Whether you want to get big, lift more, or shed excess fats, you can do compound exercises to scale your fitness level and improve your body composition.
Compound exercises bolster multiple muscles simultaneously and help promote strength, hypertrophy, and cardiovascular health.1 5 Benefits of Compound Exercises by Pete McCall, 2016 – American Council of Exercise (ACE),2 A Study of Effect of the Compound Physical Activity Therapy on Muscular Strength in Obese Women – Journal of Physical Therapy Science
Deadlift is an example of a compound exercise that works on various muscles at once, primarily the back, legs, and core. Likewise, you can perform as many as fifty compound movements to target your entire body.
However, you need a well-designed workout routine to train in an organized fashion and achieve decent results.
That is why I’ve shared an ultimate 4 day compound workout routine to help you achieve your fitness goal.
Anyone who wants to put on muscles, increase lifting strength, and improve cardiovascular fitness can follow one of the routines I’ve handed out in this article.
Note: If you are a newbie or struggling with any health issue, avoid this workout plan or do it under supervision.
Program Overview
From muscle building to weight loss, I’ve shared multiple workout routines. Here are all programs you’ll see in this article. You can save the one you need.
- 4 Day Full Body Compound Workout Plan
- 4 Day Upper Lower Compound Workout Routine
- 4 Day Compound Workout Plan for Weight Loss
- 4 Day Bodyweight Compound Workout Routine at Home
The first two programs would be helpful for those trying to gain strength and size.
The third one is excellent for those who want to burn more calories and lose weight.
And the last one is suitable for those who train at home using their body weight only.
You can do one of the above depending on your need and fitness goal.
Additional information about the program:
- Rest Between Sets and Days: The optimum rest period between the sets would be 2 to 3 minutes for those who want to gain strength and mass. And 45 to 90 seconds for those who want to burn more calories and increase weight loss.
- Duration/Session: Doing 45 to 60 minutes of a compound workout session would be enough to achieve handsome results.
- Training Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
- Suggested Program Duration: 12-16 weeks
- Target Gender: Male and Female
- Workout Difficulty: Intermediate
- Customization: You can customize the program according to your fitness goal.
Related Compound Exercise Routines:
- 2 Day Split Compound Workout (For Beginners)
- 3 Day Compound Workout Schedule (For Beginners to intermediate)
- 5 Day Compound Split to Build Muscle (For Advanced lifters)
4 Day Full Body Compound Workout Plan
The total body routine involves training of each muscle group in one session. It is a time-efficient workout program to target your entire body and achieves more results in less time.
It will help you increase muscular strength and endurance and take your fitness to the next level.
If this routine is challenging, you can follow the upper lower workout split (routine B) to train your upper and lower body on separate training days.
Day 1 – Monday
| Exercise | Muscles Worked | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | Legs | 15 x 3 |
| Incline Dumbbell IYT Raises | Back and Shoulder | 10 x 3 |
| Flat Bench Press | Chest and Shoulder | 15 x 3 |
| Chinups | Back and Biceps | 10 x 3 |
| Bent-over Row | Back | 15 x 3 |
Day 2 – Tuesday
| Exercise | Muscles Build | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Dips | Chest and Triceps | 10 x 3 |
| Conventional Deadlift | Legs, Back, and Core | 6 x 3 |
| Weighted Pushup | Chest and Triceps | 10 x 3 |
| Barbell Overhead Press | Shoulder | 12 x 3 |
| Incline Dumbbell Plank Rowing | Back and Core | 10 x 3 |
Day 3 – Thursday
| Exercise | Muscles Build | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Weighted Lunges | Thigh and Glutes | 10 x 2 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | Triceps and Chest | 15 x 3 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | Lats and Chest | 12 x 3 |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | Posterior Chain | 10 x 3 |
| Hanging Knee Raise | Core and Arms | 10 x 3 |
Day 4 – Friday
| Exercise | Muscles Build | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | Legs | 12 x 3 |
| Incline Bench Press | Chest | 12 x 3 |
| Dumbbell Arnold Press | Shoulder | 10 x 3 |
| Face Pull | Shoulder and Back | 12 x 3 |
| Chinups | Back and Biceps | 10 x 3 |
| Plank | Core | 60-sec |
4 Day Upper Lower Compound Workout
- Day 1 – Upper Body (Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps)
- Day 2 – Lower Body (Quadriceps, Calves, and Core)
- Day 3 – Upper Body (Back, Shoulder, and Biceps)
- Day 4 – Lower Body (Hamstrings, Glutes, and Lower Back)
Day 1 – Upper Body
| Exercise | Muscles Build | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench Press | Chest | 12 x 4 |
| Incline Bench Press | Chest | 12 x 3 |
| Bar Dips | Chest and Triceps | 10 x 3 |
| Military Press | Shoulder | 12 x 3 |
| Triangle Pushup | Triceps and Chest | 10 x 3 |
Day 2 – Lower Body
| Exercise | Targeted Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | Quadriceps | 12 x 4 |
| Front Lunges | Quadriceps | 10 x 3 |
| DB Step-up | Quadriceps | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell Jammer | Legs | 10 x 3 |
Day 3 – Upper Body
| Exercise | Target Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional Deadlift | Back and Legs | 5 x 5 |
| Seated Rowing | Back and Biceps | 12 x 4 |
| Barbell Bent Over Row | Lats and Traps | 12 x 3 |
| Chinups | Biceps and Back | 10 x 3 |
| Cable Facepull | Shoulder and Back | 12 x 3 |
Day 4 – Lower Body
| Exercise | Target Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Curtsy Lunges | Lower Body | 10 x 3 |
| Barbell Romanian Deadlift | Hamstrings | 6-8 x 4 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Glutes | 12 x 4 |
| Single-leg Bridge | Ham and Glute | 10 x 2 |
4 Day Compound Workout Routine for Weight Loss
- Day 1 – Endurance Workout
- Day 2 – Hypertrophy Workout
- Day 3 – Strength Workout
- Day 4 – Endurance Workout
Day 1 – Endurance Workout
Perform as many rounds as possible in 45 minutes:
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell Push Press | 10 |
| Squat to Calf Raise | 10 |
| Barbell Bent-over Row | 10 |
| Incline Bench Press | 10 |
| Forward Lunges with Rotation | 5/side |
Day 2 – Hypertrophy Workout
| Exercise | Muscles Build | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional Deadlift | Integrate Full Body | 8 x 4 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | Back and Biceps | 15 x 3 |
| Deficit Pushups | Chest | 12 x 3 |
| Seated Cable Rowing | Back | 15 x 4 |
| Dumbbell RDL | Hamstrings | 8 x 3 |
Day 3 – Strength Workout
| Exercise | Muscles Build | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | Legs | 5 x 5 |
| Bench Press | Chest | 5 x 5 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Glute | 5 x 5 |
| Overhead Press | Shoulder | 5 x 5 |
| Barbell T Row | Back | 5 x 5 |
Day 4 – Endurance Workout
Perform as many rounds as possible in one hour.
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell Jammer | 10 |
| Kneeling DB Chop | 10/side |
| Incline Dumbbell Plank Row | 10/side |
| Bodyweight Pushups | 15 |
| Dumbbell Surrenders | 10/side |
| Plank | 45-sec |
4 Day Compound Workout Schedule at Home
In this 4-day compound home workout routine, you’ll do bodyweight exercises.
Day 1 – Monday
| Exercise | Muscles Worked | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Lunges | Legs | 10 x 2 |
| Squat | Legs | 15 x 2 |
| Glute Bridge | Glutes | 10 x 2 |
| Normal Push up | Chest and Triceps | 10 x 2 |
| Triangle Pushup | Triceps and Chest | 10 x 2 |
| Floor IYT Raises | Back | 8 x 2 |
| Plank | Core | 60-sec |
Day 2 – Tuesday
| Exercise | Muscles Worked | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pike Pushup | Shoulder and Triceps | 10 x 2 |
| Shoulder Tap | Arms, Core & Shoulder | 10 x 2 |
| Burpee | Full Body | 10 x 2 |
| Pushup to Renegade Row | Chest and Back | 10 x 2 |
| Reverse Crunches | Core | 10 x 2 |
| Mountain Climbing | Core | 10 x 2 |
| Heel Touch Crunches | Core | 10 x 2 |
| Situp | Core | 10 x 2 |
Day 3 – Thursday
| Exercise | Muscles Worked | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Squat | Legs | 15 x 2 |
| Sumo Squat | Legs | 10 x 2 |
| Regular Push up | Chest | 15 x 2 |
| Bench Dips | Triceps | 15 x 2 |
| Inverted Row | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Glute Kickback | Glutes | 10 x 2 |
| Side Plank | Core | 30-sec x 2 |
| Sit-ups | Core | 10 x 2 |
Day 4 – Friday
| Exercise | Muscles Worked | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Press-up | Chest | 10 x 2 |
| Triangle Push up | Triceps | 10 x 2 |
| Pike Pushups | Shoulder | 10 x 2 |
| Floor IYT Raises | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Inverted Row | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Leg Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
| Mountain Climbing | Core | 30-sec |
| Plank | Core | 60-sec |
| Side Plank | Core | 30-sec |
| V Ups | Core | 30-sec |
Download Compound Workout Plan PDF
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is doing compound workouts four days a week enough to build muscle?
Yes, doing compound exercises four times a week is enough to put on muscle, increase strength, and take your fitness to the next level. Be consistent with your workout, feed your muscles optimum nutrition, keep yourself hydrated, and have quality sleep, and you’ll see significant changes over time.
I’m a beginner. Can I follow this program?
No, this program can be challenging for newbies. You can follow this three-day routine to increase your strength and endurance if you’re a beginner.
Can you make changes to this routine?
Yes, you can customize the routine depending on your choice. For example, you can include, exclude or replace any exercise from this program. You can also increase or decrease the rest time between sets according to your fitness level.
References
- 15 Benefits of Compound Exercises by Pete McCall, 2016 – American Council of Exercise (ACE)
- 2A Study of Effect of the Compound Physical Activity Therapy on Muscular Strength in Obese Women – Journal of Physical Therapy Science
