Compound Movements

What are Compound Movements?

Compound movement or exercises are movements that involve more than one joint and muscle. A squat for example, is a multi joint movement, it involves the ankles, the knees, the hips and depending on what type of squat it may involve the shoulder joint as well. Along with those, it activates mainly your quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. Hence, making it a compound movement (multiple joints and muscles participate).

Compound exercises differ from isolation exercises. Those work a single muscle group at a time. A traditional bicep curl is an isolation exercise meant to strengthen the biceps, for example. Isolation exercises tend to be more beneficial in physical therapy to strengthen certain muscles or rehabilitate them after injury. And even then, compound movements to some extend might be involved as well for functionality.

Examples of compound movements are:

  1. Squats

  2. Deadlift

  3. Press (chest and overhead)

  4. Row

  5. Chin-ups

Why Compound Movements are important in your life?

Of course they are the best bang for your buck! As we said earlier it targets multiple muscles at once, making your workout more time efficient. That is just one of the benefits, other equally important benefits are:

  1. Improve overall strength

  2. Burn more calories

  3. Improves body awareness

  4. Improves intramuscular coordination

  5. Improves intermuscular coordination

  6. They translate into the real world (functionality)

Most of these movements can be very complex for the average person or beginner athlete, make sure you ask your coach or a trainer to teach you proper form when performing these.







Laura Hobson