5 Full-Body Exercises that Increase Overall Fitness

Compound, or full-body exercises are an important way for people to get in shape and burn calories. The benefit of compound exercises are that when more muscles are used in a single activity it raises the overall calories burned, work out time, and the potential speed of fitness transformation. These moves engage both large and small muscles making a workout well rounded. 

There are a few disadvantages that include the inability to isolate a certain muscle for growth. Most sports require a well-rounded body type with adequate overall muscle tone. A few sports may require stronger arms or legs than others but this is generally not the norm. Where additional improvement is needed in a specific area the practice of the sport will fulfill the specific muscles. 

The key to good overall fitness is to use as much of the body as possible. As you complete these compound exercises you will engage your biceps, triceps, stomach, back, legs, gluteus, etc… making your fitness reaching into your whole body. This will increase your speed, strength, and balance in a way that isolation will have difficulty achieving. 

Turkish Push Up: Lay on your side and raise a dumbbell in the air perpendicular to your body. Use your two legs and one arm to get up keeping the dumbbell over your head.  (Full body).

Traditional Push-up: Lay down on the floor hands at shoulder width and push up till your back and legs are straight.  (Chest, Arms, Stomach and Back).

Deadlift to Overhead Press: Squat over heavy object like a dumbbell or kettle ball and lift with both arms and raise the object above your head while extending your legs to a stand up position (Full Body). 

Squat: Use your body weight to squat down with your posterior extended and midsection straight upward. (legs, stomach and back).

Dumbbell curl and Knee Lift: Lift your left knee while curling dumbbell in your right hand. Repeat on other side. You may reverse arm for triceps. (Biceps, Triceps, Back, Legs, Stomach).