If you’re looking for a complete list of all compound exercises, you have come to the right place. In this article, I’ve shared as many as fifty compound exercises that will help you design a compound workout routine.
I’ve also created a PDF and attached it to this article so you can download it and keep it handy.
What is Compound Workout Training?
Compound exercises work two or more muscles simultaneously. These workouts are also known as multi-joint (MJ) exercises.
For example, the barbell deadlift is a compound workout. It works on several muscles at once, such as the quads, hamstrings, back, hips, core, and Glutes.
Some studies suggest that doing compound workouts is one of the best ways to maximize muscle strength.
Combining compound exercises with a single joint workout (Isolation exercise) can promote greater muscle hypertrophy.
List of All Compound Exercises with Pictures and Videos
1. Conventional Deadlift
- Equipment Needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles Worked: Quads, Back, and Posterior Chain
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase strength and help you get big.
- Guide to Perform a Deadlift
2. Flat Bench Press
- Equipment needed: Barbells, Plates, and Rack
- Muscles worked: Chest, Front Delt, and Triceps
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Build up upper body foundational strength and sizeable pecs.
- Steps to Perform a Bench Press
3. Sumo Deadlift
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Quads and Posterior Chain
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: It increases lifting strength, bolsters quads, adductors, and glutes, and builds the burliest lower body.
- Guide to Perform a Sumo Deadlift
4. Barbell Back Squat
- Equipment needed: Barbells, Plates, and Rack
- Muscles worked: Quads and Glutes
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Level up your strength, build powerful legs, and boost the testosterone hormone.
5. Barbell Jammers
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Legs, Glutes, Core, Arms, and Shoulder
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Benefits: Build strength, endurance, and muscles and torch fat.
6. Incline DB IYT Raises
- Equipment needed: Barbells, Plates, and Rack
- Muscles worked: Quads and Glutes
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Level up your strength, build powerful legs, and boost the testosterone hormone.
- Instructions to Perform an Incline IYT Raises
7. Standing DB IYT Raises
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Shoulder and Traps
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Target all three delts (anterior, lateral, and rear delts) at the same time and build rounded shoulders.
8. Clean and Press
- Equipment needed: Barbell and Plates
- Muscles worked: Shoulder, Back, and Abdominals
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Benefits: Build strength, power, and endurance and promote athleticism.
9. Dumbbell Man maker
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Build strength and mobility, torch significant calories, and improve body composition.
10. Chin-up
- Equipment needed: Pull-up Bar
- Muscles worked: Back and Biceps
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Improve grip strength, increase biceps size, and improve back muscle definition.
11. Pull-up
- Equipment needed: Pull-up Bar
- Muscles worked: Back and Biceps.
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Helps build sturdy and broader lats and develops a V shape back.
12. Bar Dips
- Equipment needed: Dip Station
- Muscles worked: Triceps, Chest, and Anterior Delt.
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Strengthen upper body muscles and build toned arms and chest.
13. Burpee
- Equipment needed: Bodyweight Only
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Improve endurance, annihilate considerable calories compared to other exercises, and foster cardiovascular health.
14. Dumbbell Pullover
- Equipment needed: A Dumbbell and a Bench
- Muscles worked: Chest and Lats
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Provide good stretches to the pecs and lats and develop a defined torso.
15. Landmine Press
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Plates
- Muscles worked: Shoulder, Triceps, and Upper Chest
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Maximize your pushing strength and sculpt your upper chest and shoulder.
- Steps to perform a Landmine Press.
16. Push-Up
- Equipment needed: Body Weight Only
- Muscles worked: Chest and Triceps
- Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Benefits: It enhances fundamental upper body strength, solidifies the trunk, and prepares you for weighted compound lifts.
17. Renegade Row
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Abs, Back, and Shoulder
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Strengthen the torso, improve balance, and improve fitness.
- Guide to perform a Renegade Row
18. Weighted Plank
- Equipment needed: Weight Plates/Vest
- Muscles worked: Core, Arms, and Shoulder
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase abdominal strength and help flatten the tummy.
- Check out all weighted plank variations.
19. Military Press
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Shoulder, Triceps, and Core
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Boost pressing strength and improve shoulder health.
- Explore all overhead press variations.
20. Bulgarian Split Squat
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells and a bench
- Muscles worked: Legs, Hips, and Glutes
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Develop strength and mobility in your lower body.
- See how to perform a Bulgarian split squat.
21. Romanian Deadlift
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Quads, Hamstring, Glutes, and Lower Back
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Strengthen posterior chain muscles and make your hips flexible.
- Guide to perform a Romanian Deadlift.
22. Barbell Thruster
- Equipment required: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Upper Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase strength and speed and kindle significant calories in a short time.
23. Clean and Jerk
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Benefits: Shoot up strength, speed, and explosiveness while developing a solid physique.
24. DB Swing Squat
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Torches plenty of calories, boosts metabolism, and promotes better cardiovascular health.
25. High Pull
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Back, Shoulder, and Arms
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase pulling strength and build a firm torso.
26. Barbell Hip Thrust
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Posterior Chain Muscles
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Buttress posterior chain muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
- Steps to perform a Hip Thrust.
27. Battle Rope
- Equipment needed: Battle Rope
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase endurance and metabolism and tone upper body muscles.
28. Push Jerk
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Upper Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Build strength for performing various push exercises.
29. Walking Lunges
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells/Barbell
- Muscles worked: Lower Body
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Build strong legs and boost endurance
30. Dumbbell Surrenders
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Strengthen various muscle groups simultaneously and help improve aerobic fitness.
31. Elevated Plank Row
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Back and Core
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Build a strong back while toning abdominal muscles.
32. Farmer’s Walk
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells/Plates
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Improve total body strength and cardiovascular health.
33. Dumbbell Cluster
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Improve strength and quickness and boost aerobic fitness.
- Step-wise instruction to perform DB Cluster.
34. Sumo DL High Pull
- Equipment needed: Barbell, Plates, and Gym Belt
- Muscles worked: Integrate Full Body
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Benefits: Bolster muscles throughout the body and help develop an aesthetic physique.
35. Push Press
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Upper Body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Helps achieve a strong and muscular torso.
- See how to perform a push press.
36. Pendlay Row
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Back and Shoulder
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase your pulling strength, help put on muscles, and shape the torso.
37. Overhead Squat
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Shoulder, Legs, and Core
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Develop strength from upper to lower body and build an athletic physique.
- Step-by-step guide for Overhead Squat.
38. Dumbbell Step-Up
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells and a bench/box
- Muscles worked: Legs, Glutes, and Core
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Build solid legs and increase stamina and mobility.
39. Bent-over Row
- Equipment needed: Barbells and Weight Plates
- Muscles worked: Back, core, and Posterior Delt
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Build a muscular and broader back.
40. Turkish Get-Up
- Equipment needed: Kettlebells
- Muscles worked: Integrated Full-body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Reinforce all muscle groups from the upper to the lower body and improve overall balance.
41. Kettlebell Swing
- Equipment needed: Kettlebells
- Muscles worked: Integrated Full-Body
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Benefits: Increase strength, speed, and explosiveness and enhance cardiovascular fitness.
42. Kettlebell Tater
- Equipment needed: Kettlebells
- Muscles worked: Integrated full-body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Burn decent calories in a short time and build stronger legs.
43. Handstand Push-up
- Equipment needed: Body weight Only
- Muscles worked: Shoulder, Abs, and Triceps
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Benefits: Increase your pushing strength and build a firm torso.
- See how to execute a handstand push-up stepwise.
44. Pistol Squat
- Equipment needed: Kettlebell/Bodyweight
- Muscles worked: Legs, Glutes, and Core
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Strengthen lower body muscles and improve overall balance.
- Instructions for performing a Pistol Squat.
45. Landmine Oblique Twist
- Equipment needed: Barbell and Plates
- Muscles worked: Abs, Oblique, and Shoulder
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Difficulty Benefits: Bolster midsection and help build sculpted abs.
46. Bear Crawl
- Equipment needed: None
- Muscles worked: Integrated Full-body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Increase strength and mobility in upper body muscles while improving cardiovascular fitness.
47. Dragon Fly
- Equipment needed: Body weight
- Muscles worked: Arms and Core
- Difficulty Level: Advance
- Benefits: Improve strength, balance, and flexibility and sculpt abdominal muscles.
48. Diamond Pushup
- Equipment needed: None
- Muscles worked: Upper body
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: A great way to forge triceps using your body weight only.
49. Muscle Up
- Equipment needed: Pull-up Bar
- Muscles worked: Integrated Full-body
- Difficulty Level: Advance
- Benefits: Improve balance, muscle cooperation, speed, flexibility, and fitness level.
50. Arnold Press
- Equipment needed: Dumbbells
- Muscles worked: Shoulder
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Hammer the anterior and lateral delt simultaneously and build healthy and aesthetic shoulders.
51. Barbell Snatch
- Equipment needed: Barbell
- Muscles worked: Shoulder, Back, Abs, Hamstrings, and Abs
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: The barbell snatch is an explosive exercise body exercise that hammers multiple muscles throughout the body and helps build strength, power, and endurance.
52. Windshield Wiper
- Equipment needed: Pull-up Bar
- Muscles worked: Abs, Obliques, Arms, Legs, and Back
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: Bolster abdominal muscles, improve hip mobility, strengthen forearms and grip, and enhance mobility and flexibility.
53. Standing Ab Wheel Rollout
- Equipment needed: Wheel
- Muscles worked: Abs, Shoulder, Arms, and Back
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: It helps build burly abs, bolster arms and shoulders, and makes the body flexible.
54. L Pull-up
- Equipment needed: Pull-up Bar
- Muscles worked: Abs, Back, and Biceps
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: It helps build sculpted abs, strengthen the back, and develop an athletic torso.
55. Single-Leg Deadlift
- Equipment needed: Barbell/Dumbbell/Kettlebell
- Muscles worked: Glute, Hamstrings, Lower, and Abs
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Benefits: The Single-leg deadlift buttresses posterior chain muscles to improve mobility and enhance awareness.
Compound Exercises List By Muscle Group
Legs
- Barbell Deadlift
- Barbell Squats
- Barbell Jammers
- Romanian Deadlift
- Bulgarian Split Squat
- Barbell Hip Thrust
- Walking Lunge
- Overhead Squat
- Sumo Deadlift
- Dumbbell Step-Up
- Single-Leg Deadlift
Chest
- Bench Press
- Bar Dips
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Landmine Press
- Weighted Push-ups
- Incline Bench Press
Back
- Barbell Deadlift
- Weighted Pull-ups
- Bent Over Row
- Incline Dumbbell IYT Raises
- Renegade Row
- Pendlay Row
- Elevated Plank Row
Shoulder
- Arnold Press
- Overhead Press
- Standing DB IYT Raises
- Landmine Press
- Thruster
- Pendlay Row
Arms
- Bar Dips
- Close Grip Bench Press
- Diamond Push-Ups
- Chin-ups
Abs and Oblique
- Weighted Plank
- Ab Wheel Rollout
- Landmine Oblique Twist
- Windshield Wiper
Integrated Full Body Compound Movements
- Burpee
- Clean and Press
- High Pull
- Barbell Jammers
- Muscle Up
- Hang Clean
- Battle Rope Waves
- Clean and Press
- Dumbbell Man maker
- Farmers Walk
- Clean and Jerk
- Push Jerk
- Dumbbell Swing Squat
- Push-up to Renegade Row
- Dumbbell Cluster
- Barbell Push Press
- L Pull-up
- Squat to Overhead Press
- Sumo Deadlift High Pull
- Kettlebell Tater
