Believe it or not, even if you are at the very start of your fitness journey, or you’ve never even picked up a dumbbell in your life, you MUST be including compound exercises in your training plan. DON’T BE AFRAID.
WHAT ARE COMPOUND EXERCISES?
To put it simply, they are strengthening exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time through a wide range of motion. For example, the most common one (the Barbell Back Squat) engages not just the glutes but also the hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. My top compound exercises that have stayed in my training plan for the last 5 years have been: Barbell Back Squats (of course!), Deadlifts (my favourite), Hip thrusts, Barbell/Dumbbell chest press and various varieties of single leg exercises such as Dumbbell Walking Lunges, Dumbbell Stepups and Bulgarian Split Squats (ouch the pain thinking about these!) There is no denying, they are tough, but equally so vital to have in your training plan.
WHY ARE THEY THE MOST EFFECTIVE?
Compound exercises - when done properly - are the most effective because they keep that heart rate high (those cardio benefits!) and they burn more calories. Even outside of the gym, they help you build strength in normal day to day living. Imagine being able to carry more than 2 shopping bags at a time from the car to your house. Imagine being able to squat down to pet your dog without your back hurting. Imagine being able to lift up your child or baby without the niggles, aches or pains. People really underestimate how vital weight training is, not just if you want to be aesthetically pleasing, but the benefits to your overall health in everyday life.
To put it bluntly, compounds are just more practical. Even when under a time limit in the gym, you are still working more muscles and gaining more muscle mass rather than if every exercise in your plan was an isolation one. The more muscle fibres you hit by doing these strength training exercises, the faster and more consistent your movement patterns become, the more improvement in your flexibility, and the more load you begin to take on. The question you should be asking yourself now if you currently train is: are you progressively overloading in your compounds? If the answer is no, change it, if you need to re-think your plan and include more compounds, it is highly recommended.
When I found my love for weight training, the motivation and determination only ever got stronger (pardon the pun!) for me because the goals were endless every time I reached a new one. Seeing your progression week-by-week as you get stronger should never be underestimated. If you are a newbie to weight training and you are reading this, hit those compounds consistently – along with the right nutrition, that muscle mass will appear overtime.
In conclusion, I am not suggesting you just stick with the compounds. All I am saying is that regardless of your ability, they should be in your training plan. If you are trying compounds for the first time, my only advice would be to invest in a good PT so you avoid injuries (the amount of times I have seen deadlifts executed so badly by ‘intermediates’ is shocking!) Alternatively, study videos of people doing them perfectly or even try and video your own progress and ask someone for some coaching points.
Below is a list of compounds you should be putting in your plan (as a minimum):
Barbell back squats (or Goblet Squats if you’re a newbie)
Barbell Hip thrusts (Bodyweight / Banded hip thrusts or Dumbbell Single leg Hip thrusts if progressing towards them)
Deadlifts (I only recommend you doing these if you’re doing them right – stop overloading the bar if your form is bad!)
Barbell/ Dumbbell bench presses
Single leg exercises such as Dumbbell Stepups, Dumbbell Walking Lunges or Bulgarian split squats
My last little bit of advice from me to you: Always start light and build up, your safety is the most important thing. Ensure you feel the burn every time (if not, you are going too light). Take a Gym Buddy with you so you can spot each other and give each other coaching points.
No matter how experienced a lifter you are, there is always room for perfection.
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