Multi-joint exercises are all those in which, as the name suggests, several joints are involved. Likewise, they are characterized because they are based on movements that stand out for their naturalness, and also because they are effective when it comes to working out strength and burning calories from a metabolic point of view. If you want to carry out a training of these characteristics, throughout this article we will describe the best multi-joint exercises .
Benefits of multi-joint exercises
Multiarticular exercises are the ones that have the most influence in our daily lives, but also in many sports. In order for you to understand how we carry out these types of movements, even inadvertently, we will give you as an example picking up a heavy object from a table, transferring it to a shelf.
In this case, we would use our legs at all times, while activating our core. Likewise, we would push ourselves with them to be able to move the item more easily by pulling it and pushing it with the lower and upper body to leave it on the shelf.
The most natural movements that we can perform to train and the ones that can enrich us the most within strength training and calorie burning by using more muscle groups are multi-joint exercises .
Best multi-joint exercises
If you are looking to gain strength and muscle , then we are going to describe the best multi-joint exercises that you can carry out in a workout. You will notice the changes in a few weeks if you are persistent.
Press bench
The bench press is the multi-joint exercise par excellence. Through its execution, both the pectoral and the triceps are worked. No matter which variant we carry out, any of them will help us work these muscle groups.
It is important to keep the body supported on the bench at all times , retract the scapulae before starting the movement and support the legs on the floor in such a way that the sole is fully supported. It should be noted that putting your feet on the bench is a very common mistake that will only harm you.
Remember also to do the full range of motion . In competitions and powerlifting, athletes excessively arch their back to shorten it as much as possible. This action to lift as much weight as possible is fine, but not highly recommended if your goal is to strengthen your chest .
Squats
Squats are a must on this list. The reason? They are the best exercise to work your legs , especially the quadriceps and glutes. Nor can we forget that through them we strengthen the lower back and core. In this case, we recommend doing the normal back squat , but both the front squat and any other variation are also very good options.
Do not forget that to do this exercise correctly your legs have to be slightly higher than your shoulders. Similarly, the balls of your feet should face slightly outward. On the other hand, the bar falls on the delts , bringing the elbows back. You must prioritize the deep squat at all times, in which your glutes exceed, when lowering, the height of your knees.
Dead weight
As a multi-joint exercise , when we speak of the deadlift we refer to the one that works the most muscle groups . This involves the entire legs, the lower back, the core and even the arms to perform each repetition.
To execute it, we start with the bar on the ground . We position ourselves close to her with our legs at a separation similar to that of our shoulders. In this position we hold the bar and, keeping our back straight at all times , we raise the weight until our body is completely straight.
To do this exercise correctly we must not use momentum. Also, do not arch your back during the lift. First of all, we have to prioritize the technique and use a low weight until we fully master it. All of this is necessary to avoid injury .
Sumo deadlift
This variant of the deadlift is a very complete exercise. What's more, sometimes it becomes a better option for us. It all depends on our height and also on the length of our limbs.
In this way, depending on what our arms measure, we may be more efficient doing sumo deadlifts than the conventional one. For this reason, we should try one and the other way to reach the conclusion of which of them we are most comfortable with . Regarding the muscles involved, the entire legs, hips, abdomen, trapezius, lats and arms stand out.
Front press
The frontal press or military press is a multi-joint exercise through which the shoulders, deltoids and triceps are worked. Likewise, the core and legs are involved, which serve to stabilize the torso and keep us straight despite the weight.
To carry out this exercise we have to start it with the bar resting on the front of our shoulders . The hands will be holding the bar slightly wider than our shoulders and the palms will have to be facing outwards.
In this position and pressing the core we push the bar above our head. We cannot forget that when the bar exceeds this position, we must throw the body slightly forward. The objective is that when finishing with the arms stretched out, our body forms a complete straight line.
Paddle Pendlay
The pendlay rowing is an ideal exercise to work our entire back . Through its execution, we also involve the core and legs as a stabilizing method. There are other types of rowing that can also be great options. It all depends on our preferences.
To do this exercise we must catch a bar with our hands using a separation slightly higher than the width of our shoulders. At this point, we flex our legs and put our torso as parallel to the ground as possible. In this position, we flex our arms and bring the bar to our chest, holding the final position for a few seconds .
Dominated
Another of the best multi-joint exercises are pull- ups . We mistakenly think that with these we only work our back, when in fact, throughout their execution, our arms and core are also developed in order to maintain position and balance.
As it is a difficult exercise, to start and get practice we can use alternatives, for example with elastic bands , although any of the variants that help us improve its performance will do. All in order to develop the number of repetitions that allows us to achieve our goal.
We have to do this movement slowly and in a controlled way . We must not let ourselves fall when we are up, since the eccentric part is also part of the movement. Likewise, we have to control the swing by exerting force with the abdomen.
Dumbbell lunges
To do the dumbbell lunges correctly we have to grab two dumbbells of the same weight, one with each hand. The grip should be neutral, with the arms bent and close to our sides.
Before starting the exercise, we will stretch our back and look forward. Throughout its execution, we will leave one leg fixed and throw the other forward , until the foot and knee are perpendicular once we touch the knee on the ground.
Another option is to stay 1 cm from touching the ground. In this way we will be able to increase congestion and avoid hitting this part of the body, as it can sometimes be painful. After the above, we will go up until we return to the starting position and we will perform the same movements with the other leg .
