Whether you are seeking to lose fat, build mass, or merely increase strength and power, you should focus on training with full-body workouts to activate every muscle and increase testosterone levels for best results.
The following exercises are the most effective compound lifts that should form a staple of any resistance training regimen.
Compound Lifts Explained
Compound lifts are any resistance training exercise that focuses on working multiple muscle groups at once. They are often more difficult to perform than isolation exercises, which focus on one muscle at a time, but as a result they often lead to more dramatic changes in body composition, such as improvements in strength and muscle size, as well as weight loss.
Compound exercises force the body to recruit a greater number of muscle fibers to perform the work. When the body is subjected to resistance training, it undergoes a period of conditioning where the muscles are torn so that they may be rebuilt by the body in the subsequent week -- ideally growing bigger and stronger.
Targeting multiple muscles at one time forces the body to elevate its production of testosterone and growth hormone to account for the growing demands. This results in a greater potential for muscle growth as well as fat loss, both of which are facilitated by these hormones. In addition, compound lifts require dramatically more energy to perform, thus increasing your overall calorie expenditure.
The best way to utilize these aspects is to perform compound exercises regularly as part of a full-body workout routine. Focus on performing each lift with as much weight as possible while maintaining a strict form and pace.
The Squat
The squat primarily targets the quadriceps, but requires full use of the glutes, hamstrings, calves, lower back and core. Due to the vast size of these muscles, the squat effectively works more of your overall muscle mass than any other lift.
The most common form of squat is the Barbell Back Squat. This requires a squat rack, a preloaded barbell and, ideally, a spotter.
Begin by stepping under the bar so that it rests on your upper traps/ lower neck area and grasp the bar at about shoulder width with a palms-forward grip. Your feet should be just wider than shoulder-width. Tighten your core and begin the descent by bending your knees slowly and lowering your glutes until you reach 90 degrees.
Pause slightly and push through your heels to raise the weight back to the starting position. Maintain a tight control of your feet and lower back to avoid rounding or straining either.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts target the lower back and core, often improving posture and flexibility, but they also work the glutes, quads and hamstrings, while also incorporating the traps, abs, deltoids -- or shoulders -- and calves.
You can perform the deadlift with nothing more than a barbell or two dumbbells and an open space.
Begin with the barbell on the ground in front of you, with your feet underneath. It should rest at your shins, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down to grip the bar just outside your feet with your back tight and feet firmly planted -- this is the starting position. Tighten your core and lower back and slowly straighten up, holding the weight tightly against your body. Stand with your weight against your heels and push through your glutes and hips to stand up straight as you push your shoulders and hips back.
The Bench Press
Perhaps the most common of all lifts, the bench press is actually an effective mass builder, targeting the pectoral muscles as well as the triceps and deltoids with use of the biceps, forearms and core as stabilizers.
Begin by lying on a flat bench press with your feet firmly planted on the ground and core tight with the bar racked above your head. Grip the bar at shoulder width and raise it over your upper chest. Slowly lower the bar to your chest as you inhale and keep your waist in place. Exhale sharply and push the bar back up to the starting position. Focus on keeping your elbows and shoulders following the same range of motion -- elbows flared out will emphasize the pectorals, while elbows firm at your side emphasizes the triceps.
Additional effective compound lifts for a full body workout include pull ups, dips, barbell rows and the clean & jerk.
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