What are compound movements?
Involving exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously, compound movements are the heavy hitters of the fitness world. These powerhouse movements, such as squats, deadlifts, and presses, transfer to functional movement whether in sport or everyday, making them not just about building strength but also enhancing overall coordination and mobility.
If compound movements aren’t part of your routine, you’re missing out. From bodyweight squats to barbell presses, here’s why compound movements deserve your attention.
What are compound movements?
Compound movements essentially refer to any movement that uses more than one muscle group collaboratively. Specifically, they recruit at least one large muscle area (such as your back) and involve primary joints.
With a deadlift, for example, you’re targeting your posterior chain, which includes your spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, and other muscles. The movement also recruits your lats, core, and more — you’re basically using your whole body to move the weight.
Compound vs isolation movements
The key distinction between isolation and compound movements lies in the focus of muscle recruitment. Isolation movements target and isolate specific muscles and often involve a single joint. Examples include bicep curls, which target mainly the brachialis of your arms, or leg extensions, which target your quadriceps.
In contrast, compound movements recruit multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously. While isolation movements can target specific muscle groups, improve muscular definition, and even help rehab injuries, compound movements promote overall strength, power, and coordination.
Benefits of compound movements
Incorporating compound movements into your routine can boost its overall effectiveness and result in other long-term advantages. See below for more on why compound movements have a place in your workout.
Power and strength
Compound movements are potent tools for building power and strength. When you perform compound exercises, various muscles across different areas of your body work collaboratively. This concerted effort allows you to lift heavier weights and exert more force than isolation exercises targeting individual muscles. Recruitment of multiple muscle groups triggers a systemic response, promoting the release of growth-promoting hormones, such as testosterone, further enhancing muscle development and strength.
Compound movements are also ideal for progressive overload, which is a principle that involves gradually increasing the resistance or intensity of workouts over time to stimulate muscular and strength development. Engaging multiple muscle groups with compound movements allows you to more easily add weight (compared to isolation movements) and facilitate this progression.
Muscular development
Compound lifts promote the release of testosterone and growth hormone, which play crucial roles in muscle hypertrophy aka muscular growth aka gains. The collaborative recruitment of various muscle groups during compound movements helps develop muscles equally for a well-proportioned physique.
Metabolic boost
Even if you don’t sweat as much as you do during a run or dance class, compound lifts and bodyweight can lead to a significant metabolic boost. Between multiple muscle groups requiring lots of energy with each rep and the intensity and complexity of these movements elevating your body’s thermal response, studies show that you can expect an increased metabolic rate after your workout.
A heightened temperature due to thermal response not only indicates increased calorie expenditure but also suggests an elevation in the post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), commonly known as the afterburn effect. In simpler terms, compound lifts not only burn calories during the workout but also keep the metabolic fires burning even after you've left the gym, contributing to improved metabolic efficiency.
Mobility and coordination
Whether you're an athlete looking to enhance sports performance or seeking better functional movement in daily life, compound movements encourage a full range of motion, making them effective tools for enhancing both mobility and coordination. For example, squats engage the hip, knee, and ankle joints, promoting flexibility and increased mobility in these areas.
Moreover, the coordination required to perform compound movements seamlessly enhances overall motor skills. Coordinating the movement of different muscle groups and joints challenges the nervous system, fostering better neuromuscular coordination. As a result, individuals who regularly incorporate compound movements into their fitness routines often experience improved balance, agility, and overall body control and awareness.
Long-term health
Beyond immediate fitness goals, compound movements contribute to long-term health. By promoting overall strength, they play a role in the following health benefits:
Injury prevention
Healthy bone density
Heart health
Insulin sensitivity
Cognitive health
Mood and confidence
Types of compound movements
There are lots of different compound movements, but we’ve rounded up the most common you’ll see. We’ve also included a few variations for each exercise, which likewise have slightly different effects. Note the commonality between them: they all depend on your core for stability and strength.
Squats
Among the most fundamental compound movements, squats engage the posterior chain, including the quads, hamstrings, and glutes and rely on core muscles for stability. There are a few ways to perform a squat and progressions to adapt to your level.
Main target muscles: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, abdominals, and core
Variations: Barbell back squat, barbell front squat, goblet squat, box squat, pistol squat
Deadlifts
A classic in strength programs everywhere, deadlifts target the entire posterior chain, emphasizing the back, glutes, and hamstrings.
Main target muscles: Hamstrings, spinal erectors, glutes, traps, lats, core
Variations: Conventional barbell deadlift, Romanian deadlift, dumbbell deadlift, single-leg deadlift, sumo deadlift
Press
The pressing motion, whether in the form of bench presses or overhead presses, engages the chest, shoulders, and triceps. These exercises promote upper body strength and can improve shoulder and upper back mobility.
Main target muscles: Pecs, delts, triceps, traps, core
Variations: Barbell bench press, barbell overhead press, dumbbell press, push press
Rows
Rowing exercises target the upper back muscles, promoting a strong and defined back.
Main target muscles: Erectors, lats, rhomboids traps, delts, biceps, core
Variations: Bent-over barbell or dumbbell row, inverted row
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are an excellent bodyweight movement, targeting the back, biceps, and forearms. They enhance upper body strength and stability… plus, they feel really cool when you can rip off a few reps. Don’t hesitate to use a band if you’re still working up to an unassisted pull-up.
Main target muscles: Lats, traps, biceps, deltoids, core
Variations: Standard pull-up, banded/assisted pull-ups, wide-grip pull-up, one-arm pull-up (If you can do the last one, kindly let us know how you prefer to be worshiped)
Lunges
Nothing gives you DOMS quite like lunges. Focused on lower body strength, lunges are a great option for stability, mobility, and muscular development.
Main target muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, core
Variations: Walking lunge, step-up lunge, lateral lunge, curtsy lunge
How to to incorporate compound movements into your routine
Frequency and volume
To maximize the benefits of compound movements, incorporate them into your routine at least twice per a week. Balance with accessory isolation movements to avoid over-fatiguing yourself.
Progressive overload is key. Gradually increase the intensity by adding weight or adjusting repetition to continue adaptation and growth.
Mobility and injury prevention
Prioritize mobility exercises and warm-ups to prevent injuries during your workout. Pay attention to form and technique to reduce the risk of strain. Basic rule of thumb: if something hurts (and not in the “I’m pushing myself!” kind of way), back off and check that your form is correct.
FAQs about compound movements
Can beginners perform compound movements?
Beginners can and should perform compound movements. Start with lighter weights and gradually progress to more challenging variations.
Do compound movements require gym equipment?
Many compound movement can be performed with minimal to no equipment, but certain compound movements may require dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, etc.
