What Are Compound Lifts and Why They Matter

Cracking the code on compound lifts can be a game-changer in your training. But what are compound lifts, really—and why are they important?

Defining Compound Lifts

Compound lifts, also known as multi-joint exercises, involve multiple muscle groups and joints working together in one movement. For example:

A squat recruits hips, knees, and ankles—and works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core.
A deadlift taps into hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back, traps and forearms.
A bench press engages chest, shoulders, triceps, plus stabiliser muscles.

So, What are compound lifts? They are the kingpins of efficiency—exercises that mirror real-world movement and deliver more bang for your buck than isolation moves like curls or leg extensions.

Why Compound Lifts Should Be Your Foundation

1. Lift More, Experience More Strength Gains

Since compound lifts involve larger muscle groups, you can typically lift heavier weights, enabling progressive overload—a key driver of strength and muscle growth.

A study comparing single-joint vs multi-joint exercises showed that compound routines yielded superior strength adaptations, even with equal training volume. Another study revealed significantly improved performance in bench press, squat, and overall cardiovascular fitness after just eight weeks of compound-focused training.

2. Burn More Calories & Boost Heart Health

Compound lifts elevate your heart rate more than isolation exercises. They engage more muscle, demand more oxygen, and therefore burn more calories.

ACE (American Council on Exercise) highlights:

“Exercises that involve a significant amount of muscle tissue…challenge the heart to pump blood”.

This also contributes to cardiovascular resilience, making compound lifts a stealthy form of cardio.

3. Enhance Efficiency & Save Time

Let’s face it—fitting in fitness among life’s chaos can be tough. Compound exercises offer maximum efficiency, covering multiple muscle groups in fewer movements. A 2016 SELF article suggests 70–80% of your workout should be compound, with 20–30% isolation aid. The result? More results in less time.

4. Build Functional Strength

Our bodies are wired for compound, functional movement—squatting, lifting, pushing, pulling. Compound lifts mimic these everyday patterns and develop real-world strength and stability.

Think of running, climbing stairs, or lifting shopping—typical compound movements forge strength you can feel in everyday life.

5. Improve Coordination & Athleticism

Machines may isolate, but they don’t train coordination. Compound lifts do. They improve intermuscular coordination by teaching multiple muscles and joints to fire in concert.

For athletes, compound lifts like squats correlate strongly with improved sprinting and jumping performance.

6. Stimulate Muscle Growth & Hormonal Response

The more muscle fibres recruited, the greater the metabolic stress and hormonal boost. Compound lifts promote a stronger anabolic environment—releasing testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1—to drive growth and repair.

7. Fortify Core Strength & Stability

Compound lifts demand strong stabilisers. Your core is working hard during squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses. You don’t need endless planks—this functional engagement trumps isolation for core strength.

Key Research & Evidence

NMRI compound-vs-isolation review (2015): No significant hypertrophy difference, but compound movements offer superior functional and coordination gains.
8-week study with compound lifts: Showed marked improvements in cardiovascular fitness, bench press, squat and knee extension strength.
ACE top-five benefits: Compound lifts burn more calories, improve coordination, cardiovascular health, flexibility, and movement efficiency.
Interlink with athletic performance: Squat strength correlates with sprint and jump metrics .

Popular Compound Lifts & How to Do Them

Let’s explore effective compound lifts—each rich in functionality and substance.

Squat

Mechanics: knees, hips, ankles engage; quads, hamstrings, glutes, core.
Why it’s essential: Heavy and functional; activates triple extension for sprinting and jumping.

Deadlift

Mechanics: hip hinge, full-body recruitment including hamstrings, glutes, lower/upper back.
Benefits: Strengthens posterior chain, grip, posture and functional picking-up strength.

Bench Press

Mechanics: shoulders, elbows; chest, triceps, stabilisers.
Why it matters: Strength at the front chain and improves upper-body pressing efficacy.

Pull-Up/Chin-Up

Mechanics: vertical pulling; lats, biceps, upper back, core.
Benefit: Builds pulling strength and core stability for everyday pulling tasks.

Overhead Press

Mechanics: vertical push; delts, triceps, upper chest; core for stabilisation.
Value: Strengthens overhead performance and shoulder health.

Row

Mechanics: horizontal pull; back, biceps, stabilisers as core remains braced.
Why it’s vital: Corrects posture, complements pressing movements, and builds back strength.

Structuring Your Routine Around Compound Lifts

Starting the Session

Do your compound lifts first, fresh and energised. Prioritise form to avoid early fatigue-related injuries.

Sample Training Splits

Full-Body Days (2–3× per week)

Include 3–4 compound movements per session, covering upper and lower body.

Upper/Lower Split

Alternate between upper and lower compound-day workouts, with 2–4 sessions weekly.

Push/Pull/Legs

Push day: bench press, overhead press
Pull day: row, chin-ups
Leg day: squat, deadlift

Sets, Reps & Rest

Strength focus: 3–5 sets of 3–6 reps
Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 6–12 reps
Rest: 2–5 minutes for strength, 60–120 seconds for hypertrophy

Safeguards & Technique

Begin with bodyweight or light loads.
Use mirrors or partner feedback.
Learn hip hinge and core bracing early.
Consider coaching help for squat, press, and deadlift form.

Incorporating Isolation Work

Isolation exercises still have their place—as an accessory to compound training:

Finish with calf raises, bicep curls, tricep extensions, or leg curls to hone underdeveloped areas.
Particularly useful for addressing muscle imbalances or injury rehab.

Addressing Common Myths

“Compound lifts bulk you up too quickly.”
Reality: Muscle growth takes consistency, nutrition, proper programming. Compound lifts are simply efficient, not hypertrophy cheats.

“I need machines for isolation to build size.”
Reality: Compound lifts already stimulate growth. Machines may be used later for targeted work.

“Compound work is only for advanced lifters.”
False—beginners benefit hugely from compound movements, developing coordination, strength and muscle quickly with guidance unsw.edu.au.

Bringing It Together: Sample Weekly Plan

Day	Focus	Example Exercises
Mon	Full-body	Squat, Bench Press, Row
Tue	Rest/Cardio	–
Wed	Lower	Deadlift, Lunges
Thu	Upper	Overhead Press, Pull-Ups
Fri	Rest/Core	–
Sat	Accessories	Calf Raises, Curls, Extensions
Sun	Active Recovery	Walk, Stretch