot you while you pull yourself up is an easy method and requires no equipment.

Almost everyone knows what a bench press is and how to perform it. This can be done the traditional way on an Olympic bench or in a smith machine. Not only does the quality bench press work the pecs, shoulders, and triceps, but also the serratus muscles which runs along your rips. This makes your whole core look better.

To add a little more core work to a bench press, try performing it on a stability ball. When you do this exercise make sure you have a spotter or position yourself in a power rack or squat rack. Dumbbells also could be used to keep this variation safe.

The last exercise that needs to be included in your routine is the deadlift. All exercises should be done with proper form, but it’s exceptionally important in the case of a deadlift. There are many variations of the deadlift and it can be done with a barbell or dumbbells.

Virtually every muscle in the body is used during the motion putting the most emphasis on the back, core, and hamstrings. Because a deadlift requires you to bend over and pick up weight off the floor, it is important to keep your spine neutral.

When starting out with this exercise, use lighter weight and focus on form. A good rule of thumb when starting out is to keep you chest out and your butt out as you bend over. This will keep your back straight.

Next week I will describe different deadlifts in more detail and how to target different areas of your body while doing them.