There are no must-do exercises for muscle growth. Choose exercises where you feel tension in the target muscle and get a pump, that don't drain you mentally or physically, and that don't irritate your joints. Swap an exercise out when it stops giving the same stimulus or when you haven't progressed on it for two to three months.
Selecting exercises can feel like a test with right and wrong answers. It isn't. Dr. Joey says he used to believe you had to bench to build a bigger chest and barbell squat to build big legs, and he no longer does.
There Are No Must-Do Exercises
There are no must-do exercises for hypertrophy.
Instead of a fixed list, use a few general rules. They are deliberately a bit vague because the best exercises differ for each person. Expect some trial and error.
Rule One: Feel It Where You Want to Grow
The first and most important rule is that you feel the exercise in the muscle you're trying to train. If you do barbell back squats for your quads and feel a lot of tension and burn in your quads, great. If your lower back is pumped and fatigued after three or four sets while your quads barely feel it, squats may not be the best quad exercise for you. That doesn't make squats bad, it may just reflect your leverages, muscle weaknesses, or technique.
The target muscle should also feel pumped and fatigued after a couple of sets. A pump alone doesn't prove you're growing, but it is a decent sign that the exercise is reaching the muscle.
Rule Two: Weigh Stimulus Against Fatigue
Stimulus and fatigue can't be measured objectively, but you can read the signs. Tension, pump, and burn point to good stimulus. If two exercises are done at the same intensity and rep range and one gives far more tension and pump, it is probably the better growth stimulus.
Fatigue is the cost. Mental focus, joint stress, and whole-body fatigue all add up. If you have to hype yourself up with loud music and smelling salts before a heavy set of squats, you'll be drained for the rest of your workout, and ten hard sets of squats would likely hurt your recovery from session to session. Mixing hard, fatiguing lifts with easier ones works better. Two or three sets of squats, some leg press, and some leg extensions can give an equally good stimulus with far less strain than ten hard sets of squats.
Rule Three: Respect Your Joints
If your elbows hurt whenever you bench too often, most of your chest pressing shouldn't be barbell bench. If you can dumbbell press for days with no discomfort, that is likely a better choice for growth. Dr. Joey isn't saying don't bench. Some people feel great on it, get a strong chest stimulus, and never have joint pain, and they should bench as much as they like.
When to Keep an Exercise and When to Swap It
If an exercise that once gave great tension and pump now feels stale, switch to another movement for a while.
If you've used the same weights and reps for two to three months, it is probably not providing much growth stimulus, even if it feels good.
Progress in reps, weight, or both is how you confirm you're growing, so it matters more than how the exercise feels.
A Quick Three-Question Check
Dr. Joey credits Mike Israel of Renaissance Periodization as a major influence on this framework.
- No single exercise is required for growth, so you can build a chest without bench or legs without a barbell squat.
- Choose exercises where you feel tension and a pump in the target muscle, not in your lower back or joints.
- Balance hard, fatiguing lifts with easier ones so you can recover from session to session.
- Avoid leaning heavily on any exercise that regularly irritates your joints.
- Replace an exercise when the stimulus fades or you stop progressing on it for two to three months.
The best exercise is the one that grows your muscles, doesn't wreck you, and keeps improving. Test, keep what works, and swap what doesn't.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to squat and bench press to build muscle?
No. There are no must-do exercises for muscle growth. Many people grow just as well with machines, dumbbells, or other variations that suit their body better.
How do you know if an exercise is working for a muscle?
You should feel strong tension in the target muscle and end up with a pump and fatigue there after a couple of sets. If other areas, like your lower back, fatigue first, the exercise may not suit you.
What is the stimulus to fatigue balance?
It means choosing exercises that give a strong growth signal without draining you or stressing your joints. Rely less on exercises that leave you wiped out or sore in the joints.
When should you replace an exercise in your program?
When it stops giving the same tension and pump, or when your reps and weights haven't improved for two to three months.
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