Compound Exercises

Incorporate these Weight Training Exercises into your Muscle Building and Fat Loss Workouts

Welcome to our Compound Exercises main page!

Each exercise comes complete with pictures, instructions, and tips so that you can get the most out of this online training and immediately add to your weight training programs.

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Compound Exercises: Why Should You Use Them?

A compound exercise is an exercise that involves the movement of two or more joints. For example, Chin ups and Pull-ups are compound exercises that work your arms as well as your forearms, lats, and upper back. During these body weight exercises, you contract at the shoulders as well as the elbows. On the other hand, isolation exercises, an example being concentration curls, only involve the movement of one joint.

The most major benefits of compound exercises are that they:

Work large muscle groups thereby burning more calories than isolation exercises
Trigger your body’s release of more muscle building testosterone and growth hormone than isolation exercises.
Build functional strength applicable to everyday life.

All Compound Exercises by Primary Muscle Group

Arm Exercises
Back and Shoulder Exercises
Chest Exercises
Leg Exercises

Compound Arm Exercises

	Bicep Exercises
Exercise Name	Primary Muscle(s)	Addl Equip. Required
Bicep Curl with Deadlift	Biceps, Forearms, Legs, Lats, Back, Shoulders	Barbell
Chin Ups	Biceps, Forearms, Lats, Upper Back	Pull Up Bar
Gironda Sternum Chin Ups	Biceps, Forearms, Lats, Upper Back	Pull Up Bar
Narrow Parallel Grip Chin Ups	Biceps, Deltoids, Forearms, Lats, Upper Back	Pull Up Bar
Bicep Curl Squat	Biceps, Calves, Forearms, Glutes Hamstrings, Quads	Dumbbells
Bicep Curl with Overhead Extension on Stability Ball	Biceps, Forearms, Triceps	Dumbbells, Stability Ball
Bicep Curl with Step Up	Biceps, Calves, Forearms, Glutes Hamstrings, Quads	Dumbbells, Bench
Forward Lunge with Bicep Curl	Biceps, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Abductors, Quads	Dumbbells
Lateral Lunge with Bicep Curl	Biceps, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Abductors, Quads	Dumbbells

Check out all of our Bicep Exercises!

	Tricep Exercises
Exercise Name	Primary Muscle(s)	Addl Equip. Required
Close Grip Bench Press	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids	Barbell, Bench
Decline Close Grip Bench to Skull Crusher	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids	Barbell, Decline Bench
JM Press	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids	Barbell, Bench
Reverse Triceps Bench Press	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids	Barbell, Bench
Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids	Bench, Smith Machine
Bench Tricep Dips	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids, Lats, Upper Back	Two Benches
Tricep Pushups	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids	N/A
Tricep Dips	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids, Lats, Upper Back	Parallel Bars or Dip Station
Machine Tricep Dips	Triceps, Chest, Deltoids, Lats, Upper Back	Machine

Check out all of our Arm Exercises or skip directly to our Bicep Exercises or Tricep Exercises!

Compound Back and Shoulder Exercises

	Back Exercises
Exercise Name	Primary Muscle(s)	Addl Equip. Required
Barbell T-Bar Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps	Barbell
Bent Over Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps, Shoulders	Barbell
Reverse Grip Bent Over Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps, Shoulders	Barbell
Body Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps	Barbell or Smith Machine
Climber Pull Ups	Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders	Pull Up Bar
Pull Ups	Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders	Pull Up Bar
Close Grip Front Lat Pull Down	Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders	Cable
Lat Pull Down	Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders	Cable
Reverse Grip Lat Pull Down	Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders	Cable
Seated Cable Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps, Shoulders	Cable
V-Bar Lat Pull Down	Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders	Cable, V-Bar
Dumbbell Rows	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps, Trapezius, Deltoids	Dumbbell
Pushups Row	Upper Back, Chest, Core, Shoulders, Triceps	Dumbbells
Single-Arm Bent Over Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps, Deltoids, Trapezius	Dumbbell
Smith Machine Bent Over Row	Upper Back, Lats, Biceps, Trapezius, Deltoids	Smith Machine

Check out all of our Back Exercises or link directly to all of our Lat Exercises, Upper Back Exercises, or Lower Back Exercises!

	Shoulder Exercises
Exercise Name	Primary Muscle(s)	Addl Equip Required
Seated Military Press	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Triceps	Barbell
Barbell Upright Row	Deltoid, Trapezius, Biceps	Barbell
Standing Overhead Press	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Triceps	Barbell
Arnold Press	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Triceps	Dumbbells
Cuban Press	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Triceps	Dumbbells
Dumbbell Raises	Deltoid, Trapezius	Dumbbells
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Triceps	Dumbbells
Dumbbell Upright Row	Deltoid, Trapezius, Biceps	Dumbbell
Iron Cross Exercise	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Legs, Lower Back, Triceps,	Dumbbells
One-Arm Upright Row	Deltoid, Trapezius, Biceps	Dumbbell
Machine Shoulder Press	Deltoid, Trapezius, Chest, Triceps	Machine
Smith Machine Upright Row	Deltoid, Trapezius, Biceps	Smith Machine

Check out all of our Shoulder Exercises!

Compound Chest Exercises

Exercise Name	Primary Muscle(s)	Addl Equip. Required
Bench Press Exercise	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Barbell, Flat Bench
Decline Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Barbell, Decline Bench
Incline Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Barbell, Incline Bench
Wide Grip Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Barbell, Flat Bench
Wide Grip Decline Bench	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Barbell, Decline Bench
Biased Pushups	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps, Upper Back	Bosu Ball
Chest Dip	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Parallel Bars or Dip Station
Exercise Ball Pushups	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps, Upper Back	Exercise Ball
Pushups	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps, Upper Back	N/A
Plyo Pushups	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps, Upper Back	Medicine Ball
Tricep Pushups	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps, Upper Back	N/A
Wide Chest Pushups	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps, Upper Back	N/A
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Dumbbells, Decline Bench
Dumbbell Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Dumbbells, Flat Bench
Dumbbell Incline Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Dumbbells, Incline Bench
Hammer Grip Incline Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Dumbbells, Incline Bench
One Arm Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Dumbbells, Flat Bench
Machine Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Machine
Machine Decline Bench	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Machine
Machine Incline Bench	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Machine
Smith Machine Bench Press	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Smith Machine, Flat Bench
Smith Machine Incline	Chest, Deltoids, Triceps	Smith Machine, Incline Bench

Check out all of our Chest Exercises!

Compound Leg Exercises

Exercise Name	Primary Muscle(s)	Addl Equip. Required
Barbell Deadlifts	Back, Forearms, Legs, Traps	Barbell
Barbell Hack Squat	Forearms, Legs	Barbell
Barbell Lunge	Legs	Barbell
Barbell Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
Barbell Squats to Bench	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
Bulgarian Split Squat	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell, Bench
Front Squat	Legs	Barbell
Front Squat to Bench	Legs	Barbell, Bench
Jefferson Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
One Arm Side Deadlifts	Abs, Legs, Lower Back, Traps	Barbell
Overhead Squat	Legs, Lower Back, Shoulders	Barbell
Power Clean	Forearms, Legs, Lower Back, Shoulders	Barbell
Reverse Barbell Lunge	Legs	Barbell
Romanian Deadlift	Back, Forearms, Legs	Barbell
Side Lunge	Legs, Hip Abductors	Barbell
Side Split Squats	Legs, Hip Abductors, Lower Back	Barbell
Single Leg Barbell Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
Speed Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
Sumo Deadlift	Back, Forearms, Hip Adductors, Legs, Traps	Barbell
Stiff Leg Deadlift	Back, Legs	Barbell
Step Ups	Legs	Barbell, Bench
Wide Stance Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
Zecher Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Barbell
Dumbbell Deadlift	Back, Forearms, Legs, Traps	Dumbbells
Dumbbell Lunge	Legs	Dumbbells, Bench
Dumbbell Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Dumbbells
Dumbbell Squats to Bench	Legs, Lower Back	Dumbbells, Bench
Dumbbell Step Ups	Legs	Dumbbells, Bench
Power Cleans	Forearms, Legs, Lower Back, Shoulders	Dumbbells
Reverse Dumbbell Lunge	Legs	Dumbbells
Romanian Deadlifts	Back, Forearms, Legs	Dumbbells
Sumo Squats	Abs, Legs	Dumbbells
Walking Lunges	Legs	Dumbbells
Weighted Sissy Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Dumbbells or Weight Plate
Leg Press Exercise	Legs	Machine
Lying Squats	Legs	Machine
Machine Hack Squats	Legs	Machine
Narrow Stance Hack Squats	Legs	Machine
Narrow Stance Leg Press	Legs	Machine
Smith Machine Hack Squats	Legs	Smith Machine
Smith Machine Romanian Deadlifts	Back, Forearms, Legs	Smith Machine
Smith Machine Squats	Legs, Lower Back	Smith Machine

Check out all of our Leg Exercises or link directly to all of our Calf Exercises, Hamstring Exercises, or Quadriceps Exercises!

Other Popular Pages of Weight Training Exercises

View our Weight Training Exercises main page for to link to all of our exercises sorted by equipment required or muscle trained. Or, choose one of our popular pages listed below.

Fat Burning Exercises
Strength Training Exercises
Barbell Exercises / Dumbbell Exercises / Body Weight Exercises
Muscle Building Workouts and Fat Loss Workouts

You’ve seen the Compound Exercises. Check out the Workout Routines. Start at our Home Page.