Perform Compound Moves For Quick Mass Gains

There are particular exercises in the gym that should shape the root of all training regimes, whether a hardened veteran or a absolute beginner. They are specifically key for a newbie wanting to maximise quick gains in lean muscle and size, or to burn body fat as quickly as possible. They are also the most effective strength and conditioning exercises that exist. The simple reason being, they involve heavy lifting and are incredibly effective. Each of the below exercises when accomplished the right way use various muscle groups together. This not only means you are working the body as a unit, you are actually improving strength and muscle tone in several different areas at once in as short time as possible. Boxers, sprinters, bodybuilders and power athletes all over the world, use these common lifts often in their training regimes because they work. Maybe you are looking to start training for the first time,mix up a current workout routine, or even if you already have an effective program that is seeing results, you should be containing the following moves into your workouts.

Squats

Probably the most demanding move to perform, you either love or hate completing squats. Most beginners believe this lower body move just focuses on the legs; however, this could not be further from the truth. There is no doubt it is the best exercise to encourage trouser busting thighs and a firm gluteus, yet it will also work your entire core and back. Perform free weight squats, ideally using a squat rack, Olympic bar and having a spotter on hand, or try with a pair of dumbbells or a smith machine if not available, then make sure you go as heavy as you can whilst keeping form. Squatting heavy will build immense power throughout your whole body whilst encouraging natural growth hormone to help improve long term muscle mass. As you will be triggering the whole body to work as a unit, you will be burning off more calories as a result turning your body into a fat burning furnace. Think about it sensibly, which exercise is going to allow you to add additional weight to the bar to go heavier, or be more taxing on the body, performing knee extensions or powerful squats. Make sure you squat deep, lower the bar slowly and in a controlled manner and then power the bar up to complete a truly effective squat.

Deadlifts

Similar to squats, deadlifts are certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Again, they are a move that exercises almost the entire body; lower back, hamstrings, entire core and posterior chain. Like squats, use an Olympic bar, and if you are starting for the first time, use little weight or no weight at all. It is essential that you perfect the technique before you start adding serious weight to the bar, as if carried out incorrectly can put serious strain on the lower back. There are various different techniques you can perform, straight legged, stiff legged, and Romanian being some of them. Get one right, and then try another to keep working the body from different angles. Like squats, once you begin to go heavy you will begin to see some noticeable improvements in size, strength or fat loss. Try them for yourself, no matter how demanding you think your workouts are, they will never be the same again.

Bench press

The bench press is no doubt everyones favourite exercise; it is also the most commonly used. Bench pressing may be the optimum exercise to build the mirror muscle pectorals, however it is also one of the best strength and conditioning exercise used by rugby players, footballers and professional athletes alike. Not only does it work the chest, it is also very demanding on the triceps. If you are looking to increase size to your triceps, do you think a few dumbbell push downs with a low weight would work better than bench-pressing 100 kilograms for five to eight reps. Heavy weights build muscle, fact. This exercise should again be executed with free weights over machines, this because machines can eliminate some of the resistance and the need to keep a tight core. Ideally use an Olympic bar and where possible always use a spotter, this so you will have a person close by to help you perform that last rep and take the bar off you when you have finished. Have trust, it makes a huge difference. Grab the bar slightly further apart than shoulder width, then lower slowly and in a controlled manner to your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together and feel the stretch across your chest before powering the bar up, then immediately begin lowering again. Mix up your regime by inclining your bench to work the upper pectorals or declining to train the lower pectorals.

Chin Ups / Pull Ups

Chin-ups or pull-ups mostly train the biceps or back depending on your grip. By gripping the bar with an underhand grip, i.e. palms facing towards you, then you will be using the biceps to pull yourself up. This is a chin up. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, i.e. palms facing away from you, and you will be using the back, specifically the laterals. This is a pull up. When completing chin-ups you can use either a narrow grip on the bar to work the long head of the bicep, or a wider grip to work the short head. Change it around every so often, you will be able to feel more tension placed on the different heads depending on the width. When performing pull-ups, you should grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. On either exercise, ensure you are fully hanging from the bar with your arms completely extended, and then power yourself up so your chin is over the bar before slowly lowering yourself back down to the starting position. Immediately and forcefully, pull yourself back up to start the next rep. 

Chin-ups or pull-ups can be a very difficult move to perform to begin with, which is one of the reasons they are so successful. You are certainly lifting a much heavier weight (your own body weight) when executing a chin-up over a standard bicep curl. To make things less difficult there are a few different things you can try, including performing negative reps. A negative rep is where you grab the bar and start the move with your chin over the bar, use a weight bench to help you get up there if needed, then as slowly as you possibly can lower yourself to the hanging position. Keep doing this until you can no longer slowly lower yourself down. Another option is to use an elastic chin-up assist band if you have one; they are not very expensive to buy. You just join one end to your bar and position your knees inside the other. If you train at the gym then they should have chin-up machines with a padded knee support to assist. Of course, once you have been doing these exercises for a prolonged period, you may need to make them more difficult. You can do this by buying a gym belt and hanging extra weight plates on it, or simply by placing a dumbbell or medicine ball between your knees.

Shoulder Press

Shoulder presses are a mission of an exercise and you will normally find yourself reaching exhaustion quickly when performing. You can carry out shoulder presses either standing up or sitting down, however, use free weights over a smith or shoulder press machine. Standing up exercises your core more than sitting down, nevertheless in either variation you should make sure your core is kept tight at all times to block pressure being exerted onto your lower back. Use a low weight at first, start with a straight bar or dumbbells held near chin level and make sure your elbows are at right angles. Power the weight past your face and hold over your head with your arms extended, tuck your chin into your chest when the bar is in the upright position, then slowly lower back down keeping your elbows at right angles. Immediately power the bar back up for your second rep.

In summary, the above exercises will see your achieve you training objectives much quicker if implemented into your training routine. You can perform them in a old school split, where each muscle groups worked once a week. On the other hand, they are most effective when used in a push pull or full body workout when executed more than once a week with at least forty-eight hours rest in between.