This title is somewhat true but also somewhat a lie. You will see as you only need these 6 exercises.

So, if you didn’t know, exercising is usually split between two main types – being cardio and lifting. Cardio is what it sounds like: biking, running, walking, swimming, elliptical, etc. Lifting is also what it sounds like: picking up heavy stuff and moving it. Examples of lifting involve the following: dumbbells, barbells, tires, bodyweight, kettle bells.

I will focus on lifting for now, because it is the coal which fuels the change in your body (with adequate protein). You may have come across other articles, or what have you, about it but in my mind there are six lifts which will cover everything you really need with as little work as possible.

These six lifts are known as “compound lifts” sometimes referred to as “heavy compound lifts”. The reason they are called compound lifts is because they use/recruit MULTIPLE sections of muscles to perform. Hence, the weight you are heaving is a result of a compound amount of muscles. They are also your main event in workouts. They are the most important thing and should be done first to maximize your potential and gains.

The caveat, though, is that they may be used in multiple different “splits”. “Splits” is the lifting term for how you split up your week into what kind of exercises you do on each day. Examples of splits include: full body, push/pull/legs, bro-split and upper/lower. Each term means you split up how many times a week you go to the gym and what exercises you do at the gym. I personally prefer a 3 day on/1 day off cycle of push/pull/legs (well, technically I do push/legs/pull). So after three days of working out in a row, I take a rest day where I won’t go to the gym.

I know people who are often busy at work get great results with 3 days a week of full body. There are other ways to split your workouts up, but this is not about splits, this is about the meat and potatoes of your workouts: the six most effective compound lifts that you base every workout around in one way or another in order of my least favorite to most favorite.

6. Shoulder Press

This lift works out what it sounds, basically all the pushing muscles on your shoulders. Depending on how you grip and physically push the bar, you may get more emphasis on your front and mid deltoid (shoulder) muscles with some activation on the rear deltoid. Additionally this works out your triceps (the muscles on the back of your arm) as they do a wonderful job of pushing things away. Unfortunately they do not activate your chest too much. Since I suck at these and they don’t activate all the pushing muscles they’re last on this list.

5. Deadlifts

While I think a lot of people like deadlifts because they can ego lift like no tomorrow and pop not only their blood vessels, but all of their heart valves pulling weight the size of a wet tiger, I don’t think it’s that crazy fun of a lift. People like to argue it’s a back exercise because it activates your lower back while others argue it’s a leg exercise because it activates your glutes and hamstrings. I’m in the legs camp, as I consider it more of a leg workout. If your back hurts TOO much from this and you never feel it in your legs, I’ve always found that you are doing it wrong. It is fun, though, but my deadlift hasn’t quite progressed past how much I can rep for rows so, I don’t see the hype. 5/6.

4. Bench Press

Unfortunately, I have to put bench press on the lower end of the list. While it is a classic and there truly is nothing like the POWER you feel from repping a weight that will crush your windpipe if you drop it, it’s not as fun as the others below. This activates your chest a LOT, and your shoulders a bit and your triceps quite a lot too. It is a great exercise, likely the best ever for chest, just don’t hurt yourself.

3. Squats

Squats are fun. There’s a better allure to this than deadlifts. What’s the chance I have to heave a wet tiger off someone? I’d have to get into a perfect position and straddle it correctly before heaving. Meanwhile squats have function. Drop a giant log on me? Squat! Stuck under a car? Squat! Spiderman squatted his way out of that pile of rubble in Far From Home. Do you want to be Spiderman or do you want be a a bug? You already know what these work out: quads, glutes, hamstrings and various other leg muscles.

2. Barbell Rows

Be careful with these. If you are not in tune with your back you will hurt yourself. Two of my noob friends have done so already. But man, if you can LIFT heavy weight towards you with a row. It’s so beautiful. This makes your back pop like a lumberjack and your biceps explode.

1. Pull-ups

This is by far the MOST useful exercise I can ever think of. When was the last time you had to pull your body up over something? Ever hop a fence running from the cops? A rabid dog? An angry father? Ever be worried you’re suddenly going to be off the side of a cliff though you live in the middle of New Jersey?

Nothing gives you so much feral power over someone like being able to physically pull yourself above them.

This exercise works out your back and bicep muscles. I always recommend to people who can’t do one or many to just keep trying to do one. Sooner or later it works. Alternatively, you can add in just jumping up above the bar, and holding on for dear life as your body slowly lowers itself down from above the bar. This still works out your muscles in a wonderful way.

So there you have it! The main compound lifts I use in all my exercises and all you really need if you did full body to become Adonis. Just please don’t ego lift and hurt yourself. Make sure the weight or amount of reps tests you, but doesn’t overdo it.

Godspeed,

Dennis