Tim Ferris quote: 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. Focus on the 20% that gets you the most results.
I could remember it like it was two decades ago—because it was two decades ago. Haha.
I was just a young buck walking through the library, searching. Searching for what? I had no idea. I didn’t even know what topic I was looking for, but I wandered around, just seeing what was available.
Once I found a topic that piqued my interest, I’d pick out a book from the few that were available. Most of the time, those books had something to do with self-improvement—the kind of books I could actually apply to my life.
So that’s what I did.
I borrowed the book, and whenever I read something useful, I applied it right away. Was it always life-changing? Sometimes it was. Sometimes it wasn’t. But either way, I walked away with some kind of wisdom.
Now, contrast that with today’s world.
Libraries? Barely getting any visitors. Why? The internet. The information you need is now within reach in seconds. Before, you had to physically go to a library and spend forever searching for the right book—if you even knew what you were looking for in the first place.
So yeah, the internet sounds like a godsend. And in many ways, it is. Getting information is ridiculously easy now. But with every great benefit comes massive downsides.
Because of the internet, information is widely available. But the real problem?
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There’s too much information (which brings a whole mess of other problems).
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Figuring out what’s actually true is a mystery.
And this is especially true for fitness.
The sheer amount of fitness content out there is insane, and it keeps expanding exponentially. People nowadays binge-watch fitness videos before they even take action—getting mentally obese before starting their fitness journey.
They overload their brains with every exercise under the sun before they’ve even touched their first weight. They want to know the best exercise for every muscle group. The result? They get overwhelmed and quit after a few months at best.
I see it all the time in the gym. And to be honest? I was the same.
I used to search endlessly for the "best" exercise for a specific muscle, hoping that one perfect movement would be the magic pill to build the most muscle.
Well... after 15 years of training, I’ve come to one big conclusion:
👉 You can just stick with the basics and build any physique you want.
Mind-blowing, right? I should get a damn award for my groundbreaking research.
But seriously—this rule applies to any skill, not just fitness.
As some of you know, I’m also a big-ass nerd and super passionate about coding. And while fitness and coding are complete opposites, the same principle applies:
Master the basics, and you’ll excel.
Back to fitness—too many people constantly jump from exercise to exercise, hoping to find the magic one. They won’t. And in the process, they make fewer gains and overthink the hell out of their workouts.
The trick with fitness (or any skill, really) is to master the basics to such a level that you can do them flawlessly with your eyes closed.
You know that Bruce Lee quote, right?
"I do not fear the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once. I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
Now that we’ve gotten that long-ass introduction out of the way, here’s THE only list of exercises you’ll ever need in your entire life.
You got my word for it. These are the exact same exercises I’ve been doing for the past five years.
Before we get into the exercises:
For those who don’t know, in fitness, it’s crucial to understand which muscles you’re targeting with each exercise. Why?
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So you actually know what you're working on—makes sense, right?
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To prevent overtraining a specific muscle—because hammering the same muscle unknowingly can lead to burnout, imbalances, or even injury.
That’s why it’s always vital to be aware of what muscle group each exercise is hitting.
Chest:
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Bench Press
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Incline Dumbbell Press
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Cable Flys
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Cable Flys High Low
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Machine Press
Back:
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Lat Pulldown
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Lat Pulldown Close Grip
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Bent Over Barbell Row
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One Arm Dumbbell Row
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Seated Cable Row
Legs
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Barbell Back Squat
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Leg Extension
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Stiff Leg Deadlift
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Lunges
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Calf Raises
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Hip Thrust
Shoulders
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Overhead Dumbbell Press
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Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
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Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
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Dumbbell Shrugs
Arms
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Dumbbell Bicep Curl
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Dumbbell Hammer Curl
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Dumbbell Skull Crushers
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Cable Tricep Pushdown
Abs
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Cable Rope Crunch
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Hanging Leg Raises
That’s it. Those are all the exercises you’ll ever need.
So now you’re probably wondering… “Okay, but how many sets, reps, and exercises should I do?”
Well, that depends on your fitness level. Are you a beginner, intermediate, or expert?
But to make it extremely simple, just stick with:
✅ 4 sets of 12 reps for each exercise
✅ At least 3 exercises for bigger muscle groups (back, chest, legs)
✅ 1 or 2 exercises for smaller muscle groups (arms, abs)
At the end of the day, the most important thing is staying consistent. And the simpler you make things, the easier it is to stay consistent. If you’ve got that part locked in, you’re already ahead of the game.
The next step? Perfecting your form.
No matter how you slice it, it takes time to get your form right. You can do this by:
📌 Watching yourself in the mirror while performing exercises
📌 Recording yourself and reviewing your technique
📌 Hiring a personal trainer for a few sessions to fine-tune your form
Both consistency and proper form are key—but one doesn’t exist without the other. If you’re not consistent, you won’t have enough chances to perfect your form. But at the same time, if you’re constantly yo-yo-ing between random exercises, you’ll never build a solid foundation.
So just stick with the basics.
If you want a structured workout plan that covers all the fundamentals, I’ve got you covered. You can download my free PDF by signing up for my newsletter—it includes three different workout plans tailored for different fitness levels.
Master the basics, stay consistent, and you’ll see results that far surpasses your imagination.
Now let’s handle some objections or questions you might have.
Because let’s be real—some people still believe you need to be a walking encyclopedia of exercises to make gains.
“Won’t my muscles get used to the same movement and stop growing?”
Well, you’re partially right here. Yeah, if you do the exact same thing for months on end without any progression, muscle growth will slow down. But here’s the thing—there are tons of ways to keep progressing without changing exercises.
You can:
✅ Increase the weight (obviously, right? Haha)
✅ Lower the weight & do more reps
✅ Superset with lighter weights
✅ Superset with a complementary exercise
✅ Do drop sets
✅ Do slow, paused reps
Doing any of these will shock the muscle and keep it growing—without needing to hop from exercise to exercise.
“Doesn’t knowing more exercises mean more gains?”
No.
Perfection beats variation every single time.
The guy who does four different bicep exercises half-assed will get no results. Meanwhile, the guy who perfects just one bicep curl? He’ll blow past the first guy without question.
It’s all about mastering the movement and feeling the muscle work. And that’s hard to do if you’re constantly jumping between different exercises.
I’ll use myself as an example—I can grow muscle doing a simple 5 lb bicep curl just because I know the movement inside and out.
And if you need more proof, just look at all the top bodybuilders. What do they focus on? The technique and form of basic compound lifts. They aren’t out here doing fancy, Instagram-worthy exercises—they’re dialed in on the fundamentals.
Final Thoughts
That’s it for this article. I hope I’ve given you enough reasons to focus on the basics—and of course, I’ve given you the exact list of exercises you need.
Especially nowadays, when information is so readily available, it’s way too easy to get caught up in hoarding knowledge instead of taking action.
So stop overcomplicating it. Master the basics. Stay consistent. And watch the results come in.