5 Compound Exercises For Your Upper Body You Can't Skip When You Age

Compound exercises involve working more than two muscles at the same time.

 
Ishaan Arora
Written by: Ishaan AroraUpdated at: Mar 16, 2023 08:30 IST
5 Compound Exercises For Your Upper Body You Can't Skip When You Age

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Workout is an everyday activity; you must repeat the same exercises over and over to see visible results. If you've ever been to a gym or done exercise before, you'll know that your trainer will always ask for 90 days as the minimum time required to gain muscle or lose fat. But how do all of these actors and superstars perform in less than two months? This is because they concentrate on compound exercises, which makes the process easier. So, if you want to build muscle or stay fit, let's start by learning what compound exercises are and the five upper-body compound exercises you should do regardless of age.

What Exactly Are Compound Exercises?

Compound exercises involve working more than two muscles at the same time. When you do a bench press, for example, you work your chest, shoulders, and triceps. A bicep curl, on the other hand, only works your biceps. When you perform compound exercises, you are able to burn more calories while also working multiple muscles at the same time. Compound training also helps to build strength, which is essential for avoiding age-related issues. 

Upper Body Compound Exercises

1) Lat Pull Down

The back is one of the largest muscles in your upper body, and it is critical for building strength in order to avoid back muscle bending. The compound exercise lat pull-down targets the lats while also working the biceps and traps. The lat pull-down machine is easily accessible in all gyms; the only thing to remember is to practise progressive overload. Progressive overload occurs when you perform one rep more than your previous workout. Let's say you did three sets of 30 reps each, and this time you should do 31 reps. Progressive overload improves strength and activates muscle fibres.

Also Read: Not Cool With The Gym? 4 Reasons Why Swimming Should Be Your Go-To Workout This Summer

2) Bench Press

The bench press is an exercise that works the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The bench press can be performed regardless of whether your goal is weight loss or weight gain. The only thing to remember is to warm up your shoulders and lower back muscles before performing a bench press, which may reduce the risk of injury.

3) Military Press

The military press targets your deltoids, which are the shoulder muscles. The shoulder is a heavily used muscle, which increases the likelihood of injury. Regular military presses ensure that you build sufficient shoulder strength while working your traps and triceps muscles.

4) Deadlift

A deadlift is a full-body strength exercise that works every muscle in your body from head to toe. The deadlift is a pulling movement, which means that you must move the weight from point A to point B. Deadlifting helps improve body posture and strength while burning fat and increasing muscle mass.

Also Read: Exercise Habits Ruining Your Health After 50

5) Dips

Dips are an excellent bodyweight exercise for increasing upper body strength. Dips strengthen the triceps, shoulder, and lower chest muscles. Dips are effective on their own, so no additional weight is required, but if you can easily perform 15 reps, you can add weights.

Image Credit: Freepik

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