Are Compound Movement Exercises Good for Women?



Daisy is a Yoga expert and lover. Daisy lived many…
Compound movement exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, as opposed to isolation exercises that target individual muscles. Compound exercises mimic natural, functional movements and facilitate greater strength gains, muscle growth, and overall fitness improvements.
According to Harvard Health and Shawn Pedicini, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, weight training emerges as a paramount strategy in combating age-related muscle loss and fostering muscle growth.
Shawn Pedicini underscores the effectiveness of compound exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges, in targeting multiple muscle groups simultaneously, particularly emphasizing the importance of leg muscle development for functional movement.
In This Article
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- Key Takeaways
- 10 Benefits of Compound Movement Exercises for Women
- 1) Provide you with more strength for your back
- 2) Providing better results in a shorter period of time
- 3) Saving time
- 4) Put the focus on clean bulk
- 5) Compound movements are universal
- 6) Building bigger triceps
- 7) Working with your natural body shape
- 8) Exercising through pregnancy safely
- 9) Sculpting a better looking body
- 10) Getting leaner, faster
- 5 Must Do Compound Movements
- Conclusion
Key Takeaways
Efficiency and Time-Saving: Compound movements allow women to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, reducing the need for lengthy workout sessions and maximizing time spent with loved ones.
Injury Prevention and Form: By emphasizing proper form and movement patterns, compound exercises reduce the risk of injury and promote functional strength development, crucial for long-term health and well-being.
Versatility and Aesthetic Benefits: Compound movements offer universal applicability, catering to various fitness goals such as muscle gain, fat loss, and improved athletic performance. Additionally, they contribute to a sculpted physique by engaging multiple muscles and promoting lean muscle mass development.
10 Benefits of Compound Movement Exercises for Women
When it comes to training, there are many different schools of thought. Some people believe that women should only do light weight exercises, while others think that women should lift heavy weights in order to build mass. The truth is that both of these approaches have their benefits. In this article, you will discover the 10 benefits of compound movement exercises for women who want to build mass!
1) Provide you with more strength for your back
The reason why compound movements are so advantageous is because they work several muscles at the same time and allow you to use heavier weights lessening your risk of injuries. Compound movements also help build functional mass, which is necessary for daily activities like carrying groceries, moving furniture and maintaining good posture as you age.
2) Providing better results in a shorter period of time
Targeting multiple muscle groups allows you to burn calories faster reducing the overall amount of training volume required to achieve your goals. This means that you can train more often and potentially even spend less time per session! In turn this should increase the potential for satisfaction as it increases motivation.
3) Saving time
Unless you train for a living, time is a valuable commodity. Training should include compound exercises because they allow you to work more muscles at a time and save time between training sessions by spending less time per muscle group! This means that you can spend more quality time with friends and family without feeling guilty about missing an important event or putting your health at serious risk.
4) Put the focus on clean bulk
Training with compounds allows for proper form as it places the emphasis on moving from Point A to Point B as opposed to isolation movements where ‘cheating’ plays a major role in their execution. In turn this helps prevent injuries by increasing strength whilst decreasing the chance of injury due to improper form. When starting out, it’s advisable to use compound exercises with lighter weights for higher reps, as they are safer and provide a better foundation.
5) Compound movements are universal
Compound movement exercises tend to have many more functional carryover applications compared to their isolation counterparts. This means that these exercises are less specific in nature making them great for fat loss, muscle gain or improving overall athletic performance!
6) Building bigger triceps
Targeting multiple muscles allows you to work at angles which don’t require isolation exercise. For example if your goal is to build bigger triceps stick with curl variations instead of french press variations where the same muscles are not targeted. Doing this will allow you to improve your bicep size as opposed to the french press which is a great muscle but not needed for that goal.
7) Working with your natural body shape
Using compound movements allows you to move your body through its full range of motion without assistance from machines or cables machines etc. This type of training builds neuromuscular coordination, increased functional strength and improved postural alignment! In turn this can give you a more aesthetically pleasing physique come beach season.
8) Exercising through pregnancy safely
When pregnant, it’s important to continue exercising despite what you might have been led to believe by over-zealous trainers. It’s safe during all three trimesters of pregnancy as long as proper formand breathing techniques are used and you engage your core. This will ensure that the exercises do not put excess pressure on the abdomen which could cause injury to both the mother and her unborn child.
9) Sculpting a better looking body
Compound movements allow for greater amounts of time under tension, as there is more ‘time’ between Point A and B because they involve several different muscle groups. The result? Tighter muscles! Not only women training but men too! If this isn’t enough reason to grab those dumbbells and start squatting check out 10 Benefits of Compound Movement Exercises to build mass and; burn fat
10) Getting leaner, faster
Performing high volume, high frequency workouts builds muscle mass that is leaner than isolation exercises meaning that you can have the best of both worlds! The added benefit being that by burning more calories through compound movements you will achieve a reduced body fat percentage.
Compound movement exercises are great for developing overall functional strength, they allow you to work multiple muscles in unison which saves time and in turn leaves you with a faster metabolism.
5 Must Do Compound Movements
Conclusion
Compound movement exercises stand out as indispensable tools in the pursuit of enhanced strength, muscle growth, and overall fitness. As highlighted by experts from Harvard Health and Shawn Pedicini, the physical therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, the effectiveness of compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges cannot be overstated.
These exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, offering numerous benefits including improved functional strength, reduced risk of injury, and increased efficiency in training. The versatility of compound movements makes them suitable for women of all fitness levels and goals, whether aiming for muscle gain, fat loss, or overall athletic performance enhancement.
Adding compound exercises into your workout routines, you can harness the power of these movements to sculpt stronger, leaner bodies, while also enjoying the time-saving and metabolic benefits they provide.
Whether starting on a fitness journey or seeking to maintain your optimal health, embracing compound movement exercises is undoubtedly a key step towards achieving long-term success and well-being.
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Daisy is a Yoga expert and lover. Daisy lived many years in India, learning about yoga, meditation, and all the eastern holistic practices that help the mind and the body reach any goal that a human can set. Daisy also enjoys cooking and creating healthy recipes while not teaching yoga or writing for her audience.