12 Compound Exercises Perfect For Busy Moms

With your limited time you need the most effective exercises possible. These 12 compound exercises for busy moms will get you to your fitness goals faster.

It is no secret that moms are short on time. Whether you are home with your children, or working in some capacity, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. 

So, what do we do? 

We let things go. Particularly ourselves. 

We skip workouts, skip healthier snacks, skip long showers (how I miss long showers!), and focus on our children, the house chores, and paying the bills. 

Take the guesswork out of your workout time with a more focused workout plan and actually put your gym time to good use. This free Two Week At Home Workout Plan focuses on cardio conditioning, muscle tone, and core strength so you can chase your children easily no matter where you are.

Grab your free Two Week At Home Workout Plan here.

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However, there is a way to put yourself back on your list of items to pay attention to. Regardless of what your health goals are (lose weight, tone up, avoid diabetes, just feel better in your skin, have more energy), a 20 minute workout using strategic compound moves and a set of dumbbells can get you there. 

There is a myth in the health world that in order to see any real results, you have to spend 45 minutes to an hour in a fully equipped gym. This is the exact reason why many moms never go. It is too much time and too much money to make that kind of commitment. 

Bust through this myth and use compound moves at home to get a quick and effective workout you can do even with the kids around. 

The Benefits of Compound Moves

Compound moves are exercises that strengthen two muscle groups at the same time. For example, in a squat you are working your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Add in a bicep curl with that squat and you are now simultaneously strengthening your biceps.

Not only do compound exercises allow you to get a more full body workout in a short amount of time, but you will be burning even more calories since you are working more than one muscle group. 

If you keep your workout moving in a circuit style (meaning very little rest between exercises), then you get the added benefit of raising your heart rate, which increases the efficiency of blood and oxygen flow to your muscles.

Using Isolation Exercises

Keep in mind that isolation exercises have a time and place.

For instance, in physical therapy, or when you are learning proper form execution for a new move.

If you are confident in your form and do not have any specific physical therapy needs, then adding compound moves to your workout routine will go a long way to saving you time and getting you closer to your fitness goals.

Specific Compound Exercises 

Start adding in these 12 compound moves to your fitness routine to see some real results and a cut down on your fitness time. These are ideal exercises for busy moms.

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Curtsy and Travolta

Back Lunge to High Pull

Side Lunge to Overhead Press

Balance Lunge with Flys

V Sit Curl and Press

Woodchop Jumps

Renegade Row

Weighted Walks with Iron Reach

Squat to Reverse Grip Row

Half Get Up

Plank with Alternating Shoulder and Knee Tap

Side Step with Hammer Curl

Workouts Using Compound Exercises

Overwhelmed by all these moves?

These two workouts are simple ways you can combine a few of these compound exercises together to create a comprehensive workout. Grab a set of dumbbells and give them a try! 

Legs & Core Strength Circuit 

Complete 10 reps of each move for as many rounds as you can in 15-20 minutes. Continuously move to each exercise with as little rest as possible. If you have to rest, aim for no more than 30 seconds. 

• Side Lunge to Overhead Press 
• Renegade Row 
• Squat to Hammer Curl 
• Half Get Up 
• Weighted Walk with Iron Cross
• Plank with Alternating Shoulder and Knee Tap
• Balance Lunge with Fly 

Toned Shoulder Pyramid 

Complete the set reps of each move for a total of 2-3 rounds. Give yourself as little rest as possible between each move. If you have to rest, aim for no more than 30 seconds. 

• 4 Woodchop Jumps 
• 6 V Sit Arnolds 
• 8 Back Lunge to High Pull 
• 10 Squat to Reverse Grip Row
• 12 Plank with Alternating Shoulder and Knee Tap
• 10 Side Lunge to Hammer Curl
• 8 Curtsy to Travolta 
• 6 V Sit Arnolds 
• 4 Woodchop Jumps

Stop choosing between a nutritious dinner and a workout. Instead, pull something pre-made and healthier out of the freezer! These four freezer friendly meals will get you breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack ready to go when you are.

Set 11 contains four recipes, a shopping list, a plan of attack to get everything made efficiently, and ideas of what to do with leftover ingredients.

Grab your four freezer-friendly recipes here.