Do This 1 Thing For More Effective Workouts/Results

The time that you spend on exercise can be used even more effectively for faster results.

When you decide which exercises to include in your routine, it is important to consider the type of movement involved. The simpler the movement, the fewer calories you’ll burn and the fewer muscles you will strengthen. On the other hand, the more compound the movement, the more calories you will burn and the more muscles you will strengthen.

To put it simply, exercises that use compound movements will deliver better results than exercises that use only simple movements. Compound movements recruit multiple muscles, some to stabilize and others to perform the movement. This process keeps your heart rate higher than a simple exercise would, giving you a more intense workout.

What is a compound movement?

A compound movement is a multi-joint movement that recruits large portions of the body to complete the exercise. Let’s compare a simple movement leg exercise with a compound movement leg exercise:

The leg extension machine uses a simple, isolated movement to work the quadriceps. You’re in a seated position moving only your knee joint. There isn’t much involvement, if any, from other muscles and it doesn’t burn very many calories.

Now let’s look at a free weight walking lunge. You start by standing with your feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides (or a barbell across your shoulders, or a medicine ball held at your chest, or even with no weight at all). You take a large step forward and lower your back knee, keeping your front knee at a 90-degree angle. Now you push off your front foot and pull your back leg forward, repeating the movement.

How many muscles did you utilize while performing the lunge? Probably too many to count.

You certainly worked your quadriceps, gluteus, hamstrings, calves, abdominals, supporting muscles in your shoulders, arms and back — just to name a few. You also raised your heart rate substantially more and the movement you performed is more functional. That’s what I call a great exercise.

Other ways to increase intensity:

​Using compound movements are just one of many ways to kick your workout effectiveness and intensity up a notch. Try incorporating a Super Set into your routine.

To do so simply perform two or more exercises in a row without a break and then take your rest after you have completed at least 1 set of each exercise.

This will increase workout efficiency, intensity, heart rate, the compound effect on the muscle, etc.

To find exercises that compliment one another, choose ones that have similar but opposite motions such as a chest press and a row.​

Or how about a Compound Set?

Perform one exercise, then perform another exercise on the same muscle immediately after without rest.

The key to finding the best exercise is to find the ones that bring your workout intensity to a whole new level.

These methods will help you to burn more calories, increase your metabolic rate, and will stimulate the production of more fat burning and muscle building hormones. Of course, there is more involved to achieving your fitness goals.

You need to consistently challenge yourself during workouts.

You need to take control of your eating habits and to get your diet dialed in.

And you need to know what to do to prevent your body from plateauing every 3–6 weeks.