Do you know that "the best physiques were all built by hard work on the basic, heavy duty exercises?" There are NO exceptions to this statement. Even easy-gainers like John Grimek and Steve Reeves who could build up muscle very easily, would have never reached the Hercules sized muscles they built without maximum effort. John Grimek worked up to squats with 600 pounds, behind the neck presses with 300 pounds, and bench presses with 400 pounds and this was in the days before steroids, HGH and special lifting shirts and leg wraps!

Genetic advantages or not, John Grimek trained hard and heavy to earn the massive physique he acquired that let him become the only two time Mr. America. And so did every other person with steroid-free natural built massive muscle whose muscles aren't merely bloated, pumped-up tissue. WHAT these basic exercises are, and HOW HARD you must work on them for amazing results, is the "secret formula" you must apply to make a seemingly "simple exercise" into a "super exercise" when you perform it!
My Favorite Basic Exercises for MAXIMUM Muscle Growth
1. The Squat - Regular, parallel, heavy breathing style
2. Stiff-legged dead lift or bent-leg
3. Bench pressing - barbell or heavy dumbbells, Incline or flat bench style
4. Rowing - Bent over, barbell or dumbbells, one or two arm
5. Military Press - Seated or standing, barbell or heavy dumbbells
6. Power cleans barbell or dumbbell
My observation and experimentation has led me to believe that an exercise is productive in building "muscle mass" if it allows you to use very heavy weights -- brings into play the BIG muscle groups -- and creates lots of over-all body fatigue.
From this vantage point it's easy to see why most of the exercises followed by most weight lifters do not measure up to the standards required for building maximum muscle mass. Minnie-mouse exercises like Back-to-the-wall-concentration-curls, lateral raises, frontal leg extensions, triceps "kickback", lunges, cable cross-overs and other exercises of the like are a waste of time if your goal is to build Massive Muscles.
Save yourself time and possibly wasted years of effort. Do NOT bother with the little exercises if your goal is to reach your genetic potential for maximum muscle size and strength.
I, at times, get lots of flak from trainee's, "muscle-guru's" and want-to-be muscle builders when I write articles or give a seminar speaking the truth about sensible barbell training for building real muscle that lasts a life-time. The comments from meat heads, the "commercial-muscle-makers," the steroid-takers and others don't bother me one bit. I let them do their thing; my mission is to teach the truth to those who want to the real answers to building real muscle without all of the commercialism and hype.
Real muscles, like real men, are a rare find these days. Massive drug-free muscles can be attained, but the only way to do it is with HARD, PERSISTENT DEDICATED training and nutrition. Minnie-mouse exercises and way-to-restricted diets are NOT going to get you where you want to be. You need an honest approach with weight training and diet.
Here are a few reasons why basic exercises are the most result producing exercises.
Understand that the easiest way to build the small muscle groups (biceps, triceps, calves) is by exercising the big muscle groups! As an example, it's impossible to build a massive broad, powerful back, thick pectorals, wide muscular shoulders from doing heavy power cleans, over-head pressing, rowing and bench press work that I advocate, without building massive bicep and triceps size and strength. You couldn't do it if you wanted to! Forget about doing the silly pumping, primping, compound-set isolation exercises that others do and just train hard on the basic exercises! The big arms will come naturally.
Heavy high rep squatting will build thick, muscular calves. Sound impossible? Well, just try working your squats like I recommend, and you'll see your calves begin to grow uncontrollably no matter how they've refused to grow in the past.
Everybody wants muscular and trim abdominal muscles. You don't need a lot of abdominal work. Two or three sets of abdominal crunches (done in high reps, with resistance) is all you'll need to attain rock-hard abs. The hard heavy work on squatting, power cleans, presses, and rows will inevitably keep your mid-section strong and muscular. Another consideration for you to think about is this. A muscular, powerful waist is better and healthier for you than a "thin, pretty, but weak-waist."
Training with the big basic exercises will build a healthy body and lasting muscle size. These two factors are very important. In the days before steroids and crazy training routines, the bodybuilders kept their muscle size, strength and health as they aged into their 60's and 70's. How did they do this? They built REAL MUSCLE by doing hard work with heavy weights on the basic exercises. Today all the retired competitive bodybuilders and power lifters shrink up and you would never even know that they once lifted weights!
If you want health, strength AND big muscles that will stay with you for the rest of your life, you will only get them if you train HARD and HEAVY, eat HEALTHY and Hearty and stay away from drugs and other unhealthy habits!
Here's a sample program that you can follow. It will give you a very muscular physique if you work to your maximum limit on it.
Start with the back-squat. Warm up with one set of light weight for twenty reps in the given exercise. Then do two progressively heavier warm up sets, then load on weight until the bar bends, and do three sets of six to 10 reps each with this limit poundage. Push! Fight! Drive! The SQUAT is the NUMBER ONE exercise for building a HERCULES body!
End your workout with an abdominal exercise. Do any one that you happen to like. I prefer ab crunches on a flat bench, with a weight in my hands, but it's really just a personal preference, you can work your midsection with any "ab" exercise that you happen to like. Just do one to three sets, and run the reps at around twenty or thirty. Here's the routine written out:
· Warm-up - 1 x 20
. Squat - 3 x 6-10
· Stiff-leg dead-lift or bent-leg dead-lift - 3 x 6-10
· Bench press - 3 x 6-10
· Barbell row - 3 x 6-10
· Military press - 3 x 6-10
· Power cleans - 3 x 6-10
· Ab crunch on flat bench - 1-3 x 20-30
Do this routine - or a similar one, and your muscles will bust through your clothing after 12 to 20 months of training! The longer you train this way the thicker and more massive your muscles will grow!
The "secret" to building massive muscle size is MULTI-JOINT EXERCISES and HARD WORK. Remember this "secret" every time you lift weights and you'll build strength and muscle mass for the rest of your life.