Why Compound Exercises Should Form The Basis Of All Weight Training Routines

ByBen E Wain

There are certain exercises in the gym that should form the basis of all training routines, whether a seasoned professional or a complete newbie. They are especially important for a newbie wanting to achieve quick gains in lean muscle and size, or to reduce body fat as quickly as possible. They are also the most effective strength and conditioning exercises that exist. The simple reason being, they involve heavy lifting and are incredibly effective. Each of the below exercises when performed correctly use several muscle groups at the same time. This not only means you are working the body as a unit, you are effectively improving strength and muscle tone in several different areas at once in as short time as possible. Boxers, sprinters, bodybuilders and power athletes all over the world, use these common lifts regularly in their training regimes because they work. Maybe you are looking to start training for the first time, revise a current training program, or even if you already have an effective program that is seeing results, you should be incorporating the following moves into your workouts.

Squats

Probably the most taxing move to perform, you either love or hate completing squats. Many beginners believe this lower body exercise just concentrates on the legs; however, this could not be further from the truth. There is no doubt it is the best exercise to lead to trouser busting thighs and a firm gluteus, yet it will also work your entire core and back. Perform free weight squats, preferably using a squat rack, Olympic bar and having a spotter on hand, or try with a pair of dumbbells or a smith machine if not available, make sure you go as heavy as possible whilst maintaining form. Squatting heavy will build immense power throughout your whole body whilst releasing natural growth hormone to help increase long-term muscle mass. As you will be causing the whole body to work as a unit, you will be burning off more calories as a result turning your body into a fat burning furnace. Think about it logically, which exercise is going to enable you to add more weight to the bar to go heavier, or be more taxing on the body, performing knee extensions or powerful squats? Make sure you squat deep, lower the bar slowly and in a controlled manner and power the bar up to perform a truly effective squat.

Deadlifts

Similar to squats, deadlifts are certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Again, they are a move that works almost the entire body; lower back, hamstrings, entire core and posterior chain. Like squats, use an Olympic bar, and if you are a beginner, use little weight or no weight at all. It is essential that you perfect the technique before you start adding serious weight to the bar, as if performed incorrectly can put serious strain on the lower back. There are various different techniques you can perform, straight legged, stiff-legged, and Romanian being some of them. Perfect one, and then try another to keep working the body from different angles. Like squats, once you start to go heavy you will begin to see some serious improvements in size, strength or fat loss. Try them for yourself, no matter how strenuous you think your workouts are, they will never be the same again.

Bench press

The bench press is probably everyone's favorite exercise; it is also the most commonly used. Bench pressing may be the best exercise to build the mirror muscle pectorals, however it is also one of the best strength and conditioning exercise used by rugby players, footballers and professional athletes alike. Not only does it work the chest, it is also very taxing on the triceps. If you are looking to add more size to your triceps, do you think a few dumbbell kickbacks with a low weight would work better than bench-pressing 100 kilograms for five to eight reps. Heavy weights build muscle, fact.

This exercise should again be performed with free weights over machines, this because machines can eliminate some of the resistance and the need to keep a tight core. Preferably use an Olympic bar and where possible always use a spotter, this so you will have someone close by to help you squeeze out that last rep and take the bar off you when you have finished. Have trust, it makes a big difference. Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, then lower slowly and in a controlled manner to your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together and feel the stretch across your chest before powering the bar up, then immediately begin lowering again. Mix up your routine by inclining your bench to hit the upper pectorals or declining to work the lower pectorals.

Chin Ups / Pull Ups

Chin-ups or pull-ups predominantly work the biceps or back depending on your grip. By grabbing the bar with an underhand grip, i.e. palms facing towards you, then you will be using the biceps to pull yourself up. This is a chin up. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, i.e. palms facing away from you, and you will be using the back, specifically the laterals. This is a pull up.

When performing chin-ups you can use either a narrow grip on the bar to work the long head of the bicep, or a wider grip to work the short head. Mix it up every now and then, you will be able to feel more tension placed on the different heads depending on the width. When performing pull-ups, you should hold onto the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. On either exercise, ensure you are fully hanging from the bar with your arms fully stretched, and then power yourself up so your chin is over the bar before slowly lowering yourself back down to the starting position. Immediately and forcefully, pull yourself back up to perform the next rep.

Chin-ups or pull-ups can be a very difficult exercise to perform at first, which is one of the reasons they are so effective. You are certainly lifting a much heavier weight (your own body weight) when performing a chin-up over a regular bicep curl. To make things easier there are various things you can try, including performing negative reps. A negative rep is where you grab the bar and start the move with your chin above the bar, use a weight bench to help you get up there if needed, then as slowly as you possibly can lower yourself to the hanging position. Repeat this until you can no longer slowly lower yourself down. Another option is to use an elastic chin-up assist band if you have one; they are not very expensive to buy. You just attach one end to your bar and place your knees inside the other. If you train at the gym then they should have chin-up machines with a padded knee support to assist. Of course, once you have been performing these exercises for a while, you may need to make them more taxing. You can do this by buying a gym belt and hanging extra weight plates on it, or simply by placing a dumbbell or medicine ball between your knees.

Shoulder Press

Shoulder presses are a killer of an exercise and you will normally find yourself fatiguing quickly when performing. You can perform shoulder presses either standing up or sitting down, however, use free weights over a smith or shoulder press machine. Standing up uses your core more than sitting down, nevertheless in either variation you should ensure your core is kept tight at all times to prevent pressure being exerted onto your lower back. Use a low weight at first, start with a straight bar or dumbbells held around chin level and ensure your elbows are at right angles. Power the weight past your face and hold over your head with your arms straight, tuck your chin into your chest when the bar is in the upright position, then slowly lower back down keeping your elbows at right angles. Immediately power the bar back up for your second rep.

In summary, the above exercises will see your achieve you training objectives much quicker if incorporated into your training routine. You can perform them in a conventional split, where each muscle groups trained once a week. Alternatively, they are most effective when used in a push / pull or full body workout when performed more than once a week with at least forty-eight hours rest in between.

Ben Wain wrote this article regarding why compound moves are a must when designing any weight training routine. He is a member of the My Training Supplements team, a sports nutrition UK comparison, diet and training advice site. Sign up for up to date supplement offers, reviews and more great advice to help your reach your diet and training goals.

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Health and Fitness: Build-Muscle
Ben E Wain

Email Address:SubscribeBuild Muscle Article FeedFind More ArticlesSearchSimilar ArticlesMuscle Building Advice - 3 Tried and True Tactics to Build Lean Muscle MassDumbbell Bodybuilding - Burn Fat and Build Lean Muscle in Less Time3 Tactics To Build Muscle Faster While Staying Lean And RippedTop 4 Muscle Building Exercises to Gain Muscle FastCreate Your Own Muscle Building WorkoutFast Muscle Gain Strategies For HardgainersBest Way to Gain Muscle and Stay HealthyMuscle Building Techniques - Take it to the Next Level5 Day Split for Mad Muscle GrowthBuild Upper Body Muscle and Get Lean - 3 Tips and a Routine to Show You HowRecent ArticlesHow To Make Your Buttocks Bigger Naturally With Just 3 Exercises3 Simple and Easy Ab Workouts That You Need to Know!How To Improve Your Pull Ups!Full Body Vs Split Body Building RoutineBest Exercise for the BicepsBSN NO-Xplode Supplement ReviewMuscle Building Tips for a Rock-Hard Six PackQuick Shortcuts For Insane Six Pack AbsThe Artistry of Muscle BuildingKnow Your Muslce Groups For A More Effective Body Building WorkoutSubmitted On February 23, 2012. Viewed 17 times. Word count: 1,423.

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E Wain, Ben".".23 Feb. 2012EzineArticles.com.2 Mar. 2012 .APA Style Citation:
E Wain, B. (2012, February 23). . Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-­Compound-­Exercises-­Should-­Form-­The-­Basis-­Of-­All-­Weight-­Training-­Routines&id=6899431Chicago Style Citation:
E Wain, Ben "." EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-­Compound-­Exercises-­Should-­Form-­The-­Basis-­Of-­All-­Weight-­Training-­Routines&id=6899431EzineArticles.com© 2012 EzineArticles.com
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