What is a compound lift and why is it so important ? A compound lift, in bodybuilding, is an exercise that works multiple muscle groups at the same time. Think of moves like squats, deadlifts, or bench presses. These big lifts engage several joints and muscle areas at once—giving you more bang for your buck in building overall strength and size. My workout is structured around the compound lift(s) for each muscle group then followed by my TECHNICAL LIFT(S) COMPOUND=MASS TECHNICAL=DEFINITION.