Combo vs Compound
I was at the gym yesterday here in Florida….
As usual, I set out to do my program which included training back and chest. Like always, air pods in, focus on and I go about my business. If you know me…or anything about me, when I train, I crave being in my “zone” so the socializing part of gym culture isn’t really my jam.
Not that I’m anti-social… I’m just “pro- working out with focus” with the time that I have.
In any event, I was approached by a woman, who commented on my muscles and how she too wants muscle shape. It’s not the first time that someone comments on my body… I don’t take offence to it. It’s usually a comment out of curiosity… things like “how long have you been working out” and “what’s your diet like”.
To which I answer truthfully and follow up with a “thank-you” to then move along with my session with air pods back in ;)
The backdrop of this story is pretty important because, being the coach that I am, I occasionally glanced at her training routine. Curious myself as to how she trains for the muscles she said she wants and works for. Side note… this woman was quite petite and lean.
My observation…
Every single exercise was a “combo move”. Now if you’re not sure what I mean, it’s things like a lunge with a bicep curl performed simultaneously or a squat with a lateral raise or a RDL into an overhead press. And many reps at that with what seemed like about 5-10lbs dumbbells in each hand. The entire time I saw her, she was performing a combo.
Here’s the thing…
These combo exercises are NOT inherently bad but they MOST definitely DO NOT promote optimal muscle growth.
Let me explain….
If I perform a squat with a lateral raise, I’m trying to target 2 very different muscle groups at the same time. My quads, hamstrings and glutes (squat) and my shoulders (lateral raise). Yet the first exercise requires MUCH more muscle and therefore we must use MUCH more load than a 5lbs dumbbell. Our legs can handle a heck of a lot more. Yet, by the same token, a lateral raise primarily isolates our shoulders… a MUCH smaller muscle group compared to our lower limbs. Hence, the muscles of our shoulders might be stimulated, but our legs? Not nearly enough to promote growth or change.
Yet, over and over again, even on social media, it’s so much of what I see marketed as a way to train especially for women?!
For the record, yes, any exercise is better than none. But on the flip side, if I’m gonna show up to train and put in the effort, I want to know that what I’m doing will yield the results for what I’m working for :)
Combo exercises are OK, btw. They help with functional fitness… after all when we move about our day, our muscles work in unison…both upper and lower body at the same time.
But in order to build muscle strength (the very thing we lose as we age), muscle power (same decline as strength) , these combos do not help the cause.
What we should prioritize are COMPOUND exercises like, deadlifts, squats, overhead presses, rows, push-ups. These are multi-joint exercises which focus on the same muscle group and ultimately give us more bang for our buck.
A better solution?
Split the combo and create it as a superset…
So, hit the quads with heavy loads in 8-10 reps, then grab a lighter load and target shoulders for the same number of reps. As a superset, both muscle groups are being targeted with appropriate loads to yield strength gains and yes… change body composition which is what most women tell me they want as a result.
Final Words…
Please don’t think I was judging this women and criticizing her… I was not.
I was just observing. Curious.
Then reflected on it and realized that how she was training is how most women do.
Yet there is a better way.
Maybe it’s the variety that’s appealing. I know women typically love to “switch things up”. Or the fact that yes, the heart rate increases… another fallacy in thinking that’s a metric for an effective workout.
But ultimately, it’s not the optimal way to keep our muscles strong, especially as we age.
It’s also, not the way I program WOW monthly programs… unless it’s metabolic conditioning or an AMRAP :)
I hope this blogs enlightens you and helps you understand how and why our programs are created as such… to help YOU truly get stronger 💪
Thoughts?
I’d love to hear yours!
Coach Lisa 💪❤
