Taking on moves that result in greater muscle recruitment means you'll build strength, joint stability, stamina, and muscle more efficiently. That's why compound exercises should be the centerpiece of everyone's workouts—but especially for those looking is to build muscle. Here's what you need to know.

Research shows us that muscle growth is driven by mechanical tension. Unlike time under tension—the amount of time a muscle spends under load, which actually does nothing for hypertrophy—mechanical tension kicks in the moment your reps begin to naturally slow down as you approach muscle failure. Trainers call these “effective reps.”

"Recovery is necessary when it comes to muscle growth," Davis explains. "Muscles grow and repair while you are resting, not while you're training. Poor sleep, inadequate rest days, and high stress can all increase cortisol levels and interfere with muscle recovery."

The twin goals of building muscle and burning fat are usually tied to workout routines. After all, what you do in the gym or outdoors goes a long way toward transforming your body into a lean, fat-burning machine.

Pushups aren’t just a backup plan when you can’t hit the gym. They’re about the most effective functional exercises you can do, reinforcing movement patterns that translate to real-world strength. Plus,