Every financial planner will tell you to put your money in places where you gain compound interests. Compound interest means that you not only make money on the principal amount of money that you invested but also on the interest that accrues over time. The longer you leave your money, the more it grows by earning interest on the interest you are making.

Using compound exercises when you train with weights is a little like earning compound interest on your money. Compound exercises are exercises that use more than one muscle group and work across multiple joints. The Squat is a good example of a compound exercise.  The squat uses muscles that are connected to the hip and knee joints. quadriceps, hamstrings, and the glutes are involved when you squat. In addition, because you have to brace to stabilize your upper body, squats benefit the core and abdominal muscles. Compound exercises use more energy than single joint or isolation exercises and help increase your metabolism causing positive changes in strength and body composition.

If you want to be efficient in your training, use variations of basic compound exercises for the majority of your workout. Some of the best compound exercises are squats, deadlifts, lunges, pushups, pullups, pulldowns, rows, bench press, overhead presses and the farmer’s carry.

Whether you are trying to grow your money or your muscles, use this principle and compound your gains.