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Compound Exercises For Fat Loss

Get Warmed Up, Because This 6-Move Circuit Will Help You Torch Calories and Burn Fat

Aug 20 2019

If you want to burn more calories and shed fat, you won't find anything better than simple, tried-and-true compound exercises. What are compound exercises, you ask? Good question. According to NASM-certified personal trainer Kendall Wood, MS, CSCS, co-author of Core Fitness Solution, "compound movements are multi-joint exercises that target larger muscle groups, which forces more effort, burns more calories, and builds more muscle," Kendall Wood, MS, CSCS, an NASM-certified personal trainer and co-author of Core Fitness Solution, told POPSUGAR. Naturally, the more calories you burn and muscle you build, the faster you'll lose weight.

With that in mind, we asked Kendall for the compound exercises he finds most effective for fat loss. Keep reading for his picks, then try performing them as a circuit up to three times back-to-back, with minimal rest between sets of 15 each. (Remember that some moves will require you to do 15 reps on each side.) Ready? Let's get started.

Image Source: Getty / Hiraman

Dumbbell Cross-Body Wood Chopper

  • Squat, and twist left to hold the dumbbell on the outside of your left leg.
  • Lift the weight diagonally across your body, ending twisted to the right with the dumbbell above your head. Pivot on your left foot as needed. Return to the start position for one rep.
  • Focus on rotating from your torso, keeping your abs stabilized throughout the movement.
  • You can also do this move with a medicine ball, at a cable station, or with a kettlebell.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Romanian Deadlift

  • Stand upright holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides, with your knees slightly bent.
  • Keeping your arms straight and knees slightly bent, slowly bend at the hips and lower the weights as far as possible without rounding your spine.
  • Without breaking form, slowly pull yourself up to the start position.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Push-Up

  • Get into plank position with your arms and legs straight and your shoulders directly above your wrists.
  • Bend your elbows out to the sides and slowly lower your chest toward the ground. Use your abs to stabilise the movement.
  • When your elbows are bent at 90 degrees, hold for a one count, then push yourself back up to a high plank.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Bent Over Row

  • Lean forward and bend your knees slightly, holding a dumbbell; hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms outstretched. Remember to keep your spine straight.
  • Slowly lift the dumbbells up to chest level, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  • Without arching your back, slowly lower the weights back down to the start position.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

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Dumbbell Squat Press

  • Stand with your legs just wider than hip-distance apart; hold a pair of dumbbells above your shoulders, palms facing in.
  • Bend your knees and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your weight on your heels.
  • Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees and return to standing.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Alternating Lunge With Bicep Curl

  • Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
  • Step forward with one foot, and slowly lower your hips until your front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and your back knee is just above the ground. At the same time, curl both dumbbells up to your shoulders without twisting your wrists; hold for one count.
  • Bring the dumbbells back down to your sides as you press through your heel and return to start position.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

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