While exercising one part of your body at a time makes sense for a lot of reasons, have you ever considered working out multiple muscle groups at one time? Not only does it make your fitness routine more efficient, it also gives you more health benefits. Compound exercises offer a more challenging workout that will leave you stronger, more flexible and better trained.
Think about the way you live and move. Do you ever do anything at all in isolation? No, your body parts work together in order to get you from Point A to Point B. You multitask all day long, and even when you’re relaxing in front of the television after a tough day, you’re probably checking emails, folding laundry or doing something else at the same time. Our bodies are built so that different groups of muscles work in harmony, at the same time. Compound exercises allow you to follow this natural flow and work connected parts of your body in favorable ways.
Compound exercises work out different muscle groups together, treating your body like a chain. In addition to making you stronger and your workout more holistic, it’s great for your hormones. The physical effort you exert working different muscle groups at once results in a much higher and more positive response from your hormonal system. Testosterone and growth hormones are especially excited to be getting a compound workout.
What are some of the best compound exercises? Try these:
• Weightlifting
• Squats
• Pushups
• Pull ups
• Bench presses
• Jogging with weights
If you need some help getting started, talk to a personal trainer at your gym. Or, trust yourself. Take time to notice what you are working when you exercise. Compound exercise is intuitive and you’ll notice a difference when you start working different muscle groups together.
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