• My EVO
    • FAQ
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
    Compound exercises: what are they and why do they work?Compound exercises: what are they and why do they work?Compound exercises: what are they and why do they work?Compound exercises: what are they and why do they work?
    • What is Evo
      • What is Evo
      • Philosophy
      • EVO Manifesto
      • EVOMOVE
      • EVO Academy
    • Training
      • Training
      • Personal Training
    • EVO CLUBS
      • EVO Vienna Berggasse
      • EVO Fitness Mariahilfer Strasse
    • Blog Evo
    • Join now
    • Free Trial
    EN
    • DE
    ✕

    Compound exercises: what are they and why do they work?

    13th October 2021
    compound exercises

    Compound exercises are the key to a powerful, capable body. Ever felt a tweak in your back, squatting to pick up a heavy box on moving day? That’s what we’re talking about.

    It takes strong legs to squat down and pick up a box full of books; your arms and shoulders work overtime to lift furniture into the van, and a solid core helps prevent slumped posture while you drive to your new home.

    Beyond aesthetics, compound exercises are fundamental because they help us perform everyday tasks. All that without pulling a muscle, or worse – injuring ourselves.

    So what exactly are compound exercises?

    Put simply, a compound exercise is any movement performed by engaging more than one muscle group at the same time. Progressive training with compound exercises builds up those muscle groups, which is the key to functional fitness.

    Types of compound exercises include lunges, squats, deadlifts, dips, push-ups, pull-ups, bench presses, jump rope, shoulder presses, kettlebell swing, step-ups, wall sits, side planks, weighted carries, and dumbbell overhead presses. Plenty to keep you from plateauing with boredom, then.

    Compound exercises are the opposite of isolation exercises. Take, for example, the infamous ‘leg day’, where you focus solely on, say, your quads for one session. This works for one specific muscle group at one time. A compound movement will engage multiple: just one squat will use your quads. But it’ll also use your core, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and calf muscles.

    For the time-short, compound exercises are ideal. In just half an hour, you can bring hundreds of muscles into your training, boosting calorie burn, strength, power, and functional fitness, all in one session.

    How do compound exercises work?

    Because these exercises force multiple muscles to work together simultaneously, they train the body to grow strength and stability holistically. More oxygen is required to utilise more muscle tissue, which also allows you to burn more calories in less time.

    At its most basic, compound exercises work because you’re pushing, pulling, and squatting against the forces of gravity using large portions of your body. Compared to isolation exercises, you can get more bang for your buck in a shorter space of time.

    The bottom line is this: compound training helps you get stronger, burn fat and build more muscle. They enable you to lift heavier, move more efficiently, and progress in a shorter space of time than isolation exercises. Whether you’re weight-training or prepping for a half-marathon, compound exercises allow you to perform all kinds of physical activities more safely.

    Ready to reap the rewards?

    If you want to see how multiple muscles work at the same time, and how to incorporate this into a routine, start by giving this functional full-body workout a try. Then, stop by one of our EVO clubs: we built a playground full of functional fitness equipment, where fitness is playful and purposeful — just like nature intended.

    EVO Fitness Instagram
    Share
    0

    Recent posts

    full-body Tabata workout
    27th June 2022

    Workout of the week: 20-min full-body Tabata workout


    Weiterlesen
    Outdoors exercises
    22nd June 2022

    6 Bodyweight Exercises for a Great Outdoors Workout


    Weiterlesen
    functional full-body workout
    20th June 2022

    Workout of the week: 25-min functional full-body workout


    Weiterlesen

    Recent Posts

    • Workout of the week: 20-min full-body Tabata workout

      Workout of the week: 20-min full-body Tabata workout

      27th June 2022
    • 6 Bodyweight Exercises for a Great Outdoors Workout

      6 Bodyweight Exercises for a Great Outdoors Workout

      22nd June 2022
    • Workout of the week: 25-min functional full-body workout

      Workout of the week: 25-min functional full-body workout

      20th June 2022
    • Dynamic warm-up: Definition, benefits and routine

      Dynamic warm-up: Definition, benefits and routine

      15th June 2022
    • Workout of the week: 30-min full-body strength workout

      Workout of the week: 30-min full-body strength workout

      13th June 2022

    EVO AUSTRIA

    Address
    Lifestyle Concept Austria GmbH
    Wehlistraße 66, 5. OG
    1200 Wien

    E-Mail address: info@evofitness.at
    Telephone (Mo.-Fr. 16:00-20:00): +43 676 844644474

    MEMBERS

    • My EVO
    • FAQ
    • Careers
    • Contact Us

    DON’T MISS OUT ON OUR NEWS!

    Subscribe to EVO's Newsletter full of training tips, workout plans, event invitations and interesting offers.

    I agree to the processing and storage of my personal data in order to receive EVO’s communications.

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    © EVO Fitness, All Rights Reserved | Datenschutzerklärung und Cookie-Richtlinie
    EN
    • EN
    • DE
    • My EVO
    • FAQ
    • Careers
    • Contact Us