Maintaining muscle mass and strength is important for maintaining mobility and balance, especially as you age. One effective way to achieve this is through resistance training, also known as strength training or weight training. This type of exercise involves contracting your muscles against an external force, which can come from equipment or simply your own body weight.One
Resistance exercises are generally classified into two types: isolation exercises and compound exercises.2 Isolation exercises, such as bicep curls, leg extensions, and calf raises, target a single muscle group or joint.three While they are useful for building specific muscles, they are often inadequate for building overall strength and functional fitness.4
If you're looking for a workout that's varied, efficient, and better able to handle the demands of everyday life, consider incorporating compound exercises into your training routine.
Understanding compound movements and their benefits
Compound exercises target multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously.5 These exercises are broken down into three main movement patterns: squatting, pushing, and pulling. These basic exercises form the basis of many resistance training routines that target major muscle groups and mimic real-world activity to build strength and stability, improve functional fitness, and achieve a more balanced and coordinated body.
Compound exercises are time-efficient because they stimulate greater growth in multiple muscle groups with a single movement. This efficiency makes them an ideal choice for those with busy schedules, allowing them to get a comprehensive workout in a short amount of time.6
There is scientific evidence to support the positive effects of compound exercises. For example, one study found that7 According to the journal Frontiers in Physiology, 36 participants were divided into two groups: one group performed only isolation exercises, while the other performed compound exercises.
After the experiment, the researchers observed that those who performed the combined exercise had better results in measures of muscle strength and VO2 max (maximal oxygen consumption), which is a key indicator of aerobic exercise capacity and cardiovascular endurance.
“(If you are looking to improve body composition, a workout program consisting of either SJ (single-joint) or MJ (multi-joint) exercises may yield similar benefits. However, if your goal is to improve overall fitness, performing a resistance training program consisting of MJ exercises appears to yield better adaptations than SJ exercises alone.” The authors concluded:8
Another study9 A study published in the Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences found that strength when performing total leg extensions, an exercise that uses multiple joints and muscles throughout the leg, correlated better with overall physical performance and the ability to perform activities of daily living in older adults than strength when performing knee extensions, an isolated exercise.
Additionally, compound exercises have been shown to help improve exercise performance. One study10 A five-week compound training program helped young soccer players change direction more quickly and jump higher, according to a study published in Sport (Basel).
Squats – One of the main compound exercises
Looking at the basic movements of compound exercises, squats primarily target the lower body muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and lower back, and use multiple joints, including the hips, knees, and ankles.11
Because these movements mimic everyday actions like sitting, standing, walking, and climbing stairs, incorporating squats into your daily routine can significantly improve functional fitness as well as core strength, balance, and mobility.12
research13 A study published in the journal Strength and Conditioning Research goes into more detail about the benefits of squats. According to the authors, “Many health professionals who focus on performance enhancement often recommend squats to increase strength in ligaments, tendons, and bones; develop strength, speed, and power in the muscles of the back, hips, and knees; and improve neuromuscular efficiency.”
Some squatting exercises you can try include bodyweight squats, goblet squats, hack squats, and barbell squats. I recommend starting with bodyweight squats to build a solid foundation and get proper form and technique before incorporating more advanced variations into your routine.
To do a bodyweight squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly extended. Slowly lower your body, bending your knees and hips, keeping your chest up and your back straight. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.14
When you’re ready for more advanced variations to build more strength and challenge your muscles, consider doing goblet squats with dumbbells held close to your chest, or hack squats with a barbell behind your legs to target different muscle groups. These variations add resistance, making the exercise more challenging and effective.
The Effects of Pulling Exercise on Fitness
Pulling exercises are exercises that pull weight toward the body through concentric (shortening) contractions of the muscles.18 Some examples include inverted rows, bent-over rows, lat pulldowns, deadlifts, seated cable rows, and upright rows. These movements work the muscles of your back, including the lats, rhomboids, and trapezius.19
It also helps to tone your biceps, forearms, and shoulders, improving your posture and increasing strength and stability throughout your upper body.20 Also, one study21 According to a study published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, pulling exercises are not only effective at strengthening the back muscles, but also at reducing the risk of back pain and injury.
A simple and effective bodyweight pull exercise that I recommend is the inverted row. To do this, set up a bar at hip height or use the edge of a sturdy table. Lie on your back underneath it and grab the bar or table edge with your palms facing outward, shoulder-width apart. Keep your body straight and engage your core as you pull your chest up to the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top and slowly lower back down.22
As you gain strength and proficiency with bodyweight pull-ups, you can incorporate additional resistance to give your upper body more of a challenge. Some good examples include the bent-over row and the single-arm row, both of which can be performed with resistance bands or dumbbells to increase strength and promote muscle growth.
Why Push Ups Are Good for Your Health
The opposite of a pull-up movement, a push compound exercise is one where you push weight away from your body through an eccentric (lengthening) contraction of your muscles.23 These movements primarily target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, using the joints in the shoulders, elbows, and wrists.24
The classic push-up is a bodyweight exercise known to effectively strengthen the upper body. Studies have shown that it can also have a positive effect on cardiovascular health. This study25 The study, published in JAMA Network Open, evaluated data from 1,104 adult men to determine the link between push-up performance and future cardiovascular disease risk.
The study found that people who completed 40 or more push-ups in 30 seconds had a significantly lower risk of having a heart attack, heart failure, or other cardiovascular problems over the next 10 years than those who completed fewer than 10 push-ups.
To do a push-up, start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor. Straighten your arms and push back up to the starting position, engaging your core throughout the movement.
Once you master this basic exercise, you can gradually increase the number of repetitions and explore other variations to increase intensity and continue to challenge your body. Other push variations of compound exercises you can try include the bench press, overhead press, dips, and dumbbell shoulder press.
Compound Exercise Can Improve Cellular Health
A balanced compound training routine features a combination of squatting movements, along with pushing and pulling exercises. Spending just 30 minutes a week on these resistance exercises can help you build a stronger, more resilient body.
In addition, increasing the intensity of your routine will also optimize your body's cellular energy production. Muscles are the most energy-intensive tissue in your body, requiring significant energy even when at rest. By increasing and maintaining muscle mass through strength training, you can increase your body's energy needs and increase your metabolic rate.
Increasing your metabolism will not only help you achieve your fitness goals, but it will also improve your overall health and well-being. Strengthening your muscles through compound exercises will provide benefits beyond physical gains, including improved cellular function and overall vitality.
Be careful not to overdo strength training.
There is no doubt that strength training can improve muscle mass and muscle and bone strength. However, it is important to stay in the Goldilocks zone, otherwise your hard work will backfire.
2023 Study26 A study published in Current Cardiology Reports suggests that the negative consequences of excessive strength training may be due to increased arterial stiffness and chronic inflammation, but the researchers noted that confirmatory evidence is lacking.
Adding meta-analysis to this perspective27 A study published in Missouri Medicine found a J-shaped dose-response between strength training activity and mortality in the general population. As shown in the graph below, the benefits are greatest at 40 to 60 minutes per week. Beyond that, the benefits begin to diminish, highlighting the importance of moderation in training regimens.
They also found that 130 to 140 minutes of strength training per week had the same longevity benefits as sitting. The key is to find a balance. The researchers suggest that aiming for 20 minutes on two to three non-consecutive days, or 40 to 60 minutes once a week, is optimal.
More than 60 minutes a week will yield diminishing returns, but I believe that 30 minutes is enough to reap the benefits of resistance training.
It is important to incorporate moderate activity as a supplement, not just strength training. You will get more benefit from walking or other moderate exercise (loosely defined as exercise that leaves you slightly out of breath but still able to carry on a conversation). There is no point where moderate exercise becomes negative.
In late November 2023, I interviewed Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at the Mid-America Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City and lead author of the Missouri Medical study. Watch the discussion below to learn more about the importance of not overdoing resistance training.
