Best Compound Exercises Workout Plan
Below is a well-structured compound exercises workout plan designed to optimize strength and hypertrophy. Focus on controlled reps, proper form, and activating the major muscle groups during each movement. You can follow the listed order or customize it based on your training split.
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest (between sets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 3–5 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–4 minutes |
| Barbell Deadlift | 3–5 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–4 minutes |
| Pull-Up | 3–5 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–4 minutes |
| Barbell Squat | 3–5 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–4 minutes |
| Barbell Military Press | 3–5 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–4 minutes |
Why Compound Exercises Are Important?
Adding compound exercises to your training routine delivers both functional and performance-based rewards. These movements activate multiple muscle groups at once, offering a time-efficient way to build total-body strength and coordination.
Builds Strength
Compound exercises lay the foundation for building muscle strength, which refers to how well your muscles respond to external resistance. When challenged consistently, the body adapts to become stronger by increasing muscle fiber recruitment and density over time.
To continue progressing, it’s important to apply the principle of progressive overload—gradually increasing the weight, reps, or training volume. This ensures your muscles are consistently challenged and stimulated for further development.
The compound movements covered in this guide engage major muscle groups while also improving joint stability. Because they allow for heavier loads and higher training volume, these exercises can help unlock greater gains in strength and performance across a variety of lifts and activities.
Improves Mobility
Resistance training with compound movements enhances mobility by targeting multiple joints at once. This can support better range of motion, especially in the elbows, shoulders, and hips. The exercises in this guide typically use full ranges of motion to activate the prime movers efficiently.
In addition, improving joint mobility may reduce injury risk, including joint strain or sprains. With consistent practice, compound movements can help you move more freely in daily life while supporting performance in sports, work, or other physical tasks.
Builds Functional Strength
Exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and bench presses strengthen the chest, back, and upper arms—muscles frequently involved in everyday activities like lifting groceries, pushing doors, or carrying a child.
By focusing on proper technique and controlled execution, you apply more tension to the muscles. This tension becomes an effective stimulus for muscle growth, leading to improved muscle activation and full-body functional strength over time.
Isolation Vs. Compound Exercises
Both isolation and compound exercises play a role in a well-rounded strength training program. They differ in execution, with each type offering benefits depending on your goals, experience level, and training preference.
Isolation exercises focus on one muscle or muscle group at a time. For example, a standard bicep curl targets only the biceps. This concentrated tension helps build strength or size in a specific area and is ideal for addressing weak points or muscular imbalances.
On the other hand, compound exercises work several muscle groups at once. They involve both prime movers and supporting muscles, which help stabilize the joints during movement. This approach supports greater overall strength, improved coordination, and time-efficient training—perfect for those aiming to get more out of each workout.
Are Compound Movements Better For Muscle Growth?
While both compound and isolation exercises can contribute to muscle gain, compound exercises generally provide a more effective growth stimulus. This is because they engage several muscle groups at once, activating more muscle fibers in a single movement.
Additionally, compound lifts often support the use of heavier loads, thanks to the involvement of stabilizing muscles. This makes them especially useful for promoting hypertrophy and developing overall strength.
They’re also more time-efficient. Movements like the bench press target the chest, shoulders, and triceps all at once. In contrast, isolation exercises such as triceps kickbacks focus on only one muscle. If your goal is efficiency and full-body development, compound lifts typically offer a higher return on your effort.
Conclusion
Compound exercises offer one of the most effective ways to build total-body strength, enhance coordination, and support long-term fitness goals. By recruiting multiple muscle groups in each movement, they encourage greater muscle activation, functional strength, and efficient training sessions.
Whether you’re aiming for muscle growth, improved athletic performance, or time-efficient workouts, compound lifts provide high return on effort. Be sure to program them wisely and apply the training tips we’ve covered to maximize your results in and out of the gym.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should not do the 5 compound exercises every day because your muscles need recovery days to build stronger. We recommend doing the routine above 3–4 days a week with rest days in between
While compound exercises effectively build overall strength and stability, neglecting smaller muscle groups can create weaknesses and limit your development. Therefore, we recommend programming both isolation and compound movements into your routine.
Compound movement exercises are very good for building strength because they engage multiple muscles simultaneously. They allow for heavier loads to be lifted, which encourages muscle hypertrophy.
4 compound exercises is not too much if you strategically program them for variety and to target different muscle groupings. Use our routine above for a comprehensive, well-rounded workout with 5 exercises.
Resources
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April 21, 2025 at 7:15 am
Way to avoid two of the best compound exercises, probably because they are hard and today’s gym goers are more concerned with filming themselves and getting ‘likes’. The only exercises you need: squat, bench press, deadlift, press, bent over row. 90+% of the time people don’t get results because they do to much. Train hard, not long!