Want To Know The Best Compound Exercises That Will Take Your Workout To The Next Level? Read On…
When it comes to exercise selection, compound exercises (also called compound movements or multi-joint movements) always triumph over isolation exercises. Along with progressive overload, they are the best – and pretty much only – way to ensure optimal and long-term muscle growth. Why?
Compound movements utilize multiple joints and are usually performed using free weights instead of machines. That way they target several muscle groups at once, giving you the best muscle activation measured by the time you spend working out. This makes them perfect for building strength and gaining mass fast. Even though their benefits have been proven over and over again in countless studies, many beginners still focus on isolation exercises such as biceps curls or the pec deck.
Some think the only way to get bigger arms or a fuller chest is by hitting the muscle directly with a set of dumbbells or machines. The problem with this mindset is simple. Muscles grow only when they need to, which happens when they are put under a lot stress. When you go to the gym, you are trying to force your muscles to grow by overloading them.
This strategy works better the more total weight you lift and the more muscle groups you recruit during your workout. Isolation movements allow you to lift only a small portion of the weight that you can move when doing heavily loaded compound exercises. So, in order to take advantage of the compound lifts, which ones should you be doing for chest, legs, back, shoulders and arms?
Here Is The Complete List Of The Best Compound Exercises For Each Muscle Group:
Best Compound Exercises For Chest:
Bench Press
Targeted Muscle – Chest (Upper & lower pectorals)
Other Muscles – Shoulders & Triceps
Equipment – Barbell or Dumbbells
Force – Push
Incline Bench Press
Targeted Muscle – Upper Chest (Pectoralis Major & Clavicular)
Other Muscles – Shoulders & Triceps
Equipment – Barbell or Dumbbells
Force – Push
Decline Bench Press
Targeted Muscle – Lower Chest (Pectoralis Major & Sternal)
Other Muscles – Shoulders & Triceps
Equipment – Barbell or Dumbbells
Force – Push
Best Compound Exercises For Legs:
Squats
Targeted Muscle – Quadriceps
Other Muscles -Hamstrings, Calves, Glutes & Lower Back
Equipment – Barbell
Force – Push
Weighted Lunges
Targeted Muscle – Quadriceps
Other Muscles – Hamstrings, Calves & Glutes
Equipment – Barbell or Dumbbell
Force – Push
Leg Press
Targeted Muscle – Quadriceps
Other Muscles – Hamstrings, Calves & Glutes
Equipment – Machine
Force – Push
Best Compound Exercises For Back:
Deadlift
Targeted Muscle – Lower Back (Erector Spinae)
Other Muscles – Lats, Traps, Quadriceps, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings & Forearms
Equipment – Barbell
Force – Pull
Bent Over Barbel Row
Targeted Muscle – Middle Back
Other Muscles – Lats, Biceps & Shoulders
Equipment – Barbell
Force – Pull
Bent Over Dumbbell Row
Targeted Muscle – Middle Back
Other Muscles – Lats, Biceps & Shoulders
Equipment – Dumbbell
Force – Pull
Seated Cable Row
Targeted Muscle – Upper Back (Rhomboids & Trapezius)
Other Muscles – Lats, Biceps & Shoulders
Equipment – Cable
Force – Pull
Lat Pulldown
Targeted Muscle – Back (latissimus dorsi)
Other Muscles – Middle Back, Biceps & Shoulders
Equipment – Cable
Force – Pull
Pull-Up
Targeted Muscle – Back (latissimus dorsi)
Other Muscles – Middle Back, Biceps & Shoulders
Equipment – Body
Force – Pull
Best Compound Exercises For Shoulders & Neck:
Shoulder Press
Targeted Muscle – Shoulders
Other Muscles – Triceps
Equipment – Barbell or Dumbbell
Force – Push
Upright Row
Targeted Muscle – Traps
Other Muscles – Biceps, Shoulders & Upper Back
Equipment – Barbell or Dumbbell
Force – Pull
Best Compound Exercises For Biceps:
All Row Variations
See above
Chin-Up
Targeted Muscle – Biceps
Other Muscles – Lats, Forearms & Middle Back
Equipment – Body
Force – Pull
Best Compound Exercises For Triceps:
Dips
Targeted Muscle – Triceps
Other Muscles – Shoulders & Chest
Equipment – Body
Force – Push
Triceps Bench Press
Targeted Muscle – Triceps
Other Muscles – Shoulders & Chest
Equipment – Barbell
Force – Push
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