If you ask random people at your gym what their fitness goal is, I bet about 90% of them will say losing weight. It’s arguably the number one goal that drives people to go to the gym, sign up for personal training, buy fancy fitness equipment, etc. But there are seemingly a million and a half ways to lose weight; many of them promise that they’ll help you lose weight fast, but most of the time, those are just exaggerated claims. That’s where compound exercises come in, a proven method that targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously and is the key to losing weight.
My best advice is to always stick to approaches that have been proven to work, over many years and with many different people, to lose weight and change your physique. This way, you change your body in a safe and lasting way. One of the best methods is strength training, and more specifically compound exercises.
In this article, we’ll explain compound exercises, why they’re beneficial, how to use them, and provide some helpful examples so you can get started ASAP and see impressive results.
What are compound exercises?
A compound exercise is a way of saying something where you move multiple joints instead of just one. For example, imagine doing a bicep curl: the only joint you move is your elbow, while everything else, like your shoulders and wrists, stays very still. Now, imagine doing a row: with this exercise, you move your elbow, your shoulder joint, your shoulder blade, and maybe even more (depending on how you row). That’s a compound exercise.
Typically, compound exercises are performed with free weights such as dumbbells, barbells, suspension machines, kettlebells, cable machines, or even just your own body weight. Other common examples of compound movements are push-ups, squats, pull-ups, lunges, etc. (For each movement, you can see many joints moving through space.)
How Can Compound Exercises Help You Lose Weight?
The more muscles you train with each repetition, the more you stimulate your body. In addition, these exercises usually put more strain on your cardiovascular system, since you are moving more than just one joint. As a result, you can burn a lot more calories, which is very helpful for weight loss. The more calories you burn, the more weight you can lose.
Additionally, compound exercises help you build more muscle. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you burn at rest. And if that wasn’t enough, when you use a lot of compound exercises, it increases your metabolism immediately after your workout for a while.
When you combine all of these benefits, you can quickly see how it has a huge impact on your body, helping you lose weight faster than other forms of bodybuilding.
How often should you do compound exercises to lose weight?
If you’re trying to lose weight, you should be doing compound strength training two to three times a week for about an hour each session. Why this frequency? Well, if you only do it once a week, it’s hard to see consistent progress in the gym and on the scale. With two or three sessions a week, you can make faster and more consistent progress over time. Four, however, is a bit much unless you’re very experienced.
There’s an important point to consider here: Your workout should be challenging. However, most people aren’t working out hard enough at the gym. (If you have time to text your friends or check Instagram during your workout, your workout isn’t challenging enough.) The weights should be challenging, and your rest time should be long enough for you to catch your breath before doing another set.
An example of a compound exercise for weight loss:
This is a great exercise to help you lose weight, perfect for people of all experience levels because it self-regulates. In other words, it will match your abilities. If you are new, start with a very light resistance. If you are very experienced, use much heavier weights or push yourself harder.
For circuit “A,” set a timer for 10 minutes and alternate between the two exercises. Complete as many sets as possible with as little rest as possible.
A1) Goblet Squat — 4 reps
Grasp the end of a dumbbell in both hands and hold it against your chest, elbows under. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly apart. Start the movement by sitting back and spreading your knees apart. Lower yourself below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, push through your heels and keep your knees apart.
A2) Inverted Row — 4 reps
Place a barbell on a weight rack or Smith Machine and, from underneath, pull yourself up and place your chest on the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your body straight like a plank.
B1) Hip-thigh extension, sets: 5, reps: 12 for each leg, rest: 30 sec.
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend one leg and hold it in place. Push through your heel and squeeze your glutes to push your hips up. Repeat. Don’t use your lower back to push yourself up.
B2) Dumbbell bench press, sets: 5, reps: 5, rest: 30 sec.
Lie on a bench with your chest out, shoulders tight, and feet flat on the floor. Press the dumbbells up, keeping your shoulders back. Push through your heels as well, keeping your glutes on the bench.
B3) Lateral pulldown, sets: 5, reps: 5, rest: 30 sec.
Sit on a lat pulldown machine, grip the handle about shoulder-width apart with your palms facing out. Keeping your torso upright, squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar toward your collarbone. Keep your chest up as you pull.
C1) Bear Crawl, Sets: 2, Reps: 15 yards, Rest: 60 sec
Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips; keep your knees 1 inch off the floor. Crawl forward, taking a small step with your right arm and left leg at the same time and alternating. Keep your hips low and your head up.
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