Compound exercises work several muscle groups in the body at the same time. These compound workouts at home will target to work multiple muscles in different parts of the body.
The exercises are known to provide a whole body workout. If you are working out to lose weight, it is a good idea to perform these compound exercises for fat loss.
Your body will burn the fat fast, combined with a healthy and balanced diet and you will lose the excess pounds in no time at all.
The opposite to compound workouts
If you are not performing compound workouts, then you are doing isolation workouts.
Isolation exercise is when you target a specific muscle in the body and work only that muscle getting it to expand and contract under weight or resistance.
Isolation exercises are mainly done to:
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- Help a specific part of your body recover from injury – The injured part of the body has to be subjected to several workouts targeting the specific muscle in that area
- Correct muscle imbalances – Some parts of our bodies are built with opposing muscles like in the upper arms.
- In the front you have the biceps and at the back you have the triceps. Some workouts cause the biceps to become too strong, you then do isolation exercises on the triceps to balance out the muscles
- Target to work specific muscles whilst you rest the other muscles – This is mainly done by those who declare that every day is a gym day.
- One day you work some muscles and rest the other muscles that you will then work the following day.
Examples of isolation exercises are :
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- Bicep curls
- Hamstring curls
- Chest flys
- Calf raises
The Compound Workouts – The Barbell 5
Equipment required
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- Barbell
- Various Weight Plates
- Workout Bench
1. Squats
Assemble your barbell with the correct weights for your level of fitness. For beginners, you can start at 70% of your body weight and gradually increase.
Grab the barbell at shoulder width using the overhand grip. Lift the barbell up over your head and place it on your shoulders.
With your feet at shoulder width, go down bending your knees into a squat position.
When your butt is almost touching your calves you then pull up and get back straight up for one rep. You can do 6 reps X 4 sets
Watch out for the following:
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- You must really go down into a deep squat. Do not shortchange yourself
- The barbell should stay put on your shoulders throughout the movement.
- Your feet should stand firmly and flat on the ground throughout the movement.
- Push yourself back into the squat such that your knees do not go too far forward.
- Do not bend your back as you go into the squat. Keep your back straight
Muscles worked in the squat:
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- Lower Legs – Calves
- Upper Legs – Hamstrings
- Upper Legs – Quads
- Glutes
- ABS
- Lower Back for balance
- Upper Back for supporting the weight
2. Deadlift
Set up your barbell with the correct weights as per your level of fitness. Beginners start at about 70% of body weight and gradually increase.
Standing in front of the barbell bend your knees with your back straight. Use the overhand grip to grab the bar at shoulder width.
Keep your back straight all the time and lift the barbell with straight arms up to just below your hip level.
Stop and pause as you are standing upright. You then go back down to place the barbell back on the ground to complete one rep.
You can do 6 reps X 4 sets
Watch out for the following:
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- Keep your feet firm and flat on the ground. The front of your legs should touch the bar as you start the movement.
- Lift the bar in a straight vertical line from the floor up
- Do not go into a squat to lift the barbell. Keep your knees behind the bar and pick up the bar with your arms straight.
- Move your legs to pick up the barbell rather than your back. Your legs should do the work and do not lock your knees.
- Do not try to lift your head to look up when picking up the weight. Rather, keep your head in a straight line with your back.
Muscles worked by the deadlift:
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- Legs – Calves.
- Legs – Hamstrings
- Legs – Quads
- Core – Glutes
- Mid Back – Lats
- Upper Back – Trapezius
- ABS
3. Barbell Rows
Setup the barbell with the correct weights for you fitness level. Beginners can start at about 40% of body weight.
Ensure that the weight of the bar is included in your calculation of total weight.
Stand in front of the bar with your shins almost touching the bar. Bend you knees and grab the bar at shoulder width and deadlift the barbell into upright position.
Then go down to a position where your back is at about 30 degree angle to the floor, holding the bar with your arms straight.
Your knees must be slightly bent, your back straight and your head looking down but in straight line with your back.
At this position slowly pull the bar up by bending your elbows. Slowly pull the bar into your ABS.
Your back must not move, it must remain stationary at 30 degree angle. Only your arms must bend and move.
When the bar touches your ABS reverse the movement to lower the bar and straighten your arms for one rep.
You can do 6 reps X 4 sets
Watch out for the following:
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- Keep your back straight at 30 degree angle to the floor as you go through the rows
- Keep your knees slightly bent
- Use only your arms by bending the elbows to perform the rows. The rest of your body must not move
- Keep the elbows closely tucked into your sides as you do the rows
- Pull the bar into the area just above your navel on your belly
Muscles worked by the rows:
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- Mid Back – The Lats
- Upper Back – The Trapezius
- Shoulders – The Deltoids
- Shoulders – Rhomboids
- Arms – Biceps
- Forearms
4. Bench Press
This is the workout where you use the barbell and the workout bench. Prepare your barbell with the correct weights for your level.
Remember to include the weight of the bar in the calculation of overall weight. Beginners start at 40% of body weight and increase as they get stronger.
Place the barbell on the bench rack. Proceed to lie flat on your back on the bench with your head just beneath the barbell on the rack.
Your feet must be firmly on the ground. Grab the barbell at just outside shoulder width.
Push the barbell up off the rack and bring it down to your chest. Reverse the move just before it touches your chest and push the barbell up until your arms are almost straight for one rep.
You must place the barbell back on the rack when your set is done.
You can do 6 reps X 4 sets
Watch out for the following:
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- Do not move your feet during the entire process. Your feet should firmly stay on the ground.
- Make sure your hands are grabbing the bar at the same distance to the weight plates to balance the barbell.
- Make sure the bar just touches your chest before you reverse the move in each rep.
- Do not push the bar before it touches. Do not shortchange yourself
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- Do not hold your breath as you bench press. You could breath in as you lower the weight and exhale as you push up the bar.
Muscles worked by the bench press:
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- Chest – Pectorals
- Arms – Triceps
- Shoulder – Deltoids
- Upper Back – Trapezius
- Arms – Biceps
- Arms – Forearms
5. Overhead Press
Prepare your barbell with the correct weights. Beginners start with 40% of body weight.
Using the overhand grip grab the barbell just outside shoulder width. Lift the barbell and bring it to rest on your front shoulders as you stand upright.
From this position push the barbell up over your head until your arms are straight.
With a short pause, squeeze your shoulders to the ceiling and then reverse the motion slowly lowering the barbell back onto your front shoulders for one rep.
You can do 6 reps X 4 sets
Watch out for the following:
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- Push your chest out as the bar rests on the front of your shoulders
- Press the bar in a vertical straight line as it goes up and down back to your shoulders.
- Do not flare out your elbows, keep them tucked in as you press up
- Lock your knees and keep your legs straight, feet firmly on the ground
Muscles worked in overhead press:
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- Chest – Pectorals
- Shoulders – Deltoids
- Upper Back – Trapezius
- Sides of Ribcage – Serratus Anterior
- Arms – Triceps
- Core and lower back – for balance
- ABS – for balance
Tips for your workouts
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- The above compound exercises are quite intense. You can work out 3 times a week. You do not have to work out every day so that your muscles have time to recover and rest.
- Do not to perform all five workouts on one day. Just do 3 workouts on each gym day. Alternate 2 upper body workouts in combination with the one lower body workout, the squats.
- If you choose to workout Monday, Wednesday and Friday it means on Mondays you can do squats, deadlifts and bench press.
- On Wednesday you do again squats, barbell rows and overhead lifts.
- On Friday, you are back to same routine as previous Monday. On the following Monday you do the previous Wednesday routine and so on.
>> Click here for our Dumbbell Barbell Sets Review <<
You can perform these compound workouts at home for fat loss or to get your muscles bigger, stronger and leaner. With these exercises, you will achieve your goals in no time at all.
Remember to combine the above workouts with the correct nutrition of a healthy and balanced diet. Increase your portion of proteins for muscle building, reduce portion of carbs if you want to lose a bit of weight.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables with each meal and drink a lot of water for hydration.
Please leave a comment in the comments section. If you have any questions or need to engage, do not hesitate to write in the comments section. I will definitely get back to you.
Cheers…….
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