COMPOUND EXERCISES FOR FASTER MUSCLE GAIN

Experts share five reasons why you need to opt for compound exercises to up your fitness game

While working out most of us tend to opt for a regime that involves training a single muscle in isolation. For example, we tend to train one body part a day, that is chest one day and back the next, and so on. While this kind of workout is perfect for someone whose primary aim is to sculpt his/her muscles and focus on aesthetics, it’s not ideal for someone whose target is to get fit and athletic in a short span of time. This is where compound exercises come in. They can either involve single moves that include multiple muscle groups, such as deadlift and lunges, or two moves combined together to create one exercise, like a shoulder press combined with bicep curl.

We got in touch with fitness experts Amaresh Ojha and Jinnie Gogia Chug, who explain the benefits of compound exercises.

1. Burns calories faster: Exercises that involve more tissues require more oxygen. Therefore, compound exercises tend to burn more calories than isolation exercises and build more muscle in the process.

2. Enhances intermuscular coordination: It improves the performance of various muscles around the joints. For example, the gluteal complex (the hip) consists of three muscles — gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus. Together, they are responsible for controlling the motion of the hip. A compound exercise like a squat or deadlift can improve the coordination between the various muscles.

3. Provides cardiovascular benefits: For cardio, you either opt for running or cycling, which have the disadvantage of reducing muscle size. Since compound exercises are done within a short span, they provide cardiovascular benefits without muscle loss.