Compound Exercises: How They Help Support Healthy Aging [Video]

When it comes to weight training, the volume of advice that is available can seem daunting.

A good place to start is looking at the types of resistance training, the importance of muscle strength and how certain exercises can make life easier as you age.

Compound and isolation exercises and how they differ

There are largely two types of exercises when it comes to resistance training – compound and isolation.

Compound exercises use multiple joints and muscle groups.

For instance, the chest, shoulder and triceps muscles are used in a push up, with the shoulder and elbow joints moving together.

Compound movements can be grouped together into patterns. One example is the squat pattern seen in lower body exercises, including lunges and squats.

Squats

Lunges

Watch detailed videos for over 20 exercises

Hinge patterns, which include kettle bell swings and deadlifts, involves a hinge at a point on the body, such as the hips.

Upper body exercises can be divided into push and pull patterns.

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