Right now, I am trying to gain size, and have been focusing on singular-targeted muscle group areas. Do compounds really help accelerate growth for overall size gain?
Yup!
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What are the best exercises?
It really depends where you’re at in development.
If you’re relatively new, yes - focus on compounds.
At some point, you will likely need to shift away from compounds. If you don’t look like a brick shithouse, you aren’t at that point.
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In the starting days, when I was too much skinny, my instructor in rta, used to ask me to drink a lot of banana shake to build up size as it helps in muscle building status. You can try it as well.
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Typically, we’re going to look at covering movement patterns:
- A push
- A pull
- A squat
- A hinge
I’d go further and say it’s smart to go horizontal push and pull and a single-leg exercise.
So, if you spent all your time and energy progressing on, say:
- Overhead Press
- Bench Press
- Pull-ups
- Rows
- Squats
- Lunges
- Deadlifts
You’d be a formidable person
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Did the bananas have to be shaken, or could they be stirred?
I’m sorry dude, bananas are not on the list of ‘must eat’ foods. They are, however, an excellent source of carbs and work phenomenally as a pre-workout snack.
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Press
Row
Chin
Dip
Squat
Bend Over
Any style or angle is cool. Barbell, dumbbell, or machine are all acceptable. Sticking 1 end of the barbell in the ground Landmine style is OK too.
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I wish I could like this harder.
I suggest Phraks Greyskull LP for newbies as it emphasizes all of these (except lunges).
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This plus your chicken and rice thread makes me think you are truly a beginner.
Can you give us some indication about what we are giving advice?
- How old are you?
- What is your body weight?
- What is your height?
- Give us some indication of your current strength (How many pullups can you do? or something else…)
- How long have you been lifting?
- Do you workout at a gym?
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Did you make that in VS code?
This is what the other guy said. So it really works, huh?
Thank you, this is all I need to do to get big?
They stop working?
No, but I could. I just ripped this from the link I posted.
More accurately: they stop being as effective in regards to stimulus to fatigue ratio. Right now, you’re in a great position to grow from the heaviest movements (compounds). You could do this for years and still grow.
Yeah it works. That’s why nearly every lifter uses some version of those lifts.
Compound lifts can be used with single joint lifts when you do workouts targeting muscle group areas. You don’t just have to do full body, non targeted workouts.
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I’ll try to keep this as simple as possible (I could get extremely technical and complex about the muscle-building process).
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Single-joint exercises are arguably better at stimulating a specific muscle group and they are easier to recover from.
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Compound lifts are more efficient in that they stimulate more muscles at the same time but might not be best for any individual muscle.
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Single-joint/targeted exercises are more effective when you already have a decent base of strength and neurological efficiency. And thus might be less effective for beginners.
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Compound lifts have a stronger systemic effect which will increase strength more than single-joint exercises. They also improve neurological capacities more than single-joint exercises.
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Single-joint exercises might be better to learn to contract and feel a specific muscle.
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Compound lifts might be better to develop the capacity to learn and perform complex movements.
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You need more single-joint exercises to get the same overall stimulation as if you are using compound lifts.
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It’s not an either or scenario. You can (and should) use both compound lifts and single-joint exercises. For example you could use a lift-specific approach:
Lift-specific split
Let’s say that you have 4 workouts per week. They could be:
Day 1: Squat day
Day 2: Bench day
Day 3: Deadlift day
Day 4: Overhead press day
Squat day
Exercise 1: Squat variation (e.g. back squat)
Exercise 2: Multi-joint assistance (e.g. hack squat machine or leg press)
Exercise 3: Single-joint quads exercise (e.g. leg extension)
Exercise 4: Glutes exercise
Exercise 5: Calves exercise
Bench day
Exercise 1: Bench press variation
Exercise 2: Multi-joint press assistance exercise (e.g. close-grip bench, decline bench, incline bench)
Exercise 3: Single-joint pectoral exercise
Exercise 4: Single-joint triceps exercise
Exercise 5: Upper back exercise
Deadlift day
Exercise 1: Deadlift variation
Exercise 2: Multi-joint posterior chain exercise (e.g. Romanian deadlift)
Exercise 3: Upper back exercise (e.g. Pendlay row, bent over row, seated row)
Exercise 4: Single-joint hamstrings exercise (e.g. leg curl, seated leg curl)
Exercise 5: Single-joint lats exercise (e.g. straight-arms pulldown, pullover)
Exercise 6: Single-joint traps exercise
Overhead press day
Exercise 1: Shoulder press variation
Exercise 2: Multi-joint pressing assistance exercise (e.g. incline bench, machine shoulder press, etc.)
Exercise 3: Single-joint medial deltoid exercise (lateral raise variation)
Exercise 4: Single-joint anteror deltoid exercise (front raise variation)
Exercise 5: Posterior deltoid exercise (e.g. face pull, rear delts on reverse pec deck, etc.)
Very good point
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