Include Compound Movements in Your Training - Achilles Kallos (1969)

 

With the advent of specialization many bodybuilders overlook the importance and effectiveness of compound exercises and they do only exercises that isolate the area they intend working. 

This is all very well and necessary, but all-around exercises are also very important and should be included in all bodybuilders' schedules. Being exercises which develop more than one muscle at a time, these movements are usually much harder than the isolated types.

 

For example, let's take the repetition clean and press. Usually you would do either the clean or  the press, but not as one complete movement. Now, if you try 10 consecutive clean & presses you will realize what a terrific exercise it is. Your lower back, trapezius, biceps, forearms and deltoids will come strongly into play when doing this exercise.    

Another good compound exercise is the lying pullover and press. Lie on a bench, pull a barbell from behind you to your chest, then press it, lower the weight to your chest and lower behind your head to the floor. Your pectorals, lats, deltoids and triceps come into play. 

Snatches, and clean & jerks are also compound exercises that develop most of the muscles in your body. Unless you have tried lifting before you will find them hard to master at first. The one hand lifts are, in my opinion, easier to master and even develop more muscle than the two  hand lifts. 

You need not use very heavy poundages to derive benefit from them either. The one hand barbell snatch is one of the finest exercises. All you need is a 50 or 70 pound barbell,. Make sure that you are close to the bar and grip it at the center. Your free hand can rest on your knee. Now pull the barbell close to your body, coming erect as you do so. As the barbell reaches chest level flip it overhead and drop into a full squat position. Hold the weight overhead and come erect before lowering the weight to the floor. 

It will take a while to get used to the exercise; 8-10 repetitions will make you breathless. Not only does your  upper body get a  workout, but so do your legs. 

The one arm barbell press & squat is another good exercise. As a matter of fact, it is easier to master than the snatch. Hold a barbell (50-80 pounds) at should level. Now press it, and as you do so lower into a squat position. Hold the weight overhead and raise up before lowering the barbell to your shoulder. Rest your heels on a block for better balance if needed. I am sure you will be surprised how your legs are affected, and even your waist, besides the rest of your upper body. 

There are many other compound exercises like power snatches, power cleans, and even squats can be regarded as compound exercises. 

You can select one or two of the exercises I have recommended and incorporate them in your normal training routines. 3-5 sets of 8-10 repetitions. Incidentally, if compound exercises are done with lighter weights in higher repetitions they will do much to reduce your bodyweight. So if you need more muscularity, try them. 

I have found compound exercises strenuous and therefore do them separately with a couple of minutes rest. What I have been doing with regard to PHA training is to include one sequence of five exercises first for the required number of sets. Then one hand snatch for 3 sets of 8 reps . . . after that another sequence . . . then once again a compound exercise like repetition clean & press. 

If you have a desire to get more out of your training, try compound movements. 

                                                                                                     2005, 680 pages                                                                                 

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