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The Ultimate Guide to Compound Exercises: What Are The Best?

July 6, 2023

A compound exercise is a type of exercise that uses multiple joints and muscles. For example, exercises like the squat, deadlift, and bench press are considered compound exercises because they involve movement at multiple joints: the hips and knees (for squats and deadlifts), and the elbows and shoulders (for the bench press) Why do compound exercises?

Compound exercises are super useful and have impressive advantages that make them integral to any good and effective workout program. Firstly, they allow you to maximise your workout time as they work multiple muscle groups simultaneously - allowing you to get more ‘bang for your buck’. Secondly, they mirror the movements you perform daily, making them highly functional and protective against injuries. Plus, they are fantastic for your heart health, revving up your heart rate and your metabolism!

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What are the best lower body compound exercises?

When it comes to building functional strength and size in your lower body, there are a few compound exercises which are key to your lower body leg day. Let’s take a look at some of the best leg building compound exercises:

Squats: Squats engage your quads, hamstrings, and glutes simultaneously. They are super effective in building overall leg strength and promoting balance and mobility.
Deadlifts: While traditionally considered a back exercise, deadlifts work your entire posterior chain (muscles at the back of your body), including your glutes and hamstrings. This compound exercise helps improve your overall strength and stability.
Lunges: Lunges are great for targeting your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, while also engaging your core for stability and balance. Lunges can be performed in various ways (forward, backward, or lateral) to target different aspects of your lower body.

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Upper Body Compound Exercises

Here are some key upper body compound exercises that should be featured in any effective workout routine:

Bench Press: The bench press primarily works your chest, shoulders, and triceps, making it a great exercise for overall upper body strength.
Pull-Ups: Pull-ups are a powerful exercise for your back muscles, but they also engage your arms, shoulders and core! They are excellent for improving your functional strength.
Overhead Press: This is a key compound exercise that targets your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest. It also indirectly engages your core and lower body for stability, providing a well-rounded workout.

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The Role of Compound and Isolation Exercises

While compound exercises should form the foundation to any workout program, it's important to remember that isolation exercises have their place too. Unlike compound exercises, Isolation exercises target a single muscle group and joint and are especially useful for working on specific muscles that you want to strengthen or define. For example, bicep curls or tricep pushdowns can help build arm definition, while leg curls can isolate and strengthen the hamstrings. By integrating both compound and isolation exercises into your workout, you can create a well-rounded program that not only builds overall strength and endurance but also targets specific areas for development. Remember, variety is key in any successful workout regimen.

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All of our programs on the EvolveYou app are designed by world-class trainers who are experts in their field. Therefore each and every program or workout will always be based on compound exercises and will combine a carefully crafted mix of isometric exercises to ensure you look and feel your best.