One Lift to Rule Them All?

I'm trying to create a habit of lifting and I'm having a difficult time figuring how to bite off a manageable portion without getting overwhelmed and overworked too early in the game. There is so much information out there it's hard to sift through. I'd like to start by doing three sets of one exercise a day just to build it into my daily routine and introduce my body to weights again.

Please choose the best lift for the following...
Legs?
Chest?
Back?
Arms?
Shoulders?
Any others?
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Replies

  • DisneyHook
    DisneyHook Posts: 5 Member
    Agreed with the above, Starting Strength will change your life. But... three sets of one excercise a day? The best for that would be to squat. Squat, deadlift, and alternate between bench and overhead press.
  • Squats
    Incline/flat bench press
    Deadlifts
    Weighted Chin-Ups (bicep focused)
    Close grip pin press (triceps)
    Standing overhead press

    Others: Weighted pull ups, dips, dead rows
  • Erik8484
    Erik8484 Posts: 458 Member
    Legs - back squat
    Chest - bench press
    Back - deadlift
    Arms - I don't know if there is a "best lift" for arms
    Shoulders - overhead press
    Any others? - something cardiovascular

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited February 2019
    In your situation I would focus on thr dead, squat, bench, and press.

    Since you are novel to lifting, you will respond very well to any program that incorporates these four.

    Doing any other "extra lifts" might be okay if it was programmed as a GPP day.
    Otherwise stick to the four for best results at building a solid base for a variety of goals afterwards.

    The key to any good programming is load management or regulation with consistency.
  • moogie_fit
    moogie_fit Posts: 279 Member
    Whatever lift moves the bar the most

    Snatches
    Cleans
    Thrusters

  • tangwpoms8a
    tangwpoms8a Posts: 3 Member
    edited February 2019
    I'm not going to talk exclusively about lifts but here you go:

    Pec dips are great for building chest tissue and shoulder tissue, they are pretty easy to integrate into a workout routine, and you don't have to add weights if you don't want to.
    I've found that skullcrushers are great for mass in triceps.
    Other than that just the three big lifts are great: squats, bench, and deadlifts are great overall for multiple muscle groups.
    If you want to really build muscle focus on singular muscle groups with specific exercises.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    Meh, dips can very greatly with technique/form execution; mostly just too much front delt (enough of that already with bench press & shoulder press).

    I think shoulders are tricky based on what your goal(s) are...strength? Sure go with shoulder press (more emphasis on front delt vs. side/lateral). Size/targeting lateral delts...cable side laterals with strict form. Combination of both? Wide grip upright row with limited ROM (about lower chest height) or clean & press
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    edited February 2019
    Might want to look into sequencing if you want to opt for full body workouts...ex) start doing a deadlift, work into a clean or curl, front squat that, then press & repeat (extremely taxing & you've got to put some thought into which part of the sequence (ex) can throw in rows instead of deadlift or eliminate/add desired exercises & can do X reps of an exercise for more work - say front squats for more leg work using lighter load because of curl/press limitation) will be the limiting factor (ex. press, curl).

    Pretty brutal going for reps; very effective in terms of hitting full body with limited time for a workout

    Barbell or dumbbells work fine. Back in the day, I would use a front squat machine doing front squats into viking press (very machine specific because of range of motion required)
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    In your situation I would focus on thr dead, squat, bench, and press.

    Since you are novel to lifting, you will respond very well to any program that incorporates these four.

    Doing any other "extra lifts" might be okay if it was programmed as a GPP day.
    Otherwise stick to the four for best results at building a solid base for a variety of goals afterwards.

    The key to any good programming is load management or regulation with consistency.

    No pull movements, rows, pull-ups, etc?
  • thomkress
    thomkress Posts: 1 Member
    Another vote for the full body routine. I do squats and pulldowns every other day and then alternate barbell row/barbell press with deadlift/overhead press. I'm too weak and heavy to do pull-ups but once I'm stronger and lighter I'll drop the pulldowns for pullups (NOT chinups).

    And I have to say, as a beginner, that nothing beats squats for making your whole body feel strong. If you're going to do once exercise, do squats (in my beginner opinion).

    Get a weight belt which you'll need -- or really should use once the weights get heavier -- for deadlifts and overhead press. Use the self-spotting machine for the bench press, deadlifts and squats if you're just starting out. It'll help develop your form on those kind of delicate for your back exercises.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    edited February 2019
    thomkress wrote: »
    Another vote for the full body routine. I do squats and pulldowns every other day and then alternate barbell row/barbell press with deadlift/overhead press. I'm too weak and heavy to do pull-ups but once I'm stronger and lighter I'll drop the pulldowns for pullups (NOT chinups).

    And I have to say, as a beginner, that nothing beats squats for making your whole body feel strong. If you're going to do once exercise, do squats (in my beginner opinion).

    Get a weight belt which you'll need -- or really should use once the weights get heavier -- for deadlifts and overhead press. Use the self-spotting machine for the bench press, deadlifts and squats if you're just starting out. It'll help develop your form on those kind of delicate for your back exercises.

    I would suggest as beginner a belt is not needed, and absent some specific medical situation shouldn't be used. You're replacing the core strengthening most people need with a leather support. If someone gets to the point they are doing heavy singles (or low rep sets) it's fine.

    Couple of articles on belts:

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/do-you-really-need-a-lifting-belt

    https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/weightlifting-belt/

    https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/lessons-in-weight-belts-how-and-why-to-use-them.html
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 694 Member
    edited February 2019
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    In your situation I would focus on thr dead, squat, bench, and press.

    Since you are novel to lifting, you will respond very well to any program that incorporates these four.

    Doing any other "extra lifts" might be okay if it was programmed as a GPP day.
    Otherwise stick to the four for best results at building a solid base for a variety of goals afterwards.

    The key to any good programming is load management or regulation with consistency.

    No pull movements, rows, pull-ups, etc?

    Deadlift is the biggest back builder out there . Yeah would rows and pull up be good? Absolutely. But the foundation lifts target all muscles well enough for a newbie for quite an some time before the volume lifts are required.

    Again the OP doesn’t wanna do much so...
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    In your situation I would focus on thr dead, squat, bench, and press.

    Since you are novel to lifting, you will respond very well to any program that incorporates these four.

    Doing any other "extra lifts" might be okay if it was programmed as a GPP day.
    Otherwise stick to the four for best results at building a solid base for a variety of goals afterwards.

    The key to any good programming is load management or regulation with consistency.

    No pull movements, rows, pull-ups, etc?

    As I stated during a GPP day is fine, but to build a base they are not needed. A deaflift will get you plenty of stimulus early on in training.

    Also all lifts use pulling movements since muscles cannot push they can only contract or pull.
  • GratefulWayFarer
    GratefulWayFarer Posts: 61 Member
    Squats.
  • AvianDB
    AvianDB Posts: 56 Member
    edited March 2019
    https://www.reddit.com/r/fitness wiki has a ton of workout routines and schedules you can follow in the About tab. Rather than focus on one lift for each you should probably choose one of the routines and stick to it.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Strong lifts is great to start with because you only need 5 lifts, and only 3 per session. Can’t get much simpler than that!
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,971 Member
    Just the main 4 for all: squats, deadlifts, bench press & OHP.

    You really don't have to do anything else if you are doing those "right."
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    Chest - Bench press
    Shoulders - Overhead press
    Back - Pullups or deadlifts or rows
    Legs - Squats or lunges
    Arms - I am not sure I would bother but, curls(bis) and skull crushers or close grip bench (tris)
    others - any ab work, cardio