Burn Fat, Build Muscle, Get Results

A couple days ago I came across a woman doing tricep cable extensions followed by pec deck flys. Her form needed a little work so I offered my expertise. After talking to her I found out she was looking to lose weight. I recommended she include more compound exercises (exercises that use multiple joints and more muscles) in her routine to get faster results.

Whether you want to lose weight or gain lean muscle add more compound exercises in your workout to help you get the most bang for your buck and deliver faster results. While your diet, rep ranges and rest periods may change depending on your goals, the rule is the same, use more muscles per exercise and you’ll build more muscle and burn more fat.

Compound exercises aren’t only more effective they also save you time making your workout more efficient. Instead of doing a single joint exercise for your glutes, one for your quads and another for your calves, choose a squat. A squat will work the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and your core all in one exercise. If you have a family, school, work or other activities on your plate, efficiency in your workouts is most likely in your best interest.

Compound exercises also transfer better to daily activities and sport performance. Not very often do you find yourself sitting and doing something that resembles a bicep curl. Our bodies are designed to work using multiple muscles simultaneously. Real activities require squatting, bending, pulling and pushing, which all resemble compound movements.

So compound exercises will help you achieve faster fat loss and build muscle quicker. They’ll save you time and improve daily function as well as sports performance.

Swap out some isolation exercises (single joint) for compound exercises (multiple joint) to add in to your routine include:

Leg Extension Squat or Bulgarian Split Squat
Leg Curl Romanian Deadlift
Lateral Raise Military Press
Pec Deck Flys Push Up or Bench Press
Bicep Curl Reverse Grip Pull down or Chin up
Tricep Extension Dip or Close Grip Push up