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Work More Muscles in Half the Time With These

Compound Exercises
Hang around a gym long enough, and youll probably hear talk of compound versus isolation
moves. Its pretty self-explanatory: Compound exercises recruit multiple muscle groups
(squats, for example, recruit your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and even your core for stability).
On the other hand, isolation movements zero in on just one muscle (like the leg extension
machine).
Both forms of exercise have merit, depending on your individual goals. But frankly, we like
compound moves because they work more muscles in less time. (And who isnt
time-crunched these days?) These 25 moves will not only slash your workout time, but theyll
also challenge your upper body, lower body, and core in totally creative ways so you'll never
get bored.
For some of the moves (including the workout at the end provided by Brynn Putnam,
certified trainer and founder of Refine Method), youll need a medium-weight kettlebell or
dumbbell.

Beginner

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1. Box Crawl
From all fours, lift your knees off the ground until hips are slightly higher than shoulders and
youre supported by the balls of your feet. Crawl forward, stepping with your right hand and
left foot, then left hand and right foot. Crawl in a box formation, with two crawls in each
direction: forward, to the right, back, and to the left.

2. Bird Dog
Start on your hands and knees, keeping shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. Engaging
your abs, reach your right arm forward so it is in line with your ear, as you simultaneously
extend your left leg straight back. Repeat on the other side.

3. Rotational Lunge
Step your right foot back, bend your knees, and engage your glutes, hamstrings, and quads
as you lower into a lunge position. Reach your arms straight out in front chest, hands clasped
together. Squeeze glutes and abs. Keeping shoulders and hips in one line, rotate 180 degrees
toward your right shoulder, pivoting on the balls of your feet. You should now be in a lunge
facing the opposite direction. Rotate left back to starting position. Make sure you rotate with
enough force so you almost knock yourself off balance. Use your abs to stabilize.

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4. Hinge and Reach

Kneel with your right foot forward so you are supported by your left knee. Reach your right
arm overhead, engaging your abs and glutes. With your left hand, reach on a diagonal in
front of you, hinging at the hips to touch the ground while keeping your right arm up. Using
obliques, slowly return to starting position. Repeat on the other side.

Intermediate
5. Rotational Squat Lift
Stand with feet wider than hip-width, holding one weight in both hands. Send hips back,
engage glutes, bend knees, and lower into a squat, bringing the weight to your left hip.
Stand and lift the weight on a high diagonal toward your right shoulder. Focus on keeping
your hips forward and abs engaged, as your allow your shoulders to twist. Repeat on the
other side.

6. Quadruped Row to Arm Extension

Start on all fours with a weight near your right hand. Pick up the weight and, using upper
back and shoulders, perform a row, pulling the weight up toward your right ribs. At the top
of the row, your elbow should be hugged close to your body, and your forearm in line with
your natural waist. Lower the weight back to the floor. Holding the weight, straighten right

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arm and simultaneously raise a straight left arm reaching until arm is in line with left ear. Focus
on keeping shoulders pressed down and neck long throughout (no shoulder scrunching!).

7. Push-Up With Row

In a high plank position, perform a push-up. Then perform a row with your right arm,
squeezing your shoulder blades together and engaging your upper back to pull your elbow
toward your waist. Do another push-up, this time rowing with your left arm. Focus on keeping
your chest down (not twisting in the direction you lift). Continue alternating sides.

Make it harder: Place a weight next to each hand and lift the weight when performing each
row.

8. Squat to Overhead Press

Hold a weight with both hands at your chest and stand with feet hip-width apart. Send your
hips back and bend your knees as you come into a low squat. Stand and press the weight
overhead in one fluid movement. Bring the weight back to your chest.

Make it harder: Hold a kettlebell upside down in one hand, balancing so the bell always faces
the ceiling.

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9. Step-Up With Press

Holding a weight at your chest, step up onto a step, bench, or chair with your right foot.
Focus on engaging your right glute and right hamstrings (not just pushing off with the left
foot) as you step up. As you straighten right leg, press the weight overhead with arms by
your ears and shoulders pressed down. Bring the weight back to your chest and slowly step
your left foot back down. Repeat on the other side.

10. Squat With Biceps Curl

Hold a weight in front of your hips with straight arms and stand with feet shoulder-width
apart. Perform a squat. At the bottom of your squat, perform a biceps curl, bending at the
elbows to bring hands to shoulders, and extending all the way back down before rising to
starting position.

11. Jack Plank With Tap-Up

In a high plank position, jump feet hip-width apart, then back together, keeping core tight
throughout. Still holding a high plank, tap left shoulder with right hand, then right shoulder
with left hand. Use your core to make sure your hips do not twist. Repeat the entire sequence
as quickly as possible while maintaining proper form.

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12. Hip Drive Into Triceps Extension

Sit on your knees. Hold the weight against your chest with both hands. Squeeze glutes and
drive hips forward to an upright kneeling position. At the same time, press the weight
overhead. Bend elbows, using triceps to lower weight behind head. Press weight back up,
then lower it to your chest before returning to starting position. Focus on engaging your core
throughout the exercise.

Advanced
13. Split Squat Chop
Holding a weight with both hands, step your right foot back and hold. Reach the weight up
on a high diagonal toward your right shoulder, keeping hips facing forward and allowing
shoulders to twist. Bend your knees and lower into a lunge as your bring the weight toward
your left hip in a chopping motion. Return to starting position with weight on a high diagonal.
Repeat on the other side.

Make it easier: Keep the weight at your chest as you perform the lunge.

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14. Hip Drive Halo Into Bottoms-Up Lunge

Sit on your knees holding a weight against your chest in both hands. Squeeze your glutes and
drive hips forward to an upright kneeling position. Step your right foot forward. Squeezing
your abs, circle the weight around your head (making a "halo"). Bringing the weight to your
chest, step up to stand, keeping left foot off the ground. Lower left knee back to the ground,
and reverse the entire movement to starting position. Repeat on the other side, making sure
to halo the weight in the opposite direction.

Make it easier: Perform the same movement, but skip the halo. Complete the hip drive, to
kneeling lunge, to standing position without pause.

15. Reverse Lunge With Biceps Curl

Standing holding weights with palms facing forward. Step your right foot back, engaging
glutes and abs to lower into a lunge. Perform a biceps curl, keeping shoulders pressed down
and abs tight. Lower weights and step right foot forward to starting position. Repeat on the
other side.

16. Glute Bridge Chest Press

Lie faceup, knees bent, core engaged, hands at your sides holding weights. Squeeze glutes
to raise hips into a bridge. Perform a chest press by pushing both hands up over chest,
engaging pectorals. Lower weights and hips together.

Make it easier: Drop the weight, and practice raising your arms in a chest press motion,
creating your own resistance.

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17. Glute Bridge With Overhead Press

Lie faceup, knees bent, and core engaged. Holding a weight with both hands just below your
sternum, squeeze glutes to raise hips into a bridge. Push the weight straight up, then slowly
lower it overhead with elbows slightly bent. Slowly bring the weight back overhead, then
lower to your chest before lowering hips to the ground.

Make it easier: Skip the overhead press. Hold weight in place while lifting hips, or extend
weight up without bringing it overhead.

18. Hip Thrust Abs Rocker

Sit with knees bent and legs hip-width apart. Place hands on the ground directly under
shoulders, fingers facing away from your body. Squeeze glutes and lift hips straight up so
you're in a table-top position. Lower hips back to the ground. Now engage your abs and lift
hands and feet off of the floor, reaching arms forward. Lean back and extend your legs
forward, coming into a "V" shape, keeping your shoulders and upper back off of the ground.
Return to starting position.

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19. Lateral Lunge With Chest Press

Hold a weight in both hands at your chest with feet wider than shoulders. Lean to the right,
pushing hips back, bending right knee and keeping left leg straight. (You should feel your
right glute engaged and a stretch on left leg.) At the lowest part of the lunge, push the
weight forward, engaging pectorals. (Your arms dont need to get totally straight; focus on
keeping your upper body upright.) Pull weight back to chest and return to starting position.
Repeat on the other side.

20. Single-Leg Deadlift to Hammer Curl

Holding a weight in your left hand, stand on your right foot, knee slightly bent. Keep your
back straight as you hinge forward at the hips. With left leg straight out behind you, let arms
relax at the shoulders and weights hang toward the ground. Engage glutes and hamstrings to
slowly stand. Perform a biceps curl, keeping shoulders down and engaging your core for
stability.

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21. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift With Row

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a weight in right hand. Lift right foot off the
ground and hinge at the waist, leaning forward with a straight back. (Think of your body as
one straight line from head to heel.) Let right arm naturally fall forward so it's perpendicular
to your torso. At the lowest point, perform a row with the weight. Return to starting position.

Make it easier: Skip the row.

22. Push-Up to Side Plank
In a high plank position, perform a push-up. Lift your left hand off of the ground and rotate
your hips to come into a side plank on your right hand, extending left arm up. Return to high
plank. Perform another push-up and repeat the side plank on the other side. (Make sure to
keep your shoulders and hips moving in the same line.)

23. Low to High Spiderman Plank

Start in a forearm plank, shoulders directly over elbows, core tight. Push off right forearm to
come to right hand, then repeat on left side to come to a high plank position with shoulders
over wrists. Keeping your abs tight and your hips still, bring your right foot toward the
outside of your right hand and tap the ground so you're in a low lunge position for a moment.
Return to high plank, then tap left foot to outside of left hand. Return to starting position.

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24. Squat Jumpback to Push-Up

Stand with feet hip-width apart and lower into a squat. Jump back into a high plank position,
keeping your abs tight and hands under sternum. Perform a push-up. Hop feet forward to a
wide squat so hands are between feet. Stand up and jump.

Make it easier: Step back one foot at a time into the high plank (instead of hopping) and skip
the push-up.

25. Side Plank With Leg Lift

Start in a right side forearm plank, feet stacked on top of each other, hips lifted, core
engaged, and shoulder directly above elbow. Raise left leg six inches, then slowly lower.
Repeat on the other side.

The Workout
Now put 'em together with this highly efficient and super-creative workout created by Brynn
Putnam, certified trainer and founder of Refine Method (who also models the exercises).

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Special thanks to our friends at Lululemon for outfitting our model!

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