Compound lifts are movements that engage multiple muscle groups and joints at the same time. If you are moving at multiple joints, it is a compound lift. If you’re moving only one joint, it is an isolation movement. While isolation movements have their place, compound movements are important to your overall wellbeing. Most movements in your daily life are going to be compound movements. Because they mimic real-world movements, compound lifts offer a range of benefits that go beyond just building muscle.
Increased Heart Rate in Training
When compared to isolation movements, compound movements will get your heart rate up! A higher heart rate during training means increased cardiovascular demand, which can improve heart health and endurance. Strength training can offer heart-protective benefits similar to cardio, but this only happens if your heart rate is elevated during your workout. Unlike isolation movements, which target a single muscle group and require less energy, compound lifts engage multiple muscles, demanding more oxygen and effort—leading to a greater cardiovascular effect. This means incorporating compound lifts into your strength training routine can provide some of the same heart-health benefits as traditional cardio, making them an efficient choice for both strength and overall fitness.
Improved Muscular Coordination
Compound movements require significant coordination to be able to execute multiple joint actions at the same time. Doing compound lifts helps you develop coordination that transcends the gym. In daily activities, you need this coordination to do all manner of movements, from getting in and out of your car to dragging stuff up a ladder into your attic.
Build Core Strength
A friend told me a story recently of how she fell off her counter trying to climb up to reach the high cabinet (short people unite!) and she was able to catch herself and avoid a worse fall which she attributed to the core strength she’s built up from working out. When you sit on a machine and do isolated joint exercises, you don’t develop much core strength. When you do movements where you are holding the weight and working multiple joints at the same time, your core needs to work hard to stabilize in that movement!
So what are compound exercises?
Just a few examples:
- Squats – when you squat, you move at the knee and hip, as well as the ankle joints. This means you’re working the muscles around all of those joints.
- Overhead press – in a press, you move at the shoulders and the elbows at the same time.
- Lunge – similar to squats, you’re moving at both the knee and hip joints. Lunges have the added benefit of being a single leg movement!
These are just a few examples of compound movements, there are so many more! There are many different ways to load a compound movement, so you can do dumbbells, barbells, even a Smith machine to load many of these movements.
Compound lifts are the foundation of efficient, functional strength training. Compound lifts will help you build muscle and coordination, as well as improve heart health, core stability, and real-world movement patterns. Whether you’re squatting to pick up groceries or pressing overhead to put away heavy luggage, these exercises prepare your body for everyday demands.Our Strength for All program is built around compound movements to help you train smarter and build the strength for every day life! If you’re ready to get these benefits for yourself, book a free no sweat intro. You’ll chat with one of our expert coaches, and learn how we can help you reach your goals.
