5 Compound Exercises
You Should Add to Your Workout
Provided
by American
Council on Exercise
Sometimes
when we train we try to get too fancy. We forget the simple exercises that can
hit multiple body parts at once. Compound exercises, for example, allow you to
“use the heaviest load possible, involve multiple joint articulations and
stimulate a large amount of muscle mass,” explains Eric Cressey,
president of Cressey Sports Performance. “As an added
bonus, the majority of these movements are performed [from a] standing
position, meaning that you will need to display proper control of your body.
Compound exercises are also more likely to increase your anabolic response to
training, which is paramount when you’re trying to increase lean muscle
tissue.”
Compound
exercises address many actions at once, making them both efficient and
effective. Here are some of the best compound exercises to add to your
workout.
1.
Hip Hinge or Deadlift
This
compound movement targets the forearms, lats, glutes,
hamstrings, core stabilizers and upper-, mid- and lower-back. It’s an amazing
exercise for the whole posterior chain.
Stand
with feet about hip-width apart. Make sure you are close enough to the bar.
Drive your hips back. Take tension out of the bar. Brace your core, keep tension in the lats and
the knees soft as you push your heels into the floor. As the bar approaches the
knees, think about shooting your hips into the bar. Finish in a tall stand
while clenching your glutes.
2.
Squat
This
exercise enhances mobility in the hips and ankles, and challenges core
stabilizers, posterior chain, lower legs and quads. Through lack of soft-tissue
work, faulty movements, mobility issues and muscle weaknesses, many people
struggle to perform a deep squat, but ideally, you want to work toward
achieving a full, deep squat.
Stand
with feet shoulder-width apart. Dial your feet into the floor, activating your
hips. Control the downward, or eccentric phase toward
the floor—don’t let gravity lower you down. Move the tailbone toward the floor,
while maintaining a tall, engaged torso. Push the floor away and rise to stand,
fully extending.
3. Loaded
Carries
This
exercise targets grip, shoulders, back, core stabilizers, arms and legs—in
other words, it’s a full-body exercise that is also very functional. You can
perform loaded carries with dumbbells, buckets of water, kettlebells, sandbags, trap bars, etc. Just be sure the load is
heavy.
Brace
your core and bend down and grab two of the heavy implements you will be using
and walk as far as you can. Rest and then do it again…and again.
4.
Pull-ups
The
primary movements of the lats are upper-arm
adduction, internal rotation and extension, but their secondary properties make
them adaptable to train for posture. Strengthening the lats
will provide better postural stabilization of the spine and lower pelvis
because of its attachment points. The pull-up also trains grip, arms,
shoulders, back, core and pelvic floor.
Use
a bench or jump and grab a pull-up bar. Arms should be fully extended. True
pull-ups work through a full range of motion. Retract the scapula, stabilize
the girdle and initiate the work or muscular contractions by pulling your body
up until your chin is over the bar. Lower the body in a very controlled manner,
until arms are fully extended.
5.
Push-ups
Push-ups
are often done incorrectly, largely due to poor body awareness and a lack of
postural stability and core strength. Push-ups require dynamic control to
prevent the body from sagging. Your arms, shoulders, serratus, core stabilizers
and pectoral muscles, along with the legs, glutes and lats
are all engaged to help you maintain a zipped-up line.
Place
your hands on the floor directly under the shoulders with fingers spread wide.
Pack the shoulders, squeeze the glutes and press the heels away. Keep your head
in line with your body and bend the elbows to lower the chest with control
toward the floor. There should be no sagging anywhere in your body. Keep the
legs, glutes and shoulders engaged as you press back up to the starting
position.
AUTHOR
Elizabeth Andrews
Elizabeth Andrews graduated
from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Public Health Education
specializing in Health Promotion and Wellness and is certified through ACSM,
ACE, AFAA. She has over 25 years of experience in the
industry and has held a variety of positions: Fitness Director, Club Educator,
Spinning Coordinator, Group Exercise Coordinator, Sales, Motivational Speaker,
Corporate Instructor, Fitness Modeling, Educator for Southern College and
Bellevue Community College, Regional Aerobic Presenter, Fitness Consultant for
TBS Superstation, NBC, CBS affiliates in both Atlanta, GA. and Chattanooga, TN.
She was also chosen as "One of Atlanta's Top Spin Instructors" by
Ultimate Health and Fitness Guide in Atlanta. Elizabeth currently lives in Seattle
and has a business and training class called PUSH. She also teaches for TRX, is
a Master Trainer for the DVRT-Ultimate Sandbag System, and is an Elite Master
Trainer with Stroops.