Compound Exercises – Working Out in Half the Time!

*By: Christi Shingara*

Want to work multiple muscle groups simultaneously? Looking to get your workout done in half the time and still build muscle? This is when compound exercises come in handy.

Compound exercises target more than one muscle group at the same time. By exercising this way, you can burn extra calories and gain more muscle mass. Even if you’ve never heard of this term before, you may have been doing a number of exercises already that are considered compound exercises. Below are a few that I like to do on a regular basis.

Plank

The good ole’ plank! Yes, at first it can be quite challenging to do, but after some practice, your stamina and strength will build up and you may be able to hold this position for up to 5 minutes. When doing the plank, you aren’t only working your core muscles, but also targeting your back, glutes and thighs.

Plank and row

Now that you have mastered the plank, it is time to take it up a notch! A plank and row targets all the muscles that we discussed above, including your arms. This incorporates upper body rotation and improves total body balance.

Bird dog

The bird dog is a great exercise to strengthen the core, lower back, thighs and butt. It also challenges balance. It takes focus and proper execution of this exercise to get the full benefits which include promoting good posture and increasing range of motion.

Squat with side twist

Shoulders, obliques, glutes, quads, hamstrings and lower back are all areas that this exercise targets. You can begin doing this exercise without weights and then add weight for that extra challenge. This develops a strong core and also helps with hip mobility.

Lunge to press

The lunge to press exercise focuses on the traps, delts, glutes, abs and quads. I usually do this workout with weights and let me tell you it packs a punch especially if you do numerous reps. This exercise also helps with your posture and range of motion.

Have some favorite compound exercises? Let me know in the comments below!