Compound exercises for the lower body

Compound exercises are movements that work multiple muscle groups and multiple joints, unlike isolated exercises that work just one muscle group and a single joint. A wide range of compound exercises work the lower body muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.

Consider adding a variety of compound exercises into your training routine for maximum benefits. Variety keeps your workouts interesting and avoids boredom, helping to keep you motivated to reach your health and fitness goals.

Below, we have listed some of the most effective lower body compound exercises for you to try.

Squats

Squats are a great lower-body exercise for promoting muscle growth and strength gains. Squats work all muscles of the lower body, as well as the core and partly the upper body. Some people opt to perform squats with a barbell to help maximum gains, as you can overload barbell squats easily. However, you can perform goblet squats with a kettlebell by your chest, Smith machine squats, dumbbell squats, or body weight squats as alternatives.

Lunges

Lunges are a great unilateral exercise that you can do in a variety of ways. You can do front, reverse, lateral, and walking lunges to target your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. You can add extra weight to advance the exercise by holding a kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell to make the exercise harder.

Hip thrusts

Known as the ultimate glute builder, the hip thrust is a popular exercise that targets the gluteal muscles. It involves using a heavy barbell and thrusting it up toward the ceiling with your hips. You’ll also get some hamstring activation with the hip thrust, depending on how far out you place your feet relative to your body.

If you are uncertain how to perform specific exercises, it is important to seek proper training to help reduce the risk of injury.