Compound Exercises

One of the foundational bodyweight exercises that is also incredibly effective for multiple parts of the body is the good old push-ups. Although it has several variations, the simple movement remains a favourite among fitness enthusiasts even today. An added benefit: it can be performed anywhere.

Muscles worked: Chest, triceps, back and core

Steps:

• Lie down face down on the floor with the legs straightened out, and plant your palms on either side of your shoulders.
• Press your hands down into the ground and lift your entire body up until your arms are straight from the elbow.
• Only your hands and toes should be on the ground at the top of the movement, with the entire body in a straight line from the head down to the feet.
• Bend your elbows and bring your body down without touching the floor. This is one rep.

One of the toughest bodyweight exercises around, the pull-up is a true test of one’s ability to lift their own body’s weight. The movement engages multiple muscles of the body at the same time, making it compound exercise and a solid standalone workout - though it can be done as part of a whole circuit of exercises, too. Also performed with several variations, performing even the basic movement is quite tough, even for experienced fitness enthusiasts.

Muscles worked: Chest, back and arms and core

Steps: 

• Stand under a parallel or a pull-up bar positioned above your head, preferably at the highest point of your outstretched arms.
• Grip the bar with an overhand grip - with your palms facing away from your body. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart and your arms should be fully extended.
• Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.
• Do not jump to reach the position, instead use the muscles in your upper arms and back to lift yourself up.
• Lower yourself down slowly back to the starting position. This is one rep.

Another exercise that measures one’s ability to lift their body’s weight clean off the floor, parallel dips are a great way to tone the entire upper body. For this exercise, you will need a parallel bar where you can anchor your hands and lift your body off the ground.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, chest and core

Steps:

• Place both your hands on parallel bars on either side of your body while standing straight.
• Hoist yourself off the ground keeping the arms close to your body and bend your knees up behind you for balance.
• Lower yourself down by bending just the elbows. Your shoulders should reach the level of the bar at the lowest point.
• Lift yourself back up by straightening the arms above the bar and keep a straight back. This is one rep.

Whether performed with or without weights, squats are extremely effective in toning and working the entire lower section of the body, including the lower back muscles.

Muscles worked: Glutes, hips, lower back, core, thighs and calves

Steps:

• Stand straight with the legs shoulder-width apart.
• Extend your arms straight out in front of you for balance, and bend your knees to push your hips while keeping the back straight.
• Your hips should extend outward while lowering your body as if you are about to sit in a chair, and your knees should not go beyond the toes. The thighs should either be parallel to the floor or lower.
• After a second or two, start to move up by pushing the heels down and straightening the legs to return to the original position. This is one rep.

A challenging exercise meant to activate pretty much all the major muscle groups in the body, burpees are a staple among those who engage in Crossfit or other high-intensity workouts like HIIT. 

Muscles targeted: Arms, chest, legs, hips and glutes.

Steps:

• Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees slightly while putting your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Assume a plank or push-up position by extending your legs out behind you.
• Bend your arms to bring your chest close to touch the floor.
• Extend your arms back up. Start coming up by pulling your legs back in and get into the squat position.
• From the squat position, jump up with your arms outstretched above you and return to the standing position. This is one rep.

Much like squats, lunges are a great way to engage all the muscles in the lower section of the body. This makes lunges a superb compound exercise: lunges work wonders for the hip, glutes as well as the legs besides promoting core stability and balance through the body. Lunges can also be performed with or without weights.

Muscles worked: Lower back, abs, hips, glutes, hamstrings, front thigh and calves

Steps:

• Stand upright with your hands on your side and take a step forward with your right leg, not too far that you have to stretch uncomfortably.
• Lower your hips and bend both knees while keeping the back straight and looking ahead. 
• Don’t let your back leg touch the ground. Ensure the front and back knees are bent at a right angle.
• Get back up while bringing your right leg back to get back to an upright position. Repeat with the left leg forward. This is one rep.

This exercise involves lifting a barbell or pair of dumbbells while lying flat on a bench, hence its uncomplicated name. In fact, all variations of the bench press, the conventional flat bench press, incline or decline, are compound movements as they target multiple muscles of the body.

Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps and core

Steps:

• Lie down on your back on a flat bench, with your head resting on the cushion.
• Hold the barbell above you with the palms facing up, and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Lift the barbell off the rack and position it directly above your chest with both arms extended.
• Slowly bring the barbell down towards you by bending your elbows and allow it to touch the middle of your chest.
• Push it up forcefully by straightening your elbows. Keep your back straight and touch the bench at all times. This is one rep.

Also known as the overhead or military press, the shoulder press is a superb compound exercise, especially when performed standing up. Lifting weights above the head is not easy, and this exercise engages your shoulders, triceps as well as the core for stability.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps and core

Steps:

• Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart in front of a squat rack.
• Hold the barbell at shoulder width, like you would during a front squat.
• Lift the barbell off the rack and rest it on your collarbone with elbows bent towards you.
• Breathing out, lift the barbell directly above you by straightening your elbows and hold for a second or two. Stabilise yourself under the bar and keep your back straight at all times.
• Slowly bring the barbell back down to shoulder level. This is one rep.

They may look incredibly difficult to perform, but deadlifts are a great way to engage multiple muscles of the body while also working on core stability as well as improving posture. The muscles throughout the back of the body are worked simultaneously, although caution must be exercised while performing deadlifts as they can cause workout injuries if not done with perfect form. Starting with lighter weights and perfecting your technique is the right way to go.

Muscles worked: Back, hips, glutes, thighs and core

Steps:

• Stand on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart and your shins lined up against the barbell in front of you.
• Keep the back straight, bend the knees and pull the hips back while holding the barbell right beside the legs. The bar can be held with either both palms facing you, or each one facing in opposite directions.
• Look ahead, keep the back straight and push the ground with your feet while lifting the barbell off the floor.
• Stand up by straightening the legs but without bending the back or the elbows. The barbell should line up against your thighs at the top of the movement. Pause for a second or two.
• Slowly come back down by bending the knees and extending the hip backwards. This is one rep.

Compound movements have gained popularity in recent years, thanks to elite athletes flooding social media with their elaborate training methods. The barbell hip thrust is one such movement that has been made popular only recently, primarily to focus on the posterior chain; that is, the muscles behind the body like the back, glutes and hamstrings.

Deadlifts may not activate the hamstring muscles quite as effectively if not performed with the right technique, which puts all the pressure of the exercise in the front of the thighs. Hip thrusters, however, eliminate that possibility by targeting the glutes and hamstrings. This exercise requires the help of a trainer, just to help you load the weight onto your body.

Muscles worked: Back, core, hips, hamstrings and quadriceps

Steps:

• Sit with your back against a flat bench. Lift your body up so your upper back and shoulders are resting on the bench and your feet are planted on the ground, with the knees bent at a right angle to the floor.
• Place a cushion on top of your pelvis and rest the barbell on it, holding it down with both hands to balance it.
• Contract your glutes and drive your hips upward. Hold the barbell at the top of the movement for a couple of seconds.
• Ease back into the starting position. This is one rep.

Known by multiple names, the simple practice of carrying weights in both hands while walking up and down a room is an excellent way to train multiple muscles of the body. 

Muscles worked: Shoulders, back, arms, glutes and legs

Steps:

• Pick up a dumbbell or a kettlebell in each hand and stand up straight.
• Walk from one end of a room to the other at a brisk pace. Keep the back straight, shoulders braced and look ahead throughout the walk.
• Continue to do this for 30 seconds or as long as you can. Repeat at least three times.

Thrusters are to weighted compound exercises what burpees are to bodyweight movements. While squats and shoulder press are difficult exercises in their own right, thrusters are doubly hard as they combine both the movements into one. This exercise can be performed using a barbell or a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, back, core, hips and legs

Steps:

• Start by standing straight in front of a squat rack and holding the barbell with a neutral grip. Your feet should be slightly wider than your hips.
• Pull your hips back and lower your body into a front squat. Rest the barbell lightly on the top part of your chest.
• Push back up forcefully and lift the barbell by straightening your arms above your head while standing up into a shoulder press.
• Lower the barbell slowly back on your shoulders. This is one rep.