Favorite compound exercises
Hi 🙂 Happy Wednesday! Hope you’re enjoying the day so far.
I had every intention of blogging last night, but then got sucked into Gravity. If you’ve seen it, you know what happened: I couldn’t look away! Such a great movie, and very intense! It seemed like it was only 40 minutes long because it was so action-packed. Highly recommend it. (Also, George Clooney is in there. Just letting you know. Haha)
Some adventures from the day:
-trying to figure out a fun way to display Livi’s art projects from school. Please let me know if you have any great ideas! I haven’t consulted the Pinterest wizards yet
-some enchiladas in the oven before teaching:
I used Jess’ recipe from her new book, and they came out amaaaazing. Excited for leftovers today.
A big smoothie:
(vegan chocolate Shakeology, spinach, banana, peanut butter, frozen berries and almond milk)
and two barre classes (barre + hot barre).
For the strength portions of the barre classes I teach, I like to include compound exercises that work more than one muscle group at a time. It’s a great way to get more bang for your buck during workouts, as you’re able to work various muscles simultaneously.
Here are some of my faves:
-Plie squat bicep curl
-Row into a tricep extension
-Plank and rotating plank (side to center, to the other side)
-Pushup to side plank
-Lunge with upright row
-Squat to overhead press
How often do you use compound movements in your workouts? Any faves to share? I’ll put together a compound crusher to add to tomorrow’s post.
Have a wonderful day! <3
xoxo
Gina
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Squat to overhead press (aka thrusters) are such a great move, killer though!
I like lunges + bicep curls 🙂
That’s what I was going to say! I did a 5 minute WOD of as many clusters (squat clean into overhead press) as possible on Monday and I am still sore!
Clusters! Those are the best! We had those in a WOD last week at my CF Box, seriously killer. Yet somehow I can’t wait for them to pop up in a WOD again. 🙂
I love curtesy lunges and lateral raises, bridge and chest press, side plank and lateral raise and superman and push up combo.
Enchiladas look awesome!
Do you have any suggestions for workouts when you’re injured and need low impact? I have a stress fracture in my foot again and concerned I will lose strength in my legs. The doctor said I could do floor strength with as long as I’m not on my feet.
I hope it’s OK if I throw in my two cents – I would first of all recommend taking very good care of yourself. Multiple stress fractures are a red flag from your body.
That being said, you could try band exercises, like what Gina posted here: http://fitnessista.com/2014/08/resistance-band-loop-leg-workout/. Side leg lifts, clamshells, and avoiding the ones with feet on ground, but the glute kickbacks could be done on all fours instead of standing. Try “bird dog” on all 4’s. You could work both hips simultaneously by tying a band to the injured leg, standing on non-injured, and doing side and back kicks. There’s Pilates stuff that might be appropriate as well. You could visit with a physical therapist or personal trainer for more suggestions. Good luck!
thank you for chiming in here! the resistance band loop was exactly what i was going to suggest 🙂
Thanks much for chiming in! I found out last month I have no estrogen. They actually think that’s the culprit. I will definitely check these out! Right now I’m just swimming. These are great suggestions.
hey girl,
the stress fracture is a sign from your body that you’re doing too much. i would take some time off (like 2 weeks) and start back up, doing easily exercises from there
some ideas:
the resistance band loop exercise i posted (all of the side stuff should be fine)
side leg lifts
leg circles
core work (on your back: lower and lift your legs, scissors, hundreds)
many pilates exercises should work
seated in a chair you can do leg extensions to work your quads
on all fours: donkey kicks, leg lifts, heel presses towards the ceiling
hope this helps a little and hope you heal soon
Thanks Gina! I found out last month I have no estrogen. They actually think that’s the culprit. I will definitely check these out! Right now I’m just swimming.
hope they get everything figured out for you! glad that swimming is working and feels good. take it easy and i’ll be sending healing wishes.
xo
I can’t wait for the compound crusher! I love compound exercises because I’m all about getting the most bang for my buck out of a short workout!
I do supersets especially with csrdio! Such as tuck jumps to jump rope 🙂
I’ve been doing the PopSugar Circuit workouts and they do lots of compound moves! It’s such an efficient way to get in a workout!
I tell myself any and all Zumba classes are the best compound exercises. I’m going to a wedding next weekend and the bride is SURE to play Bailando at the reception and you better believe I plan to break out until full Zumba mode on the dance floor =).
Love a wood chop- a lunge with an arm swing. Awesome move and gets your heart rate up!
I love, love, love compound exercises and have actually been looking for some good workouts! I used to do them all of the time but have fallen out of the habit and wantto start incorporating them again!
I actually did you summer shape up week 2 workout the other day just for them and it was so much fun!
happy to hear you liked it!
Young House Love did the cutest cork board display for their daughter’s artwork– here’s the link just in case you want to check it out. 🙂
http://www.younghouselove.com/2014/05/more-room-for-grumpy-snowman/
Always, Anita
amazing- thank you!
Gravity is on my list of movies to watch! I was a little hesitant because it is so long. Glad to hear you liked it! 🙂
One thing I have been trying in my workouts, is adding lightweight arms exercises in-between exercises. It is an easy way to fit it in and it allows me to do a lot of volume. I have noticed a big difference in my arm/shoulder strength too.
it goes by SO quickly and doesn’t drag at all!
I love these 2 ideas for children’s art. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/109282728431979313/ and
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/109282728431262186/
I hope the links work.
the second one was exactly like what i was thinking, but didn’t know how to set it up. thank you!!
You’re welcome. I have had that pinned forever…now I need to do it! 🙂
One time the air conditioning went out in our Pure Barre studio and it was like hot barre but smelled like hot yoga. The end.
haha!!
Reverse lunges with alternating side and front raises are a favorite also push ups with alt side planks!
Does reading on the stair master count? Hehe…working my brain muscle 😉
hahaha multitastking pro level
For school art I’ve just been dropping it in a simple scrapbook, but I’ve decided going forward I’ll snap a picture to create a digital scrapbook, then send it to a grandparent to enjoy. We don’t live close to family, so it would give a chance to share his art without just hiding it away. Plus digital files will save space- he’s only 2 and we have quite the collection.
i love that idea!!
same. liv is only 2, and we have quite the stash building up. i’d love to display it somewhere and then rotate it out as new projects come in
Compound moves are my favorite! I love squats/shoulder presses, sumo squats/upright rows, plank/rows
I love Jillian Michaels videos for the same reason- working more than one muscle group ensures you’re getting the best bang for your buck!
Yes, ma’am/. Compound is the way to go. I do love the Turkish get-up, because it gets nearly every muscle in the body. But for something a little less challenging, I do squat thrusters to a box, in which you sit on the low box, hold dumbbells in front of your shoulders, and when you stand and drive your hips forward, you push the dumbbells up to a full overhead press. It’s a full-body jolt!
DUDE. can’t wait to try that!
Gravity – so intense! I had some serious anxiety watching that movie hahah… it was like my worst nightmare, being trapped alone in space, eek!
One of my favorite compound movements is an EZ-bar bicep curl, followed by an underhand grip shoulder press. It burrrrrns the biceps and front delts so bad, but in the best way possible.
Hope you have a great Wednesday evening!
i was on a verge of a panic attack for about 99.97% of it
i’ll have to try that move!!
xo
Do you have any recommendations for low impact lower body exercises for people with quadricep tendinitis?
One of my favorites is step-ups with a bicep curl to an overhead press. I also often throw in a static lunge with a tricep kickback. I love compound moves. They save time and often get the heart rate up a little or a lot! Thanks for all of the ideas in the post and in the comments.
I need to try shakeology. I just don’t want to then be invited to 600 more 21-day lose weight challenges.
PS I am back on the coffee wagon. BUT only one cup a day no mas. :O
I love compound exercises. Do them all the time – I don’t have a ton of time, so I need to get my workouts done in less than an hour 🙂 I love side lunge to overhead press. I ALWAYS feel these the next day!