What are compound exercises?
Weight lifting exercises can be separated into two broad categories: compound movements and isolation movements.
Isolation exercises are different from compound exercises
Isolation exercises are those which move a single joint through its range of motion. Examples include:
- Bicep concentration curls (elbow joint)
- Triceps kickbacks (elbow joint)
- Leg extension machine (quadriceps muscle and knee joint)
- Calf raises (ankle joint)
These moves are called “isolation” exercises because they put major stress on a single, isolated muscle.
A strongman performing an overhead press
For example, the squat involves both ankles, knees, and hips. And it puts major training stress on the quads, hamstrings, glutes, back and core, and a host of small, stabilizing muscles. Even though it’s a single strength training exercise, it works many parts of the body.
With a half-dozen compound exercises, you get a full-body workout. This style of strength training quickly builds muscle mass and overall fitness and it strengthens the body as a whole. Plus, it builds athleticism.
Training for speed versus training for strength
Although it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, you can generally divide compound exercises into two main types:
- Olympic lifts, such as the clean and jerk or the snatch. These movements develop power and speed.
- Power lifts like the bench press, deadlift, and powerlifting squat. They’re deceptively named because they don’t actually build power. They develop pure max strength.
Compound exercises are more suitable for skinny guys who want to bulk up than isolation exercises will ever be
Devotees of either style of lifting will undoubtedly argue the minutiae of the distinction I draw between Olympic lifts and powerlifting. But the point to take away from it all is that there are two different schools of thought about which compound exercises are best. Let me explain:
Some athletes use weight training as a tool to improve their sports performance. These guys tend towards the Olympic-style lifts.
Other folks view weight training as an end in and of itself. They gravitate towards powerlifting.
Both styles have their good and bad points, but one thing is clear: compound exercises of any stripe are more suitable for skinny guys who want to bulk up than isolation exercises will ever be.
Compound exercises for bulking up
Adding significant muscle mass is not a trivial task.
To put on good quality muscle, you must work out very hard. And you also have to steadily increase your body weight. Furthermore, your joints and connective tissue must strengthen and adapt in concert with your muscles.
Just like you wouldn’t put a high-performance engine into a compact car with a puny power-train, you can’t put 10 kilos of muscle on a frame that’s weak and unprepared for the additional stress that comes with being bigger and more powerful.
This is where compound exercises come in.
Olympic-style lifts are compound movements
They develop the body as a whole rather than as a collection of seemingly-unrelated parts.
Make no mistake about it: the body is not a collection of unrelated parts. If you train like it is, you will eventually injure yourself. Compound movements find the weak link in your power train and put maximum stress right there where it will do the most good. Your muscles won’t get stronger unless and until your joints can handle the additional power. This is a good thing.
Bodybuilders and others who incorporate isolation exercises into their workouts are training for hypertrophy, not absolute strength. Anyone who relies solely on isolation movements will inevitably develop weak spots. These areas of weakness will eventually give way when they’re subjected to enough stress.
Why do people perform isolation movements?
Large 200-pound and above bodybuilders know they can get an extra inch or so out of their arms by doing curls and tricep isolation exercises. They want the extra size, regardless of whether it translates into real strength.
But don’t be fooled. These big fellows didn’t get huge by ignoring the compound lifts. The huge guys in any bodybuilding gym paid their dues with compound moves when they were developing, just like every other successful weight lifter.
Smaller lifters do isolation exercises because they don’t know any better.
Yes, it’s true that smaller guys can pump up a bit with isolation movements. But this is a Faustian bargain. When these guys stop working out, the size goes away quickly. And if they ever get stressed to the max, the weak links fail because of the lack of athleticism.
Aside from bodybuilders who are already big, the people who use isolation exercises while supposedly bulking up do so because these movements are easier than heavy compound lifts like squats, overhead presses, or pullups. They would rather “feel the burn” in their biceps than feel like they were just hit by a freight-train after doing a set of squats. Compound exercises are hard, but there is no substitute for the effect they have on your body. Nobody said bulking up wasn’t hard work.
Which weight lifting exercises are the best?
There is a classic combination of compound weight lifting exercises that most successful lifters used to bulk up. It’s known as the “golden five”. When most people talk about doing a “whole-body routine”, this is what they are referring to.
| Exercise Name | Major Muscle Groups | Minor Muscle Groups |
| Squats | Quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back | Lower legs, upper back, core stabilizing muscles, hip complex |
| Deadlifts | Grip, lower back, hamstrings, traps, back of shoulders | Lower legs, core, upper legs, isometric work for biceps, and virtually everything else |
| Bench press | Pecs, triceps, front of the shoulders | Serratus muscles at side of ribs, side of shouders, neck |
| Pullups (or rows) | Lats and upper back, biceps, grip | Core, neck |
| Overhead pressing | Shoulders, triceps | Core stabilizing muscles, neck |
These movements will stress your entire body and cause it to grow as a unit, with no weak links. Other than that, all you need is a bit of running or other high-rep work for your calves. Heavy squats and deadlifts will stress the soleus muscles of your calf complex, but calves are probably not suitable for direct, low-rep isolation work while you’re also trying to bulk up.
Compound lifts for building muscle mass
Lots of people don’t like compound lifts for these reasons:
- It takes time and effort to learn proper technique.
- It takes time to build up the degree of flexibility needed to take compound exercises through a full range of motion.
- Compound exercises are hard and exhausting. A set of pullups is an ordeal; a set of bicep curls is something you can do while talking on the phone.
- Free weight barbells are intimidating. Dumbells suitable for isolation exercises are less scary.
Barbells are perfect for use with compound movements
Play around with isolation exercises if you are bored, but don’t wear yourself out. The real work should go into the compound movements during your regular workout. While isolation exercises are good to know, especially if you are nursing an injury and you can’t perform a full range of motion compound exercise, they don’t take the place of a proper weight training workout.
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{ 72 comments… read them below or add one }
Mass Phase ? What other phases are there? What do they consist of? How long is each phase? What do the exercise routines look like. I work Full time And drive home 3.5 hours on a daily basis. Thanks Kindly
Hi Michael:
During a mass-building workout, you are gaining weight and muscle by eating an excess of calories and lifting with a high level of intensity. Your body can’t withstand this intensity year-round. A typical mass phase might be three months at the most. After that, you probably need a period of rest and recovery.
Other than mass-building workouts, you can do sports-specific strength workouts, general fitness and strength-maintenance workouts, rehab workouts, etc. Basically, if you are gaining weight you are in a mass phase, but if not, you are doing something else.
I am hesitant to recommend a one size fits all workout here on this website, but you can see some of the thinking that goes into program design in this article: designing a bodybuilding workout.
The length of a typical routine depends on your level of proficiency with weight training. As long as the gains keep coming, don’t change what’s working. When your results begin to plateau, then you are no longer a beginner and you will need an intermediate or adanced routine.
Many people on the web use and recommend the routines found in these places:
Strength Mill Forum
Sherdog strength and power FAQ
If you like books, here is a good one at amazon.com: Starting Strength (3rd edition)
How does weight training for the abdominal come into all this? Why are abdominal exercises not included in the golden five?
Hi Ken:
Virtually all compound exercises involve the core (or abdominals). If you add separate ab work, you will probably limit your ability to make progress in the main compound lifts.
You can bulk up with a full body compound exercise routine, or you can isolate the abdominals and build a six-pack, but unless you are genetically gifted and a bit lucky, you can’t do both at the same time.
Just as the arms get a lot of (indirect) work from bench presses, pull-ups, and other compound exercises, so do the abdominals. If your abs (or any other part of your core) are the weak link, compound exercises will strengthen them up just fine.
Hey there,
Just wondering about the rep range. Can mass still be put on by using a maximal strength workout (i.e. approx 5 reps/set) rather than a traditional hypertrophy program (8-12 reps)??
thanks
I believe it’s easy to gain mass at 5 reps per set, especially for guys who are skinny or underweight. I think 5 sets of 5 is a great program for strength or hypertrophy. The only thing to worry about is that at 5 reps, the intensity is very high and this can lead to injury if your form isn’t perfect. At 10 reps, intensity is lower and technique isn’t quite as important.
My theory is: if you’re going 5 reps to failure in the squat, you’d better have good technique and proper flexibility. If you have bad squatting technique or flexibility problems on that last rep, you’re going to cause trouble for yourself. But at 10 reps to failure, things are a lot more forgiving: you can squat your way into shape and work on technique at the higher rep ranges.
I am 40 years old and had three back surgeries (disc problems) years ago. My last back surgery was at age 38. I was dead lifting about 275 and “pop”. I have been working out with weights for a few years since but have recently started light weight squats and dead lifts. I have been trying higher reps but have no clue how many sets or reps to shoot for. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Hi Joseph:
I am not qualified to give you any advice about training with a surgically-reconstructed back. What I do know is that if a person has had back or knee surgery, they’re never going to be as capable as someone who has avoided injury, and they’re going to have to face up to the fact that certain activities will forever be off-limits.
There comes a point in lots of peoples’ lives when their youthful dreams of immortality suddenly disappear with a “pop“. After that, training is best geared towards injury prevention, joint mobility, and quality of life.
Although there are plenty of anecdotes on the ‘web demonstrating how someone was able to deadlift heavy weights after disc surgery, I’m not prepared to ever recommend deadlifting to someone with back problems. I have absolutely no experience in the matter, one way or the other.
Weight lifting — even for young, healthy, athletic people — is implicated in tens of thousands of back injuries every year. According to the US Government’s Consumer Products Safety Commission, in the year 2009 there were 14,734 emergency-room visits just in the United States because of lower-back injury during weight lifting. That figure doesn’t include emergency-room visits by people who hurt their back lifting things other than weights.
Heavy deadlifting should be done only after a thorough warmup, and then only if your flexibility is sufficient to allow you to keep your back/spine oriented properly, and then only once per week. Anyone who is unsure whether they are flexible enough to deadlift heavy weights should read Mark Ripptoe’s Starting Strength. A lot of the weight-training advice on some well-regarded internet sites is simply re-written directly from Ripptoe’s book. In lieu of that, perhaps get some advice from an experienced trainer who has a degree in something like kinesiology or exercise physiology and is a member of a professional organization like the NSCA. For those who want more reading, Krista gives some useful info on how to choose a personal trainer.
Good luck!
I have been working out for 4 months now and I don’t see any difference in my body I wonder if me working 12 hours at work could be the problem with me not bulking up because I’m still stuck at 185 pounds and I would like to be 200 pounds
Working out doesn’t make you bigger; eating does. Everything starts with your nutrition. Frankly, if you’re 185, you’re already pretty big unless you’re carrying a lot of body fat. To get up to 200 pounds ripped is very difficult. On the other hand, getting to 200 pounds and 20% body fat is easy (that means you have 40 pounds of fat).
I’d suggest this:
I forgot to mention that I’m 5’11 and 185 pounds I lift as heavy as I can doing 5 sets of 5 – 7 reps mainly with squats and bench I really do believe that I could get up to 200 pounds if I could get my bird legs to grow, but it really is very difficult with lack of rest because of my 7 p.m. – 7 a.m. work schedule. Sometimes I’m drained please give me a workout schedule that I could do on my days off which is 3 days one week and 4 the next. I’d really appreciate it Thomas.
now i m away from gym for last 2 years coz i was fail to get mass. Now i m again trying to start using only 5 major compound exercises. i m 6.3 ft tall and only 80kg. I lived in Pakistan where mostly weather is hot. I tried with heavy lifting with 8 reps max with 4 sets but no gains. i did one body part once in 5 days. I also use mage mass gainer etc suppliments for 6 months but got some weight like 2 to 3 kg. i want to be 96kg atleast. Someone told me to do compound one. i.e for chest only do bench press. some one help me.
just tell me for chest, should i do only bench press and for shoulders should i do only over head press and for back only pull ups. or i must do inclines bench press too?
Please send tips on my email eddress.
Hi.
Just about to start a programme using compound moves for the first time in an attempt to bulk up. Your site has offered loads of good advice, many thanks! One question: once I reach the three month mark and take a rest, what can I do to prevent dropping the weight that I will hopefully have added? Thanks for a reply.
There’s no need to take a rest unless your body demands it. Unfortunately, it takes experience to know if your body is in need of rest.
The cruel fact is: when you stop (or slow down) your workouts, you will lose strength. Even the best pro athletes reach a “peak” when they’re at their best. But they can’t peak continuously; they have to back off at some point.
If you want to back off a bit, try working out at 50% to 80% for a while. Doing that, you’ll probably avoid losing strength and mass.
I advise you to avoid getting obsessed with maximums and constant progress. True success past a certain point requires long-term thinking and injury prevention.
Good luck; I wish I could offer a more satisfying answer but I don’t want to pretend I know things that I don’t.
hey there hi i loved your article but i have a huge problem you look like professional so i hope you can help me out , i m skinny and i need help increasing the width of my arms i m pretty satisfied with my side view but when i see my front view they are so thin that elblw is seen out of my arms like this ,
shoulder—–>======( )===3^<— my fingers please help me i really need help
Hi. It’s very difficult to increase the size of your arms unless you also add muscle to your torso. I wrote some more about this in compound exercises for biceps and triceps.
If you want to stick to typical isolation exercises for the arms, concentrate on your triceps since they are naturally larger than the biceps. You might also add some hammer curls to your arm workouts; some people claim hammer curls target the brachioradialis muscles which sort of stick out the side of your arm near the elbow.
But mainly, I think you shouldn’t worry too much about what you see in the mirror. Once you add 10 to 15 pounds of overall muscle mass, your arms won’t look as skinny. Good luck and don’t worry about the mirror!
can you recommend any exercises for bulking up your torso?
I’ve mostly read in my life that to grow bigger, one must do low reps/heavy weights (plus nutrition), and that high reps/lighter weights come in the “cutting ” part of the season.
Your website seems to suggest the opposite? I’m trying to bulk up. Help me out here.
When I Joined the Coast Guard I weighed in at 165 at 6′ 0″. I had minimal body fat, but I wanted to gain more lean muscle mass. I started reading Brooks Kubik’s book, Dinosaur Training, and started to implement some of his suggestions in my workouts. I cut out all isolation exercises and only do heavy compound exercises now. I usually do a push/pull/legs split routine, very basic and it gives me time to rest and recooperate after training. Bench press, overhead press/ pullups, barbell rows, deadlifts/ squats, lunges, sled pulls. I have gained 40 lbs of lean muscle since then and I can now squat 365, deadlift 405, bench press 315, and overhead press 225. In my opinion there is no substitute for a balanced healthy diet and honest hard work with the compounds. Hope this helps!
Hi Coastie:
Thanks for the comment. It’s great to hear about your lifting success.
Brooks Kubik — via his Dinosaur Training books and videos — was an inspiration to a generation of web-savvy weight lifters. He was the first guy on the internet who showed how conventional wisdom about weight lifting (bodybuilding-style workouts) wasn’t right for everyone. His back to basics style appealed to a lot of guys who wanted to get as strong as possible. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for the lessons he taught us in an era where marketing hype often seemed to trump common sense.
But he has his detractors too. His ultra-hardcore lifting style is very hard on the body; many folks complain that Dinosaur-style training isn’t sustainable over the long-term. In fact, Brooks acknowledges that he made mistakes in his younger years. His shoulder joints are very unhealthy now, and I think I heard him mention that he also has back problems. Last I heard, he now trains mainly with bodyweight exercises.
Brooks was (and still is) a talented weight lifter and an intelligent, articulate teacher. But he was a lawyer, not an athletic trainer. Unlike someone like Ripptoe, Kubik didn’t watch hundreds of different kids get stronger and more powerful over a period of several years. Kubik’s lifting philosophy was shaped by what worked for him in the moment. He erred when he assumed everyone was just like him. Furthermore, he erred when he assumed that his body would last forever under a workload that would kill an ordinary man.
So I guess what I’m trying to say is: everything in moderation. We can’t go 100% all the time. When designing a program, rest, recovery, and an off-season should be given just as much attention as diet and lifting. In his early days, Brooks Kubik de-emphasized rest and recovery while over-emphasizing year-round ultra-intense heavy lifting.
I’ve devoured all of Brooks’ books and vids and I loved every word of them. They’re very inspirational. But I wouldn’t give them to a kid that was just starting out.
I agree, his training philosophy is not for year round training. But when applied to a consistent lifter’s regimen for short cycles it can be very effective in producing both gains in lean mass and in strength. Of course proper warmups and prehab are necessary, without it one would certainly increase the chances of sustaining an injury.
hello
I was wondering if you could give me some advice in how to get bigger legs. You see i have skinny legs that look out of proportion with the rest of my body and for a few months i ate a lot thinking that it would help get them bigger but I gained weight everywere but nearly nothing on my legs and arms. Will doing heavy squats and deadlifts really help my legs get bigger? thanks
I am 19 years old, and I think it’s getting me harder to gain weight. Eating on time, more foods. But, there’s no changes. What should I do?
hi there
i just wanted to know if u can use all those compound movements in one workout three times a week. please help many thanks.
I just wanted to see if you could create a successful bulking up routine of pure compound exercises (such as your golden five) using dumbbells rather than barbells?
Thanks, David
Dumbbells won’t work very well for you. You need heavy weights. Yes, heavy dumbbells exist, but it’s hard to get them in position.
(On the other hand, dumbbells can be useful for developing power. One-handed DB snatches are fantastic for this sort of thing.)
I’ve been hearing a lot of stuff regarding compound movements and how they affect a teenagers growth. I just wanted to know what weight lifting exercises I should be doing. I’m 15 years old, 5’11 and 175 lbs.
Hi
I just wanted to know, by doing these compound movements in my bulking stage will I see a growth with regards to my chest. Coz I really want a huge ‘arnold’ chest.
hey my name is james i work out and born very lean but cant gain mass,i was reading up bout compound movements and just wondering do i do the same rountine mon,wed,fri,,thanks alot,,,
It’s virtually impossible to perform heavy deadlifts 3 times per week. It’s too hard on the body. I suggest getting a good strength training book and following one of the programs therein.
Hi thomas I’m a senoir in high school and am trying to put on some mass for wrestling right now I’m about 125 do u think I would gain more weight from 3 sets of 5 reps or 3 sets of 8 reps
Ey there
I’m 20, fair fit, been doing a little bit of gym work
I wanna bulk up bit still keep it lean. I’m 75 kgs and want to bulk up to 80-85. What sort of rep and set numbers should I follow?
my body was lean my workout going last 1/5 yr continue .
1-is it possible doing biceps & then triceps .{same priod}
and tell me how can get bulkey body.
wht am doing double body part or single body part.which of best ?
Hi,
Thanks for this wonderful column, I am sold on compound exercises and have switched my workouts routines to now focus on compound exercises.
I have a question on diet front. I am a lanky 5’ 11, 155-160 lbs, a lifelong vegetarian that can only eat eggs in sparing intervals and dislike tofu. I have been looking get up to 170 lbs but have been unable to do so by working out for past two years (mainly focusing on isolations) and taking in protein shakes along with steady meals.
I am wondering if you are for or against the use of creatine to supplement muscle growth. Any other tips and suggestions are also welcomed.
I’m not against creatine, per se, but I don’t think it will benefit you very much, if at all. I will write an ‘intro to creatine’ article at some point. Your best bet is to track your nutrition and your body weight (and your body composition, if possible) while making changes or additions to your nutrition that cause you to gain weight at a slow but steady rate. Good luck!
PS – There have been some successful vegetarian bodybuilders (‘though they used anabolics), so it’s possible to gain significant amounts of muscle mass without using large quantities of animal proteins.
Thanks for your response Thomas. I hope see gains with continued focus on compound exercise. Having done so in the last 3 weeks is already showing some promise.
Hi,
Many thanks for this great article. I will definitely do more compound exercises .
I have a question. I was 215lbs (lots of body fat and out of shape) I started exercising 7 months ago, doing cardio and basic weight. I have advanced in my cardo and weights. Initially I dropped down to 196 lbs then when i progressed with weights I got to 202lb. I still have fat, especially around the belly area (although it went down). I really want to get my weight (fat) down while gaining muscles as well. I am getting confused, I feel I am stuck at this weigh for 2 months now. I go to the gym 3 times a week, 30 mins cardio and 50 mins weights. and 2 days a week i do 45 mins cardio. What do you think would be the most effective way to lose all the fat and bulk up on muscles?
Thanks!
Most bodybuilding experts — who are expert at manipulating their body composition — say it’s best to first lose the fat and get “cut”, then start eating and lifting heavy.
I won’t promise that you can lose the belly fat while also adding muscle mass. Some athletically-gifted people may be able to do that, but most folks can only reach one of those goals at a time. Good luck!
Hello, Im 22, 6 feet tall and weight 136 lbs, I just started working out at the gym and the trainer put me doing isolation exercises with low weight, 1 exercise per muscle per training.
I wonder, would it be better if I did compound exercises with low weight?
What should I do at the very begginning, I never trained before. I will need 3-4 weeks just to adapt, what exercises are best for this “adaptation phase”? And what after?
Thanks.
Hey read your article, Needed a little help and advice.. I started gymming abt 5 months now . I am 5’11 tall . My weight was 46 when i started now its 51 . But now its not gaining .. I read what you wrote abt compund exercise . But can u give me schedule which i can do for a month . Means monday to saturday . IT would be a great help . I really need to put on weight . As i know i am underweight according to height . And to add to it i really want to wear T-shirts as i cant wear them right now .. lolz.. if can please help..
Hi Steve,
Im just begining a hardgainer 3 day workout with coumpound exercises. My question is, should i wait until the soreness from my last workout doing squats is completely gone bfore working my quads again? At what point are your muscles, lets say “rebuilt” and ready to be torn doun again?
Thanks: Mike
Just squat 3 times per week; don’t try to delay until the soreness goes away. After a few weeks of lifting regularly, you won’t feel sore after a workout. Most of the soreness experienced by beginners is the result of stretching, rather than muscular fatigue. Good luck, and remember to constantly think about maintaining proper squat form as you squat your way into shape.
Hi Thomas, I want to increase my upper body size but not my lower body( ive always had a good lower body and with the addition of all the sports i played it really helped me develop my lower body even more), how would i get the benefits of squats and deads without gaining the size, if thats possible?
what would be a good compound movement to work your calves ?? I’ve been looking for one but all i could find were isolation movements like the calve raise ??
Hey Thomas, thanks a lot this has really helped me understand how to workout and not waste energy. My question is if you can recommend any routine? I heard that I should workout three time a week and each day should be different but im not sure what is the “correct routine”
I don’t recommend any routine. I want you to make up your own personalized routine. There are many good routines already published in various places on the ‘web or in print, and I’m not going to pretend to re-invent the wheel.
But here is a typical compound-exercise routine that’s very similar to the “starting strength” routine(s) that I like…:
Squats 5×5
Bench Press 5×5
Rows 5×5
Pullups 3xfailure
Squats 5×5
Overhead Press 5×5
Deadlifts 3×5
Dips 3xfailure
Squats 5×5
Bench Press 5×5
Rows 5×5
Pullups 3xfailure
Squats 5×5
Overhead Press 5×5
Deadlifts 3×5
Dips 3xfailure
Squats 5×5
Bench Press 5×5
Rows 5×5
Pullups 3xfailure
Squats 5×5
Overhead Press 5×5
Deadlifts 3×5
Dips 3xfailure
Im not sure if anyone listed this because I dont have the time at the moment to read through all the comments but make sure you are doing isolation excersises for rear delts. Compound lifts dont work these as much. If your front delts are a certain degree stronger then it will cause injury from what I hear. Besides well rounded shoulders make you look bigger.. am I right? DONT FORGET REAR DELTS
….best advice ever >>larry scott …way ahead of his time …quote ” get the best pump from the least amount of time …sets ..reps ..and never cheat .”….I still see pros doing barbell curls with the elbows moving forward …3 4 5 …6 inches …>not good , lat pulldowns …relax biceps and forearms …lats must do the work …you are working lats right ?…ok .. …you wanna get as big as possible …bench, squats , I like romanian DL.lat pulldowns mil press standing, BB curls, crunches …ok …end of my rant
Hey,
I am about begin weight training soon. My only problem is how to find what is the correct weight to use? Like what would be considered a workout weight?
I’ve been doing a compound/powerlifting routine for almost 3 months now. I did isolation routines for almost 2 years before i started this routine. i’ve seen gains in my lifts, but my problem is losing body fat. I used to be really really heavy and over the years have slimmed down, but can’t seem to burn the last 15 or 20 pounds of fat to reach the ripped physique that i want. My diet is good and i powerlift 3 times a week with light isolation or cardio on off days. Any advice on how i can burn this gut off so my 6 pack is visible? Also, will isolations on off days hinder my powerlifting?
Hi Thomas,
Please rate my workout routine.
2 days a week (Mon and Thurs)
squats 3×6-8
bench press 3×6-8
pull ups 3×8-12
barbell rows 3×6-8
military press 3×6-8
I rotate exercises every 2 weeks, ex) first two weeks I would start with squats then after two weeks I would start with bench press, etc.
Thanks.
I’d rearrange the order of the rows and military presses so you alternate push and pull exercises. It’ll give your body more time to recover between sets/exercises. I don’t think there’s a good reason to switch the order every 2 weeks, but it’s not a big deal.
I take it that although the rewards may be higher with compound exercises, the risk of injury is higher as well compared to isolation exercises? Given the horrors of spinal injury, I don’t think many beginners would want to risk getting an exercise like deadlifts wrong.
Don’t blame the exercise(s) for lower-back injuries. Blame the lack of mobility. These are time-tested exercises. Used wisely, they’re OK.
I have a few questions… When doing the goldend five, excluding the pull ups. Is it ok to keep all the weight the same? For example, 95lbs for the squats, deadlifts, and so on…. and also for the pull ups, over hand or under? Lastly, would doing this full bod workout twice a week be sufficient with 3 days in between?
You make progress on “big” lifts like squats faster than you can make progress on smaller lifts like overhead presses. While it’s convenient to keep the weight the same, it’s not ideal.
For pullups, concentrate on hand over with shoulder width or wider. Of course, you can and should mix it up a bit.
Two times per week is fine. Many good programs have you lifting 3 times per week, but they’re designed as a “split” cycle that specifies different lifts on different days and/or weeks. Once you start to find that you are no longer making steady progress — in terms of adding weight to the bar regularly — then you can look into a more advanced program. Good luck.
I have been lifting for about 6 weeks after a year+ layoff. I have lifted in the past several times, but never more than 1.5 years at a time. My present goal is to add some meaningful muscle mass, but with an emphasis on total body fitness and strength rather than hypertrophy. I am 57 years old.
My present routine is 3 workouts with weights a week, and a 2-3 mile walk on weight days, and a run on alternate days. I am presently running 4.5 miles/run 3 times a week, with a 10% distance increase/week. Thus far I feel good with this mix and level–no sense of fatigue. I will increase to 7 miles/run by April, and then start doing 50% of my runs as HIIT speed work intervals.
I have always used compound exercises to some degree (last night did squats with barbell, and deadlifts) but have also always done isolation exercises. I would to some extent think of myself as a ‘hard gainer’ On the basis of your article I am considering the following change(s): I will do exclusively compound exercises on alternate weeks. This will still involve 3 weights workouts each week with the following routine x 3 on the compound week:
Barbell squats 4 sets
Deadlifts 4 sets
Bench press w/bar 4 sets
Military Press w/bar 4 sets
Pull ups 4 sets–each to failure
Alternate weeks I will continue to use my present routine as follows:
Workout 1 Chest and shoulders:
Bench Press 4 sets
incline Dumbell press 3 sets
Flat bench fly 3 sets
Military press 4 sets
Dumb bell press 3 sets
Standing upright row 3 sets
Workout 2 back and legs:
Squats with barbell 4 sets
bent over dumb bell row 4 sets
Deadlifts 4 sets
Pullups 4 sets to failure on each set
Lunges 4 sets
Workout 3 Arms:
Biceps curl 4 sets
Dumb bell curl 4 sets
close grip bench press 4 sets
skull crushers 4 sets
wrist curls with bar or dumb bell 2 sets to failure
My current approach is to use a starting weight that I can lift for 7 reps, but by the last set or 2 cannot do 7 reps i.e. lifting to failure on last set(s) with less than 7 completed reps (this would not apply to squats or deadlifts which I do not do to total failure–too risky). Once I can do 4 sets x 7 reps the weight is increased. My current body weight is 157 lbs at 5 foot 8″ tall. My goal tentatively is to lose around 5-7 lbs. of body fat, and gain 10 lbs. of muscle by one year–to be a lean 160-165 lbs.
I know some people would say the running may be a hindrance. I will switch to cycling (road and MTB) as an alternative during the summer but dropping aerobics is not an option, as it has been an integral part of my fitness program/goals for many years. I would be interested in any tweaks you might suggest on the lifting side of things in light of my current goals. My present approach will of course be modified as the coming year goes by. Thanks for any advice.
**A quick note on diet–I am currently eating around 1.7 grams of protein/Kg. of body weight or around 125 grams a day to maybe 150 grams tops. Am reducing fat intake with almost 0% saturated, but have not figured out a percentage of total calories from fat yet. I take a protein shake with whey protein and carbs after all workouts–weights and runs. Any thoughts on what my total daily calories should be?
Wow, seen a lot of great stuff here.. I am 17 years old 6ft 140lbs, and I had read a bit into lifting before I really got into it about 3-4 weeks ago. I want to build mass, my goal is to be 160lbs by the time I am 19, and I turn 18 years old on March 9. I want this real bad, I hate being skinny and weak, I get pushed around at school by bigger kids and I’m sick of it. If you could just hook me up with some helpful tips on what to eat, and how to exercise right, then that would be really helpful. Thanks
Also if you could offer a suggestion for a book I should buy to educate myself further, it would mean a lot. Thanks Thomas
Hi Thomas,
I’ve been doing full body 3x a week for the past 3 months and have gotten some moderate gains. My question is would a 3 day split be more beneficial vs. full body? The reason I thought I would change my routine to a split is because I’ve been increasing weights per workout and the increased amount has been a bit taxing on my body. I thought if I split up my routine, I would do less sets with heavier load.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Thomas
great article, it winds me up to see guys at my gym waste their time with pointless isolation exercises, then they wonder why they never get big!
I do a full body workout routine 3 times per week and it only consists of the “golden five” and one night a week I add cleans for 3 sets as its good to get some power work into my routine to keep me on my toes.
Hi Thomas,
I am a skinny guy and a friend of mine train me for almost a year already and I gained around 15 pounds. My buddy is muscular and has a very big and huge shoulder and he always told me that he rarely invest time on shoulder exercises; what he always does is to do major compound movements. Is it true that doing compound movements with heavy weight can also increase the size of the shoulder? I am specifically talking about Deltoids. Your comment is appreciated. Thanks so much, Chris
Sorry, but it’s actually the golden six. It’s not pull ups or rows, It’s pull ups and rows. You have to do them both.
Most big bodybuilders don’t simply perform compound movements predominantly, they also take steroids, and most of them will admit it’s nearly impossible to obtain the size that the general populous associates with professional bodybuilding absent their inclusion. It’s not strictly a matter of compound vs. isolated movements.
Ok so this is my problem. I’m 17, 105 pounds, and skinny as a stick. I have been working out, but i think I’ve been doing isolation exercises this whole time. I’ve been doing 3 sets of 8 reps of pullups, dumbbell benchpress, and dumbbell flys. I do this 3x a week(monday, wednesday, and saturday). I haven’t counted but I think I’ve been doing this for 3 months since january. I’ve seen some growth but not as much as I hoped. I’m still a stick but with the little chest that I have. I don’t go to the gym and I really don’t know any recipes to add weight. I eat snacks all the time everyday. I’m really disappointed and I need huge help.
First, congrats on working out for 3+ months. Many people quit after a month or two. Don’t get discouraged. It takes time to see the effects of a training routine.
Now, I want to stress to you that working out isn’t what makes you grow. You grow by eating. If you are not eating enough food to gain weight steadily, your workouts won’t make you any bigger — especially since you’re currently “skinny as a stick”. Let me put it another way: YOU MUST EAT A LOT!
I have articles on this site that show you how to estimate the number of calories you need to put on weight at a steady rate. Find them and read them. (Start with this one: How to design a bulking diet)
Once you know how many calories you need to accomplish your goals, you’re still not done. Now you need to keep accurate records of everything you eat so you know whether you’re reaching your calorie target. And you’ll need to determine — from your nutritional records — if your macronutrient profile is suitable. This is important because while you may eat enough to provide your desired number of daily calories, you still need to be properly nourished to fuel muscle growth. For example, you can eat a gallon of lard every day and get a ton of calories, but if that’s all you eat you’ll be malnourished and you won’t grow more muscular.
Once you’re sure you’re eating enough to gain weight healthily at a steady rate (perhaps a pound per week), you’re still not done.
Now you have to lift according to a good workout plan. This means regularly adding weight or intensity to your lifts. If you lift the same weight (or lift at the same intensity) every time you work out, your body will adapt to the workouts and you will cease to get more muscular. Eating a caloric excess without increasing the intensity of your workouts only makes you fat.
Additional points:
You say you do sets of 8. Read How many reps to build muscle to double-check that you understand what a “set of 8″ really means.
Please, add some leg workouts to your routine. Consuming a caloric excess without working your legs is a recipe for a fat belly.
Good luck!
Great article!
I have been working out for almost a year, was 150 in june now am 175. Ate like crazy and took high calorie protein shakes. I’m 6’1 and still look skinny but with some muscle definition, and a “tiny” bit of fat on stomach. How do you get rid of the stomach totally for a six pack? They say cardio is out since I have a very high metabolism. And i need to eat alot in order to put on mass. I could be over working muscles also, so I will stop the isolation and do compound. I guess I feel like I’ve hit a plateau. I also only have time to work out 2 days a week. Any extra tips would be great
thanks
Congrats on your success. Gaining fat on the stomach is a real risk when you take in a lot of extra calories. It’s really impossible for a natural lifter to gain more than 2 to 4 pounds of muscle per month, so if you gain more body weight than 2 pounds per month, you’ll inevitably deposit some fat. And the fat generally ends up around your midsection. Hopefully it’ll start to go away if you track your nutrition a bit more closely and adjust your diet according to your goals.
hi , i was wondering if i train shown on your routine of compound exercises lets say 3 days a week monday wed friday would i gain size? i eat 3 meals a day some times four and am hoping to begin to take suppliment and find it hard to eat too many meals and train more often. how many sets and reps should i do for all exercises im really skinny and i would like you to tell me if i 3 4 meals a day or okay and how many sets and reps i should do since im doing all of those exercises per workout session 3 days a week
You gain size by eating, not by lifting weights. Weight training serves to skew that size gain towards muscle growth rather than the deposition of fat. I have several articles on this site that show you how to estimate the number of calories needed to gain weight at a sensible rate. You don’t need ‘supplements’, you just need self-discipline.
I don’t recommend any particular workout program on this site. I believe most people benefit from experimenting and developing their own personalized workout plan. Start with a 3×5 program of the type found all over the ‘net; I don’t have a ‘secret’ workout plan that is better than anyone elses’. Good luck.
are bodybuilder using fullbody compound?
can i get like bodybuilder body with fullbody compound.
i train like 4 times a week
sunday, tuesday, thursday, saturday,monday,wenesday,friday and back 2 sunday again.
everytime my workout i used :
squat
benchpress
pulldown
military press
lat pulldown.
my weight is increase 5 kg in just 3 weeks. before 60 and 65 and now is 70kg.
iam very happy with this. am natural no milk. just eat breast chicken, egg, green peanut, fish, and meat. juice and vegetable.
am i right? or not? can i continue my training or go for split workout??
i want like john cena and the rock he2x..
please advice me …
thanks
Indra