i jus bought an 88 gxl for a donor car and was wonderin how to check for good compression on the motor, i heard theres a few different ways, whats the best/easiest?

Surely the easiest is to remove the check valve from a regular compression test gauge and observe it while someone cranks the engine. You are looking for even bounces around 90 psi or higher, depending on engine condition and cranking speed.