Most of us have better things to do than spend hours in the gym.
We want to get fit. We want to be healthy. We want to lose weight. But we have jobs and families and volunteer work and other things to do too.
When I ask clients how long they’re willing to commit to a single workout session, most tell me an hour. Including warming up, foam rolling and stretching.
My solution? Ditch the isolation exercises for whole body, compound movements. In my opinion, it’s one of the very best ways to up the intensity of your strength training workout
Not only do compound exercises get you out of the gym more quickly, because they involve more muscle groups, they also tend to be metabolic in nature. That means they’ll elevate your heart rate and burn more calories than single joint isolation exercises.
My favourite compound exercises combine an upper body movement with a squat or lunge. While you won’t be able to use as heavy a weight as you might if you were ONLY squatting or lunging, you’ll still generate a ‘burn’ if you keep the tempo up and resist the urge to take breaks between sets.
Today’s #FatblasterFriday workout consists of 5, whole body compound exercises. The only equipment required is a set or two of moderate to heavy dumbbells (you decide what’s ‘heavy’ for you, but by the end of a set, if you’re not starting to struggle you probably need a bit more weight…).
Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise in circuit style, without rest. Pause at the end of the circuit, then repeat a 2nd and a 3rd time.
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Disclaimer: Although I am a registered Personal Trainer, I am not YOUR Personal Trainer. Always adapt workouts to suit your body and fitness level. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.
love this ….thanks!!
Kathy recently posted..Taking a little break
You’re most welcome Kathy! Let me know what you think after you’ve tried it!
I always tell people they’re called “isolation” exercises becuase the isolate you from the rest of your life
True true true…
Contemplative Fitness recently posted..On social cancers, building walls, and establising legitimacy…
Roy, I’m gonna steal that line! Short and memorable! Thanks for sharing.
Hahaha, Roy, that was great!
evilcyber recently posted..The Cabbage Soup Diet – A Self-Experiment
Love compound moves!!! My all-time favorite way to work!
Great tips on your video!
Kim recently posted..Twittering, Tweeting, Hashtag………What?????
Thanks Kim! The teacher in me always comes out when I do voice overs…
I do a lot of compound work too, though I try to do heavier, isolation weight training at least once a week. But the compound work really gets my heart rate up! Thanks for another video to add to my collection.
Carrie Rubin recently posted..My Favorite Things
Carrie, that’s a great way to combine the two. I like to add in one or two isolation or “vanity” exercises at the end of my workout. My clients love it when I let them choose a single body part exercise to add after the harder work!
I will respond to this since I did not see it before my comment. Even the way I train, I do circuit train with moderate to heavy weights for me so I still keep my heat rate up cause very very very little to rest in between moves for me.
Jody – Fit at 55 recently posted..Two Push-up Moves for Core, Chest, Balance, Triceps & Body!
You have so many great tips for training Jody! I love how you incorporate lots of different moves and are clearly getting great results with your workouts!
By the second half of each quarter, I won’t even let my students do single-joint moves. They are nagged to do compound moves.
AlexandraFunFit recently posted..Special Mind/Body Collections for Special Boomers
But nagged in a loving way, right?
Love your videos always!!!!! Your explanations are great & so easy to follow the whole thing & a graphic too! I may be the one person out there that likes isolation moves over compound & I am sticking to that no matter how many con articles are out there. I understand it takes longer but sometimes I just need heavier weights for certain body parts & the compound exercises don’t allow me to do that. I can sculpt my body & body parts the way I want. I am not saying that compound moves are not good cause they are so great for you – I just do what I think works best for me BUT it does take me longer!
I love the compound move workouts for short on time & for really most people – they love them.. I am the weird one! 
Jody – Fit at 55 recently posted..Two Push-up Moves for Core, Chest, Balance, Triceps & Body!
Thanks Jody! Yes, when you have lots of time to train (and weight loss is not your primary goal), isolation moves work well.
As Kymberly pointed out, different strategies work well for different goals!
You are not weird; you just know what works for YOU!
Even my “forever fit” seniors can do compound moves cuz my peeps ROCK the ages! They moan and groan, but they can do them. On alternating weeks we’ll do some isolation exercises to vary and to confirm good form. Jody raises a good point, which is that the exercise (type, organizing principle, intensity, etc) is determined by the goal. Well stated!
KymberlyFunFit recently posted..Special Mind/Body Collections for Special Boomers
Thanks for the reminder that different goals warrant different approaches! And I agree, you’re never too old for compound moves. I have several over-70 clients who are amazingly coordinated with the challenging exercises I give them!
Yup, the time it takes, that is the stumbling block! I try for an hour or an hour and a half when I skate. I’ve been skipping my stretches and PT exercises beforehand which has finally caught up with me. Now I’m trying to do a little stretching, just ten minutes, it really helps. And I will also try to work in some off-ice exercise to target my posture and knee alignment starting next week. It’s really hard to fit it in but I can’t avoid it forever or various neglected parts will have their say.
Mary @ Fit and Fed recently posted..With a bit of churn, signed up to skate Pacific Coast Sectionals
Time is always the thing we have the least of, isn’t it Mary! I gave up trying to fit it all in and now just do what I can! A little bit of everything to stay well rounded and healthy!
Hurray! Have been eagerly waiting for the next one.. and I LOVE LOVE that you tell us what to be prepared for as far as moves in the video go. Thanks, Tamara, will be trying this out soon.
Elle recently posted..Grandma Lill’s Happy 96th Birthday Virtual 5K
Hi Elle! So happy to hear that you like these videos! Let me know how you like the workout after you’ve given it a go!
I LOVE compound movements. For me strength training is the thing I spend the least amount of time on (compared to the rest of triathlon training) and I want to maximize my time. I also find these moves more functional, which equals more relevant for athletes in my area. Excellent!
Pinning this!
Heather @ Better With Veggies recently posted..Eating on the Run {Fitness Friday}
Thanks for the visit Heather! Yes, when you’re short on time, compound is the way to go. And functional strength training is good for every BODY!
I LOVE this workout! I pinned it for later! Thanks!!!
– Lea
Lea recently posted..How to Make Your Treadmill Runs Not Suck
Thanks Lea! It will definitely get your heart rate up!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I love compound moves. I tend to hate working only one muscle group at a time. Great workout for me to pin and save. Thanks!
You’re so welcome! I love Saturday mornings! Hanging out in bed, with extra coffee and catching up on blog reading!
Thanks for pinning!
I don’t get why people are so much into isolations, especially guys with biceps curls. Do push-ups and pull-ups and you practically have a complete upper body workout: chest, triceps, biceps, lats and tons of the smaller muscles.
evilcyber recently posted..The Cabbage Soup Diet – A Self-Experiment
Hello! Thanks for this timely video. Nice! I’ve been getting bored with my workout and try to squeeze it in early a.m. This will make the most of the short time I have and break up the monotony. Thanks!
p.s. Haven’t been posting on Skinnyandfit lately, but I’ll make a post soon and post a link to this post.
gloriadelia recently posted..Weight Loss tips for Busy People
Morning Gloria
Happy to help! I’ve got a bunch of videos that need shooting and editing this week. Hoping to have several new ones up in the next few weeks!