You’ve seen me say that compound movements are the best for size and strength.

But what exactly are the best compound exercises? What are the ultimate exercises for getting those hard-earned gains you’re chasing after? In today’s post I outline exactly what they are and why. Have another exercise that’s at the top of your list for go-to exercises? Comment down below!

The Quickest Way to Pack on Size and Strength

1.Barbell bench press

Some say that this is the king of exercises for upper body development and I must admit I agree with them. Activating 3 muscle groups all at once (chest, shoulders and triceps), bench press is designed for insane mass and strength gains. Oh and one more thing, what’s great about barbell bench press is the sheer variety it allows in your training. You can do close-grip bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press and even throw in a few paused reps here or there (this is for a future post).

It really is a great exercise and you should have it at the forefront of your physique development.

2.Barbell squat

If you want size, choose squats. If you want strength, also choose squats. No other leg exercise beats it for making sure you hit your goals and quite rightly so. Activating a mighty five muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and hip adductors), so it should be considered the best! Once you have the technique right, you’ll be well on your way to a bigger and more powerful lower body. Having a play around with foot positioning will mean you can target some areas more than others. For example, having a slightly wider stance puts more focus on your glutes and hamstrings whilst a narrower stance puts more emphasis on your quadriceps. Whatever your goal, squats have got you covered.

3. Deadlift

Yep, I’ve saved the best till last. If you want to activate as many muscle groups as possible in one exercise, look no further than deadlifts. Want bigger legs? Do deadlifts. Want a bigger back? Do deadlifts. Want a stronger core? Do deadlifts. Again similarly to bench press and squats, variety is at your fingertips again here. A wider stance means more a focus on your quads whilst a more neutral/standard shoulder width stance focuses on your hamstrings. Your back gets worked in every version of deadlifts and as for your core, well, saying it “just gets worked” is an understatement!

So there you have it – These are your 3 top exercises to fast-track your progress to achieving your goals!

Prefer another exercise instead? Comment down below what you like and why!