The 5 lifts that build 80% of your muscle (focus here first)

December 07, 2025

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Hey,

Walk into any gym and you'll see it:

Guys doing endless bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and cable flies for an hour.

They're working hard. Sweating. Feeling the burn.

But their physiques barely change month after month.

Why?

They're majoring in the minors.

If you want to build serious muscle efficiently, you need to prioritize compound lifts.

What are compound lifts?

Multi-joint movements that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

Instead of isolating one muscle, you're training your entire body to work as a coordinated system.

This builds more muscle, increases strength faster, and burns more calories.

Top 5 compound exercises for muscle gain:

1. Squat (Barbell or Goblet)

  • Builds: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, entire lower body

  • Why it's king: Nothing builds leg mass like squats. Period.

2. Deadlift (Conventional or Romanian)

  • Builds: Hamstrings, glutes, back, traps, grip, full posterior chain

  • Why it's essential: Total body strength and mass builder. Develops that thick, powerful back.

3. Bench Press (Barbell or Dumbbell)

  • Builds: Chest, shoulders, triceps

  • Why it matters: Primary upper body pushing movement. Builds chest mass and pressing strength.

4. Pull-ups or Rows

  • Builds: Lats, biceps, rear delts, entire back

  • Why you need it: Creates width and thickness in your back. Balance out all that pressing.

5. Overhead Press (Barbell or Dumbbell)

  • Builds: Shoulders, triceps, upper chest, core stability

  • Why it's powerful: Develops boulder shoulders and overall pressing strength.

Why compound lifts are more efficient:

Build more muscle in less time. One squat works 200+ muscles. One leg extension works one muscle. Which is more efficient?

Trigger greater hormone response. Heavy compounds release more testosterone and growth hormone than isolation work. This accelerates muscle growth.

Improve real-world strength. Life doesn't isolate muscles. Picking up heavy objects, moving furniture, playing sports—all require coordinated strength.

Burn more calories. Moving multiple muscle groups simultaneously requires more energy. Better for fat loss while building muscle.

How to perfect your form safely:

Start with bodyweight or light weight. Master the movement pattern first. Ego lifts lead to injury, not gains.

Record yourself. Film your sets from the side. Compare to form videos. Identify what needs fixing.

Focus on these cues:

  • Squat: Chest up, knees track over toes, go to parallel or below, drive through heels

  • Deadlift: Flat back, shoulders over bar, push floor away with legs, hips and shoulders rise together

  • Bench: Shoulder blades retracted, feet flat on floor, bar touches mid-chest, elbows 45 degrees

  • Pull-up: Full hang at bottom, chest to bar at top, no swinging or kipping

  • Overhead Press: Core tight, bar path straight up, lock out overhead, don't arch excessively

Hire a coach or watch quality tutorials. Invest in learning proper form once. It pays dividends for years.

The 80/20 rule:

80% of your results come from 20% of exercises.

Those 5 compound lifts? That's your 20%.

Build your program around them. Add isolation work AFTER you've done your compounds.

Sample session structure:

  1. Compound lift (squat, deadlift, bench, etc.): 4 sets

  2. Secondary compound (row, overhead press, etc.): 3 sets

  3. Isolation work (curls, extensions, flies): 2-3 sets

Compounds come first when you're fresh. Isolations are the finishing touch.

Bottom line:

Stop spending 45 minutes on arm isolation and wondering why you're not growing.

Build your training around squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows.

Progress these movements consistently and your entire physique will transform.

[The 12 Week Aesthetic Body Blueprint is built on compound lift progression—exact form cues, rep schemes, and how to progress safely for maximum muscle growth.]

Focus on what works. Build real strength. Watch your body change.

Grab the blueprint here and train smarter, not harder.

BJ | Howtogrowmuscles

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Your body will thank you.

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