It's not unusual for a muscle building newbie to focus on their favorite individual muscles in the gym and work them with isolation exercises. However, much more can be achieved through a foundation of compound exercises, even for your favorite muscles. If you're looking to build a bigger physique compound exercises cannot be overlooked.

What are compound exercises?

Compound exercises involve the use of more than one muscle and/or joint, as apposed to isolation exercises that only use one. The best example of a compound exercise and most commonly used is the barbell squat. The barbell squat is mostly thought of as a leg exercise. What many people don't realize is there are many more muscles benefiting from it. Think about it. During the squat you are working your legs, buttocks, back and many more supporting muscles.

You may notice that the big guys in the gym do this much more than the small guys. There is a good reason for it too. Not only do they use more than one muscle at once, they allow you to use more weight which puts more stress on your muscles causing tears in the fibers which are essential for muscle hypertrophy, or muscle cell growth.

Why should you use compound exercises?

If you are serious about building a bigger physique compound exercises should be the foundation of your muscle building regimen. The movements involved with these types of exercises simulate real life movements more so than many isolation movements. Not only that, they require more balance during the motion which requires the use of muscle that aren't used during isolation exercises. So logic will tell you that the more muscles that you can use, the more muscle fibers you will tear, which results in more muscle growth throughout your body.

Isolation exercises certainly have their place. When you achieve that size you are looking for you can then focus on individual muscles that are lacking or require additional growth for optimal muscle balance. It's no wonder why you might see bodybuilders using isolation exercises. Once they have achieved massive muscle growth they start focusing on building a more aesthetically pleasing body by developing individual muscles. However, until that point they will mainly focus on gaining overall muscle mass using the compound exercises.

What are the best compound exercises to use?

You are probably already familiar with many of the great compound exercises. Here are some of the best:

Legs: Barbell Squat, Deadlift, Lunges

Back: Rows, Chin-Up, Lat Pull-Down

Chest: Bench Press, Inclined Press, Dips

Arms: Pull-Up (Close Grip), Twisting Dumbbell Curl

Shoulders: Military Press, Hang Clean and Press

The bottom line is if you want to build a bigger overall physique, a foundation of compound exercises cannot be forgotten. With the growth they bring in your primary muscle groups plus the additional supporting muscles you are bound to get a bigger physique than with just isolation exercises alone. Add a supporting diet to the mix and your are well on your way.