If you want to get the most out of your workouts, you want to master compound exercises. Find out everything you need to know about compound movements here!

What Are Compound Exercises?

Want to train multiple muscle groups in less time? Compound workouts might be your answer! 

The term “compound workouts” refers to any exercise that works more than one muscle group. A classic example would be squats, where athletes can train their cores, hip flexors, glutes, quads, lower back, and hamstrings in one simple move! 

If you want to learn more about compound workouts and how they can benefit you, have a look at our guide, where we’ve shared our favorite compound exercises list and explained their benefits. At Jack City Fitness, we’re experts on compound exercises, and we’re thrilled to share our passion and knowledge with you. 

The Benefits of Compound Workouts

There are loads of reasons why athletes of all kinds swear by compound workouts. Here are some of our favorite benefits:

• Efficiency

Compound workouts are especially popular with busy athletes because they can save a lot of time! Because compound workouts train several muscle groups at once, athletes who engage in compound exercise can spend a shorter time at the gym and still see the results they crave. 

If efficient workouts are your priority, you don’t need to stop at compound exercises. There are several other exercise styles that can suit your needs, including full-body workouts and HIIT. 

• Strength

If strong muscles are what you’re after, compound workouts are a great way to get there. When you engage in compound exercises, you won’t only be using one muscle group for workouts like deadlifts. This allows you to go for heavier weights than you might be able to lift otherwise, leading to stronger muscles overall.

• Calorie-Burning

Looking to shed some body fat? Compound exercises can help you healthily meet those goals; these workouts can lead to more calories burned. In fact, some compound workouts can elevate your heart rate just as much as cardiovascular exercise—and that type of training is famous for its fat-burning abilities!

• Coordination and Mobility

To properly nail compound exercises, athletes must make sure every move is correct. This level of technical precision can help with overall coordination and mobility in both athletic and everyday movements. 

Our List of Compound Exercises That We Love

Ready to reap some benefits of compound exercises yourself? We’ve written a little list of compound exercises we swear by at Jack City Fitness. However, this list is only the beginning of the fun—there are dozens of compounds and variations for you to try. 

If you don’t see anything that appeals on our list of compound exercises, get in touch with our team; we’ll be able to help you find the right one!

1) Compound Lifting

Fun fact: if you like deadlifting, then you’ve already tried compound lifts! This classic form of strength training is also a prime example of compound exercise. When you beast a deadlift, you are training your entire back, plus your core, lats, forearms, hamstrings, and glutes. Aside from being compound workout royalty, deadlifts have plenty of other benefits, too, like lower back pain management. 

2) Lunge Variations

If lunges are your exercise of choice, you’re in luck—this move lends itself really well to compound workouts! A few examples of this? We swear by the front lunge with a twist; it targets your hips, hamstrings, glutes, and abdominal muscles. If you have a pair of dumbbells handy, we also recommend trying bicep curls with a reverse lunge; it will work your biceps, glutes, hamstrings, hips, and abdominal muscles. 

3) Squats

As we mentioned previously, squats are some of the best-regarded forms of compound exercise around. Not only are they beginner-friendly and require no equipment or special space, they efficiently train three muscle groups: your calves, quads, and glutes. 

4) Pull-Ups

Want to train your core, lats, biceps, and delts, all in one swift movement? Grab your pull-up bar and let’s get lifted! This form of bodyweight conditioning won’t only target muscle groups; it also improves your overall grip strength and functional fitness patterns. Whether you choose a classic chin-up or another similar workout, your body will surely benefit. 

Try Compound Exercises at Jack City Fitness!

Ready to get moving with one of our personal trainers? Give us a call at (208) 999-1111 today; we’ll invite you to our Boise facility for a FREE fitness consultation and tour of the gym! Once you sign up, you’ll have 24/7 access, a fleet of amazing coaches to work with, and an always-changing rotation of heart-pumping classes. Come and see for yourself—we can’t wait to help you smash your goals.