A compound exercise is one that requires the use of multiple muscle groups to carry out a movement. These exercises are beneficial for individuals who don’t have time to go to the gym more than three times a week as they allow the individual to work out many muscle groups in a shorter time. Compound exercises are important as most daily activities involve the use of more than one muscle group. For example, reaching to pick up an object requires the activation of your core, deltoids to raise your arm, triceps to extend the arm, and all the forearm flexors and extensors to coordinate the wrist and fingers to be able to grab the targeted object. Talk to your trainer about which compound exercises are a good fit for your workout program.
Armin Ghayyur is a Personal Trainer at Body & Soul