The fitness world is full of gym enthusiasts who follow a complex maze of workouts. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for the average gym goer, it can be overwhelming to keep track of the different moves, equipment, and reps required for each workout session.

Those craving simplicity might be surprised to learn that many personal trainers recommend the same basic exercises for almost all their clients. And why is that? Because these exercises are effective and deliver results!

Today’s blog will show you 7 straightforward compound exercises that you can do to achieve a full-body workout at the gym. Better yet, you’ll only need a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells! Read on to learn more about these fundamental workouts and how to incorporate them into your weekly strength training program at AFAC gym in Thornton, Colorado.

Top Compound Exercises to Use in Your Weekly Gym Program

Compound exercises are the stars of any strength training program because they engage multiple muscles and joints at the same time. With these exercises, you can lift heavy and use progressive overload to build strength and improve your functional fitness.

Below we’ve listed 7 compound exercises you should include in your strength training program each week. These exercises are designed to provide a full-body workout with a simple pair of kettlebells or dumbbells so you don’t have to worry about shifting from one piece of equipment to another.

Kettlebell Farmers Walk

When it comes to getting fit, few exercises are as simple and effective as the Farmer’s Walk. Rooted in the tough physical labor of farm life, the Farmer’s Walk is now a key part of workouts everywhere. Usually, people do it with dumbbells or weight plates, but using kettlebells adds a new challenge. Let’s take a closer look at how to do the Farmer’s Walk and why it’s a powerful compound exercise.

How to Perform the Kettlebell Farmer’s Walk

Select two kettlebells that are the same weight. The kettlebells should challenge your strength while still allowing you to keep good form.
Place the kettlebells on the floor so there’s room for you to stand between them.
Stand with your feet apart, about as wide as your shoulders, and keep your back straight. Tighten your core muscles to stay steady during the exercise.
Bend at your hips and knees to squat down to the kettlebells on either side. Hold onto the handles of the kettlebells tightly with your palms facing towards you.
With a strong grip on the kettlebells, stand up by straightening your hips and knees. Lift the kettlebells off the ground while keeping your back straight.
Once you’ve lifted the kettlebells, start walking forward slowly and steadily. Take small steps and focus on keeping your back straight and your shoulders pulled back.
Continue walking for your set distance or time. Make sure you keep your balance and focus on doing the exercise correctly.
After walking for your desired time or distance, lower the kettlebells back on the ground while using proper form. Maintain a straight back and bend at your hips and knees as you gently place the kettlebells on the floor.

What Are the Benefits of the Kettlebell Farmer’s Walk?

The Kettlebell Farmer’s Walk activates numerous muscle groups simultaneously, making it a comprehensive strength-building workout. It targets the upper back, shoulders, core, and forearms, promoting functional strength applicable to everyday tasks.
Strong grip is crucial for various sports and daily activities. By challenging your grip strength with kettlebells, the Farmer’s Walk enhances hand function and can help you improve in other lifts with dumbbells, barbells, and gym machines.
Maintaining proper posture and core stability is vital for overall health and injury prevention. Throughout the Kettlebell Farmer’s Walk, it’s important to keep a neutral spine and engage your core. This will lead to improved posture and spinal stability.
Besides building strength, the Kettlebell Farmer’s Walk doubles as effective cardiovascular training. Research indicates that exercises like the Farmer’s Walk increase heart rate and energy expenditure, providing both strength and endurance benefits.

Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The alternating dumbbell shoulder press is a fundamental exercise for upper body strength. While primarily targeting the shoulders, it also engages the core and arms. This exercise provides an alternative to the standard shoulder press and can be done seated or kneeling, offering an additional challenge to the core muscles.

How to Perform the Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Choose two dumbbells that provide a challenging weight but still allow you to maintain proper form.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbells down by your sides.
Raise the dumbbells up to shoulder height so that the back of each dumbbell is directly in front of each shoulder. Your elbows should be bent, and your upper arms should be resting at your sides. This is called the front rack position. Ensure your shoulders are set and your core is engaged.
While keeping good posture, push one dumbbell straight up over your head while holding the other firmly in the front rack position.
Lower the dumbbell back down and switch sides. Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions or duration.

What Are the Benefits of the Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press?

The overhead press is a fundamental strength exercise for the upper body. When lifting weights overhead, the core muscles are also engaged to stabilize the body.
During the alternating dumbbell shoulder press, the load is uneven, creating a pull to one side that requires the opposing core muscles to work harder to stabilize the movement. This constant switching between sides keeps the core engaged throughout the entire set.
Because of this, any weaknesses in strength or stability will become apparent quickly, so be prepared to reduce the weight of your dumbbells if needed.
You might want to try this exercise while seated or kneeling. Kneeling removes stability from the lower legs, putting more focus on the upper legs and hips as stabilizers. Being seated removes the legs and hips from the equation, making the core work harder to stabilize the movement. Start with lighter weights in both positions and concentrate on maintaining proper form and control.

Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

The dumbbell row, a version of the bent over row, is effective for developing back muscles and strength.

Rowing exercises are fundamental for balanced muscle development and strength. Given the complexity of the back muscles, it’s beneficial to try various row angles and hand positions to optimize muscle growth.

How to Perform the Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Stand upright, grasping a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
Bend forward at the hips until your upper body is almost parallel to the ground, or slightly higher. Initiate the movement by pulling your elbows backward and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Draw the dumbbells towards your body until your elbows are close to your sides, or slightly past.
Lower the dumbbells back down slowly and with control.
Continue this motion for your chosen number of reps.

What Are the Benefits of Bent Over Dumbbell Rows?

Bent over dumbbell rows are a compound exercise that can improve your posture, core strength, and upper body strength. They also work your back and biceps, and can help you burn fat and reduce your risk of chronic disease.

Dumbbell Floor Press

The dumbbell floor press, a variant of the floor press, is designed to enhance triceps and chest strength.

While the primary focus is on the triceps, the restricted range of motion reduces chest involvement in the press movement.

Nevertheless, the chest can still receive some attention during the floor press by concentrating on contracting the pectoral muscles at the peak of the motion.

Overall, floor presses are advantageous for individuals aiming to strengthen their triceps for better performance in compound pressing exercises. They’re also beneficial for bodybuilders seeking to increase triceps mass.

How to Perform the Dumbbell Floor Press

Sit upright on the floor with legs extended and dumbbells standing vertically on their ends, one on each side of your body.
Lift each dumbbell, positioning them high in your hip creases while maintaining a strong grip.
Slowly recline, keeping the dumbbells close to your chest, and bend your knees to about a 45-degree angle. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
Push the weights straight up by extending your arms fully and contracting your triceps and chest muscles.
Lower the weights gradually until both elbows touch the floor, then press the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
Repeat for your desired number of reps.
To finish, lower the weights to the ground in a controlled manner. Ensure a smooth motion without excessive strain or risking shoulder injury.

What Are the Benefits of the Dumbbell Floor Press?

The dumbbell floor press can help build upper body strength, including the chest, shoulders, triceps, and deltoids. It can also improve bench press performance and help those with sore shoulders train without excessive discomfort.

Dumbbell Lunges

The dumbbell lunge is akin to taking a large step forward. While it can be performed without weights, incorporating dumbbells adds extra resistance, targeting the upper leg and glute muscles. This functional movement is beneficial for enhancing lower body strength and is a valuable addition to any lower body workout regimen. Make sure you have enough space to take a significant step forward and select dumbbells that allow you to complete your chosen sets effectively.

How to Perform Dumbbell Lunges

Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand, with arms hanging down by your sides.
Your palms should be facing your thighs (hammer grip), and your feet should be slightly less than shoulder-width apart.
Inhale deeply, then take a large step forward with your right leg, landing on your heel.
Bend your knees until your right thigh is almost parallel to the ground. Your left leg should be bent at the knee behind you, balancing on the toes in a lunge position.
Exhale as you step your right foot back to the starting position.
Repeat the movement with your left leg.
Alternate the movement between your right and left leg until you’ve completed your desired number of reps.

Lunges with weights require good balance. If you struggle with balance, start by practicing without weights to perfect your form. Also, avoid lifting the rear foot too far onto the toes until you become more comfortable with the exercise. With practice, your balance and technique will improve.

What Are the Benefits of Dumbbell Lunges?

The lunge primarily targets the quadriceps muscles, located at the front of the thigh. Strong quads contribute to better balance and mobility, essential for activities like cycling, stair climbing, and uphill walking.

During lunges, your balance is tested, engaging stabilizer muscles in your back and legs. This compound movement also activates muscles such as the gluteus maximus, adductor magnus in the inner thigh, and soleus in the calf.

As a weight-bearing exercise, lunges support bone health by providing stress to the bones, promoting bone maintenance and strength.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Are you searching for a fresh approach to target your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back while also torching calories? Look no further than the dumbbell deadlift—a lesser-known alternative to the renowned barbell deadlift.

The dumbbell deadlift can deliver comparable results to the barbell version. With proper form and gradual progression, you can increase the dumbbell weight you lift over time, just like with this exercise’s more popular barbell cousin.

How to Perform the Dumbbell Deadlift

Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart, grasping a pair of hefty dumbbells in front of your thighs, with your palms facing towards you.
Maintain a flat back, keep your shoulders pulled back, and engage your core. Shift your hips back and lean forward at your waist while simultaneously bending your knees and keeping your back straight.
When performing the dumbbell deadlift, focus on the hip hinge motion. Visualize your hips moving backward and forward, rather than your chest moving up and down.
Lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the ground, or until you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings.
Throughout the movement, keep the dumbbells close to your legs, maintaining a distance of just an inch or two.
Pause briefly, then slowly reverse the motion to return to the standing position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

What Are the Benefits of the Dumbbell Deadlift?

The dumbbell deadlift is a multi-joint exercise that enhances strength and power in the muscles supporting the lower back, hips, and legs.

As you build strength with this exercise, you may also notice growth in some of the other major muscles of your body.

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

The squat is a fundamental exercise for developing lower body strength. While the traditional back squat offers numerous advantages, incorporating alternative squat variations such as the goblet squat can be highly beneficial. These variations not only enhance strength but also contribute to injury prevention.

How to Perform Dumbbell Goblet Squats

You can perform a goblet squat using either a dumbbell or a kettlebell. Your options are only limited by the available weights and your strength and flexibility levels.

To execute a dumbbell goblet squat, begin with a light dumbbell until you feel comfortable with the movement.

Hold the dumbbell vertically, grasping it with both hands beneath the top of the weight. Keep the dumbbell close to your chest throughout the entire exercise.
Ensure your knees point in the same direction as your toes.
Inhale as you initiate the squat, sitting back into your hips while maintaining a tight core and upright torso.
If your flexibility permits, guide your elbows between your knees, stopping before they touch. Avoid forcing your elbows to touch your knees if it compromises your form.
Drive through your heels to return to the starting position. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground throughout the movement and refrain from lifting your heels to lower your hips further.
Begin with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, adjusting based on your fitness level and objectives. Select a weight that challenges you, making it difficult to complete your last rep with proper form.
Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between each set.

What Are the Benefits of Dumbbell Goblet Squats?

Despite the benefits of traditional back squats, like strengthening the back, they can pose a risk of lower back injury for some individuals due to the position of the load.

A goblet squat eliminates this risk while still effectively targeting the quadriceps and glutes, the primary muscles engaged in the exercise.

Moreover, the goblet squat is suitable for all fitness levels.

Compared to back squats, goblet squats are often more accessible for beginners because they mimic natural movements, such as lifting a heavy object from the ground.

The inherent mechanics of the goblet squat—upright torso, engaged core, knees outward—typically feel more comfortable than those of traditional back squats.

In a traditional back squat, the load rests on the upper back, placing significant tension on the lower back. In contrast, a goblet squat shifts the load to the front, acting as a counterbalance. This reduces strain on the spine and facilitates better posture maintenance.

Since the weight is positioned in front of the body, the core muscles must work harder to support the movement compared to traditional back squats.

While you can begin goblet squats with light weights and still experience benefits, you can also progressively increase the load. However, ensure you can perform the squat with proper form and without experiencing knee or back discomfort before attempting heavier weights.

Earn Your Compound Interest in Weight Training at AFAC Gym

If you’re looking for a gym in the Thornton, Colorado, area where you’ll have access to dumbbells from 5-100 pounds that you can use for these full-body compound exercises, we hope you’ll stop by AFAC to speak to one of our credentialed personal trainers or any member of our team. We’ll get you started with a fitness program that’s tailored to your fitness level and goals. AFAC gym is committed to supporting your health and wellness efforts, so you’ll see the results you’re working so hard for. That’s why we’re the best gym in Thornton, Colorado, with hundreds of 5-star reviews.

To learn more about our top-rated gym and our incredible array of strength training and cardio equipment — as well as our unique offerings and amenities like daily group classes, cryotherapy, InBody 770 assessments, hydro massage, and our rock climbing wall and cave — we hope you will contact us or visit for a personalized tour. Our team will be happy to help you. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.