Are these enough for complete form?

[Yntra]

Can the butter-bread bodybuilding exercises keep you in a good overall shape? I mean – the rows, bench presses, deadlifts and squats and pullups? Will these exercises keep in shape the whole body, or it is still necessary to do separate muscle groups?

 

[Lev Butlerov]

If you don't want to complicate things, then yes – you can do those big 5, and you will keep a nice shape. There is no real need for additional exercises when you are doing those. But if I were you, I would implement some additional things from time to time, such as arms workouts.

 

[stevesmi]

yes this is essentially sticking to the biggest compound lifts

all new lifters should be doing these lifts their first few years. they have no business standing in front of the mirror jacking off doing curls with their pink 20 pound weights with their 10" arms

 

[muskate]

Isolation movements have their place but they are over rated.

The big compound lifts are what sculpt your physique. Isolation movements just define it.

Big compound lifts are like your meat and potatoes. The isolation work is just the salt and pepper on top.

Base your workouts on the big compound lifts and then add in a small amount of isolation work for things like arms, calves, rear delts etc

 

[SteveMobsterG]

Can the butter-bread bodybuilding exercises keep you in a good overall shape? I mean – the rows, bench presses, deadlifts and squats and pullups? Will these exercises keep in shape the whole body, or it is still necessary to do separate muscle groups?

It's 'bread and butter'.

In a word - yes. I used to be a HUGE fan of the HardGainer magazine team of writers. They and the readers liked to come up with crazy brief workouts and routines. Stuff like 'chins and dips only' for upper body.

The key with those five exercises you mentioned and a handful of others split over 3 workouts a week is thus: WORK THEM BRUTALLY HARD!

Even now my workouts aren't too numerous in the number of exercises. Here's Fridays:

Friday (shoulders, arms and forearms)
Seated Iso Press
(facing into the machine)
1x w/up set, 1 set of 8 reps x 20-kilos, 1 x 6 reps 40-kilos and 1 x 6 reps (with sleeves on) x 75-kilos. All per arm. One arm at a time. No other exercises, sets or reps for shoulders.

Hammer DB Curls
15-kilos a side x 8 reps, 25, 35, 45, 55 and then 80-kilos (yes 80) x 3 piss poor across the body reps with my left and 6 reps across the body with my right.

Tricep Pressdown
Using a lat pulldown machine and a cambered handle (more comfortable for my wrists). 8 stack plates x 8 reps, 11 stack plates x 8reps and 15 stack plates x 8 reps. Each stack plate is supposed to be 7.5-kilos but looks more and it's a double ratio pulley (so 60-70% of the weight ends up in your hands). So 15 plates is about 80-kilos/176lbs in your hands.

Dumbbell Wrist Curls
Done over the knee. Super-setted forward style with reverse style.
F (per hand, one at a time): 15-kilos x 12 reps, 22.5-kilos x 12 reps, 35-kilos x 10-12reps
R (as before) 7.5-kilos x 12 reps, 15-kilos x 12 reps, 22.5-kilos x 10-12 reps

One exercise per 'part' and roughly 3-4 sets x 8-12 reps. Very simple, all heavy, job done

 

[Yntra]

Damn Steve - these are some brutal numbers! Amazing!

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

Even if you only did compound movements and trained only twice per week, that would be enough to maintain your shape. Diet also plays a huge part.

If you were looking to gain size or strength that is when I would suggest more exercise and at least 3 days per week.