A compound exercise activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Lifters and bodybuilders may use compound lifts as the base of their strength-training program. Compound exercises are best at the beginning of the workout before your muscles fatigue. Accessory exercises or isolation exercises for a specific muscle, such as a lat pulldown or leg press, can follow compound lifts towards the end of the workout. 

Compound exercises can increase muscle growth and heart rate and can streamline your workout routine.

1. __Increase muscle growth__: Using multiple muscle groups simultaneously can help you build body strength faster and increase muscle growth. 
2. __Burn more calories__: By activating multiple muscle groups at once, compound lifts can burn more calories. Your heart rate increases when doing compound lifts, which also enables caloric burning.
3. __Save time__: Working out more muscles with compound lifts takes less time than doing multiple isolation exercises for specific muscles.

You can use compound lifts as foundational exercises to activate multiple major muscle groups for your workout routine. Some of the best compound exercises for building muscle and gaining strength include:

1. __Squats__: The [squat](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-do-squats) is a lower-body exercise that activates the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Squats also engage the back muscles and abdomen for stability. Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart, lower your hips until you're in a sitting position where your hips are below your knees, then stand back up. The squat is versatile: It can be a bodyweight exercise, or you can perform squats using a barbell with weights, dumbbells, or resistance bands. You can also do squats on a squat machine. Variations on the squat include [back squat](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/back-squat-exercise-guide) and [front squat](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/front-squat-guide). 
2. __Bench press__: The [bench press](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bench-press-exercise-guide) is an upper-body exercise that can help build chest muscles (pecs) and shoulders (delts). The lower back, core, and glutes stabilize the lower body. Lying flat or at an incline with your back curved, move the barbell from your chest directly upward, extending your arms completely. You can also perform a bench press with dumbbells. 
3. __Deadlift__: The [deadlift](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deadlift-form-guide) is a full-body exercise that activates your upper back, lower back, erectors, hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. It can also help build your grip strength. This barbell exercise requires you to place a barbell on the ground with weights attached. Hinging from your hips, bend your knees slightly and lift the barbell off the ground until standing straight. Lower the weight back down. 
4. __Overhead press__: Also known as the shoulder press, the [overhead press](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dumbbell-overhead-press-guide) is an upper-body exercise that works out your shoulders, upper chest, and triceps. This requires you to move weight from your chest directly upward, using your back and abdomen to stabilize your body. You can perform overhead presses using a barbell or dumbbells. There are different variations on the overhead press, including the [military pres](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/military-press-guide)s or the [push press](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/push-press-guide). 
5. __Pull-ups__: [Pull-ups](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pull-up-exercise-guide) are an upper-body bodyweight workout that activates your upper back and biceps, including your rhomboids, triceps, and delts. Pull-ups can also help build your grip strength. The pull-up requires you to hold onto a horizontal bar, known as a pull-up bar, hanging your body off of the bar. Using your arms and back, pull your body upwards until your chin is above the bar. Pull-ups are traditionally performed with the palms facing away from the body, which activates the back more. A variation, called the [chin-up](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chin-up-guide), has the palms facing the body to activate the biceps.
6. __Push-up__: This [upper body exercise](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/push-ups-guide) activates your pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoids. Put your body in a plank position with your arms spread a little more than shoulder-width apart. Using your arms, lower your body until you almost touch the ground, then lift your body back up.
If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.
Throw on some athleisure, fire up a [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com), and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and *GQ* fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.
Compound exercises are weightlifting exercises that activate multiple muscle groups at once. These bodybuilding exercises can help you build strength and increase muscle mass.


Compound exercises are weightlifting exercises that activate multiple muscle groups at once. These bodybuilding exercises can help you build strength and increase muscle mass.


Compound Exercises: 6 Compound Exercises to Build Strength

A compound exercise activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Lifters and bodybuilders may use compound lifts as the base of their strength-training program. Compound exercises are best at the beginning of the workout before your muscles fatigue. Accessory exercises or isolation exercises for a specific muscle, such as a lat pulldown or leg press, can follow compound lifts towards the end of the workout.

What Is a Compound Exercise?

Compound exercises can increase muscle growth and heart rate and can streamline your workout routine.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Increase muscle growth: Using multiple muscle groups simultaneously can help you build body strength faster and increase muscle growth. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Burn more calories: By activating multiple muscle groups at once, compound lifts can burn more calories. Your heart rate increases when doing compound lifts, which also enables caloric burning. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Save time: Working out more muscles with compound lifts takes less time than doing multiple isolation exercises for specific muscles. </li></ol>

3 Benefits of Compound Exercises 

You can use compound lifts as foundational exercises to activate multiple major muscle groups for your workout routine. Some of the best compound exercises for building muscle and gaining strength include:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Squats: The <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-do-squats' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-do-squats","linkCopy":"squat","category":null}'>squat</a> is a lower-body exercise that activates the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Squats also engage the back muscles and abdomen for stability. Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart, lower your hips until you&#39;re in a sitting position where your hips are below your knees, then stand back up. The squat is versatile: It can be a bodyweight exercise, or you can perform squats using a barbell with weights, dumbbells, or resistance bands. You can also do squats on a squat machine. Variations on the squat include <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/back-squat-exercise-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/back-squat-exercise-guide","linkCopy":"back squat","category":null}'>back squat</a> and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/front-squat-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/front-squat-guide","linkCopy":"front squat","category":null}'>front squat</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Bench press: The <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bench-press-exercise-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bench-press-exercise-guide","linkCopy":"bench press","category":null}'>bench press</a> is an upper-body exercise that can help build chest muscles (pecs) and shoulders (delts). The lower back, core, and glutes stabilize the lower body. Lying flat or at an incline with your back curved, move the barbell from your chest directly upward, extending your arms completely. You can also perform a bench press with dumbbells. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Deadlift: The <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deadlift-form-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deadlift-form-guide","linkCopy":"deadlift","category":null}'>deadlift</a> is a full-body exercise that activates your upper back, lower back, erectors, hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. It can also help build your grip strength. This barbell exercise requires you to place a barbell on the ground with weights attached. Hinging from your hips, bend your knees slightly and lift the barbell off the ground until standing straight. Lower the weight back down. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Overhead press: Also known as the shoulder press, the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dumbbell-overhead-press-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/dumbbell-overhead-press-guide","linkCopy":"overhead press","category":null}'>overhead press</a> is an upper-body exercise that works out your shoulders, upper chest, and triceps. This requires you to move weight from your chest directly upward, using your back and abdomen to stabilize your body. You can perform overhead presses using a barbell or dumbbells. There are different variations on the overhead press, including the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/military-press-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/military-press-guide","linkCopy":"military pres","category":null}'>military pres</a>s or the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/push-press-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/push-press-guide","linkCopy":"push press","category":null}'>push press</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Pull-ups: <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pull-up-exercise-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pull-up-exercise-guide","linkCopy":"Pull-ups","category":null}'>Pull-ups</a> are an upper-body bodyweight workout that activates your upper back and biceps, including your rhomboids, triceps, and delts. Pull-ups can also help build your grip strength. The pull-up requires you to hold onto a horizontal bar, known as a pull-up bar, hanging your body off of the bar. Using your arms and back, pull your body upwards until your chin is above the bar. Pull-ups are traditionally performed with the palms facing away from the body, which activates the back more. A variation, called the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chin-up-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chin-up-guide","linkCopy":"chin-up","category":null}'>chin-up</a>, has the palms facing the body to activate the biceps. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 6. Push-up: This <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/push-ups-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/push-ups-guide","linkCopy":"upper body exercise","category":null}'>upper body exercise</a> activates your pecs, triceps, and anterior deltoids. Put your body in a plank position with your arms spread a little more than shoulder-width apart. Using your arms, lower your body until you almost touch the ground, then lift your body back up. </li></ol>

6 Compound Exercises

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

How to Work out Safely and Avoid Injury

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.

Want to Dive Deeper Into Your Wellness Journey?

Compound exercises are weightlifting exercises that activate multiple muscle groups at once. These bodybuilding exercises can help you build strength and increase muscle mass.