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Weight loss: 5 compound exercises that can help you get body of your dreams

Weight loss: 5 compound exercises that can help you get body of your dreams
Compound exercises refer to weight training exercises that use more than one muscle group at a tie. © Shutterstock

If you really want to get rid of fat and build a body to die for, then you need these exercises in your regime.

Written by Nirmalya Dutta |Updated : August 12, 2019 11:56 AM IST

Compound exercisesCompound exercises refer to weight training exercises that use more than one muscle group at a tie and there are many, many good reasons to focus more on compounds exercises than isolation ones. The main reason is that by focussing on more muscle groups you:

  • Burn more calories while exercising
  • Work out your body faster
  • Improve coordination and balance
  • Work on your joint stability and work your core more
  • Get your heart to pump more blood which is good for cardiovascular fitness

Note to the ladies: You might think these exercises are just for guys but you re wrong. They will not only help you burn away the stubborn fat, but also strengthen your core and make your body a fat burning machine by upping your metabolism.

Here are five compound exercises that should be a mainstay in your exercise regime:

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The Bench Press (Primary Muscle Group: Chest, Secondary Muscle Groups: Shoulders and Triceps)

Bench PressThe first compound exercise on our list is an old school favourite that gives your chest width and particularly targets the lower pectorals. And it s not an exercise just for the men, bench presses can help ladies tone up, prevent sagging and have more shapely breasts.

How to do

Step1: Lie back on a flat bench.

Step2: Using a medium-wide grip, lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.

Step 3: From the starting position, bring the bar down slowly till it slightly touches your middle chest.

Step 4: Hold this position for a while and then push back to the starting position while breathing out. This will be one rep. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

The most important thing to do when bench presses is to make sure that you re controlling your breathing properly exhale while lifting and inhale while lowering the weight. Lower the weight slowly and make sure you just touch your chest. You should have complete control over the bar at all times. If you ve never done this exercise, use a spotter or floor trainer to keep an eye.

Pull-up (Primary Muscle Group: Back, Secondary Muscle Group: Biceps)

pull upThey differentiate the men and boys based on the number of pull-ups they can do. Without a doubt one of the most challenging exercises that target all the muscles of your arms and back, the exercise is one which requires you to have enough upper body strength.

How to do a pull-up

Step 1: Stand straight with your arm fully extended while gripping the pull-up bar.

Step 2: Keeping your knees bent, pull yourself up to the point where your chin clears the bar.

Step 3: Return to your original position.

It s not an easy exercise by any stretch of imagination and you shouldn t try it if you re out of shape or overweight. If you have trouble doing pull-ups, first focus on exercises that will strengthen your upper body muscles, especially the back. Start with a chin-up where you keep your arms closer and pull yourself towards the bar. Try doing chin-ups for a week or two and you ll be able to graduate to the pull-up. If you want to make the exercise tougher, you can always add a weight to your legs or if you re feeling particularly adventurous try it with one arm.

Squats (Primary Muscle Group: Quadriceps, Secondary Muscles: All lower body and lower back muscles)

squatsSquats with or without weights is the ultimate lower body exercise. It targets the muscles of your thighs, hips, buttocks, quadriceps and hamstrings and also helps strengthen your bones, ligaments and tendons throughout the lower body.

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Try and keep your feet as straight and parallel as possible. It is okay if your feet are turned outwards slightly but it shouldn t be more than 15 degrees.

Step 2: Keeping your arms straight out, lower yourself by bending the knees while sticking out your bottom and leaning forward at the waist (imagine you are going to sit on a chair).

Step 3: Squat till your thighs are parallel to the ground and then return to original position

Step 4: Always keep looking ahead and make sure your knees don t drift forward over your toes and always keep aligned to your ankles throughout the movement. Beginners should try to do at least 20 reps of 3 sets

Deadlifts (Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings, Glutes, Back, Secondary Muscle: Every lower and upper body muscle)

deadliftThe mother of all bodybuilding exercises practically targets every muscle in your body and there s no better exercise to stabilise your back

The deadlift is a classic weight training exercise and like the pull-up, targets the entire back. It s however notorious for causing injuries when done improperly. Putting that aside there s no better exercise to stabilise your back and gain some muscle.

A word on posture

Irrespective of whether you re using dumbbells or a barbell, it s one exercise where you need to start with the right posture and maintain proper form throughout the exercise. The right way is to keep your back as straight as possible, then bend your knees and grasp the dumbbells or barbell lifting them about six inches from the floor. Make sure your back is completely straight throughout the exercise even when you re bending down. Your head and spine should form one straight line and your lower back shouldn t be

Now here are the steps to do it:

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees to reach down and grab the bar without bending over and keeping Lift the bar with your hands slightly lesser than shoulder width (markings on the bar will indicate where you should hold). This is your starting position.

Step 2: Now raise the bar slowly till the hip level and then bring it back to your shin. Remember you are supposed to lift the bar using your legs, hips and other muscles and not your arms.

Tips: The deadlift is not an exercise to be done in jest. If you have back issues, you d be better off doing rows. Always make sure you keep perfect form to avoid a back injury.

Shoulder Press (Primary Muscle Group: Shoulders, Secondary Muscle Group: Triceps)

shoulder pressAnother compound exercise that has stood the test of time, the shoulder press or military press with barbells targets your shoulder muscles while working your triceps.

Step 1: Pick a barbell from the squat rack and hold it so that the palms are facing forward. Your grip should be wider than shoulder-width.

Step 2: Slightly bend the knees and place the barbell near your collar one. Lift the barbell so that it s lying on your chest and position your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise the barbell to shoulder level and hold it slightly in front of and above your head, this will be your starting position.

Step 3: Lower the barbell to your collarbone slowly as you breathe out.

Step 4: Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you breathe out, this is one rep.

Tips: In case you have a lower back problem, perform the exercise sitting down. Pick a conservative weight when doing this exercise.

So there you go, the five best compound exercises to help you chisel a lean body, irrespective of your gender.

You could also try out these exercises for specific body parts:

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