As you lift and lower the weight both your elbow and shoulder joints articulate substantially making it a classic example of a multi joint or compound exercise. Compound lifting is weightlifting that engages multiple joints and muscle groups rather than targeting one joint and muscle group as in isolation lifting.
The deadlift squat and bench press are the three most important compound lifts.
Compound lift. But it s also important you supplement your heavy lifts with accessory lifts such as working with dumbbells to help maintain balance and improve functional fitness. If you focus on these three movements you are sure to pack on good lean muscle. Compound lifting is a term used to describe a style of training that integrates movements that stress multiple muscle groups at one time.
There are lots of examples of compound lifts. Compound lifting is favored by lifters who want to choose exercises that engage multiple joints and muscle groups. The deadlift squat and bench press are the three important lifts that make up power lifting competitions and serious lifters will form their routine around these big three.
To do this the movement is multi joint meaning that it uses movement patterns that involve multiple joints flexing extending and or rotating in unison with one another. For example a squat is a compound exercise that works the quadriceps glutes and calves. Compound lifts revolve around push and pull exercises.
The result of this is the body gaining strength and muscle equally. Compound lifts are ideal for ensuring your training is both efficient and effective. A compound workout program should focus around those seven lifts with the inclusion of variations of each.
Compound lifts allow more weight to be shifted meaning maximal stimulus of the muscles under tension can occur. Compound exercises are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Compound exercises which work the body across multiple joints generally require more balance coordination allow for the use of heavier weight involve multiple muscle groups and work the body.
This is also a good way to target any weaker areas. By contrast consider a lateral raise in which you hold two dumbbells in front of your legs and raise them out to your sides. The big 3 compound lifts.
As such they more effectively help us to produce practical useful strength. Compound movements with their emphasis on pushing pulling squatting pressing and lifting more closely resemble how our muscles function in real life. For example a quadriceps dominant leg day could alternate between full squats and front and squats with snatch grip deadlifts as an assistance exercise.
Push and pull exercises require multiple joints and muscle groups to move the resistance. Hence the reason compound based moves revolve around these two categories of training.
