If I Could Only Do Three Exercises, What Would They Be?
In a world full of endless exercise options, the question of “if I could only do three movements” invites a fascinating look into strength training. Many might imagine complex routines or think about trendy new exercises,
BUT NOT ME!
If I had to choose only three exercises, they would be dips, chin-ups, and deadlifts. Why? These movements collectively cover almost every major muscle group and offer versatility in strength-building, stability, and conditioning, providing an effective full-body workout. Plus, if you want to be a badass, you need to start doing badass things. It’s the laws of specificity! Quit being that bozo who lurks the cable machines at your local YMCA. Start challenging your anatomy with a more tough, rugged approach you bum!
The Importance of Planes of Movement
When we move, we operate in different “planes” that dictate how our body positions itself in space. These planes include the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes:
Sagittal Plane: Divides the body into left and right halves. Movements in this plane include flexion and extension (e.g., deadlifts and chin-ups).
Frontal Plane: Divides the body into front and back halves, involving movements like lateral raises or side lunges.
Transverse Plane: Divides the body into upper and lower halves, encompassing rotational movements like wood chops or Russian twists.
Each plane plays a role in well-rounded, functional movement, allowing the body to adapt to various physical demands. Working multiple planes supports balance, agility, and coordination. While dips, chin-ups, and deadlifts mostly work in the sagittal plane, they still manage to engage stabilizing muscles and synergists across different planes, making them uniquely powerful.
The Dips
Dips are an excellent compound exercise primarily targeting the triceps, chest, and shoulders. Here’s what makes dips invaluable:
Muscles Worked: Dips engage the triceps, pectoralis major, and anterior deltoids, making it a top-tier upper body push exercise. With a slight forward lean, you can put more emphasis on the chest, while an upright position shifts the focus more toward the triceps.
Strength and Stability: Since dips are typically done using your body weight, they build serious strength while also requiring stability from the core, shoulder girdle, and even back muscles.
Benefits: Dips are excellent for building upper body strength, especially for pushing movements. They develop the pressing power useful in daily activities and contribute to a more muscular upper body. Even in the sagittal plane, dips call on minor stabilizing muscles from other planes to keep the torso and arms in alignment.
The Chin-Up
Chin-ups are among the most effective bodyweight exercises, ideal for developing upper back, biceps, and core strength.
Muscles Worked: The primary muscles worked are the latissimus dorsi, biceps, and rhomboids. Secondary muscles include the rear deltoids and smaller stabilizers in the scapular region.
Strength and Coordination: Chin-ups are a pull movement, balancing out the push-dominant dips. They require a solid grip and a stable core, which creates tension in the entire body.
Benefits: This exercise not only builds strength but also improves shoulder and back stability. Chin-ups are fundamental for increasing pulling power, enhancing grip strength, and creating a balanced physique. They target both large and small muscle groups that help keep the shoulder girdle stable, despite their focus in the sagittal plane.
The Deadlift
Deadlifts are the ultimate full-body exercise, often called the “king of lifts” for a reason. They engage legs, core, back, and even upper body muscles for stabilization.
Muscles Worked: Deadlifts work the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back (erector spinae) primarily, but they also engage the quads, traps, forearms, and core. It’s rare to find an exercise that recruits so many major muscle groups in one fluid motion.
Strength and Power: Deadlifts improve hip hinge mechanics, crucial for lifting, carrying, and overall functional strength. As a sagittal plane exercise, deadlifts provide a significant core challenge as you stabilize your body, helping to improve posture and balance.
Benefits: Deadlifts build explosive power, strengthen the posterior chain, and improve grip. As one of the most efficient ways to target the lower body, back, and core, they’re foundational for anyone looking to gain strength or improve performance in everyday tasks.
The Full-Body Split and the Sagittal Plane
Collectively, these three movements create a powerful full-body split:
Upper Body Push: Dips
Upper Body Pull: Chin-Ups
Lower Body & Core: Deadlifts
Each exercise is a major compound movement in the sagittal plane, covering pushing, pulling, and lifting functions. This split structure makes them extremely effective for building functional, well-rounded strength.
While it’s true that these exercises mostly engage the sagittal plane, they do still offer some stabilization work in the transverse and frontal planes. During dips, for example, the core stabilizers help prevent excessive torso movement. In chin-ups, muscles around the shoulder stabilize the scapulae. Similarly, during deadlifts, the obliques and gluteus medius contribute to stabilizing the pelvis and spine.
The Importance of Incorporating Other Planes
While these three exercises are indeed effective and hit the major muscle groups, there is one caveat: they don’t directly train the frontal or transverse planes. Why does this matter?
Frontal Plane Training: Engaging the frontal plane (e.g., lateral lunges, side raises) can improve side-to-side stability, agility, and overall balance. Movements in this plane help with lateral stability and are critical for activities like running or turning quickly.
Transverse Plane Training: Rotational movements like Russian twists or cable wood chops work the transverse plane, building rotational strength and core stability. These movements are crucial for functional tasks that require twisting or turning.
By focusing only on the sagittal plane, there’s a chance of developing imbalances or limiting functional capacity in real-world movements. Ideally, a well-rounded program would include exercises from all planes. But if the goal is maximum efficiency with minimal equipment, dips, chin-ups, and deadlifts do offer an effective compromise.
Why Dips, Chin-Ups, and Deadlifts Are Still Dominant
Despite the importance of working all planes, these three exercises hold their own in a minimalist routine for a few key reasons:
Comprehensive Muscle Engagement: They collectively target nearly every major muscle group. Although each exercise predominantly works in the sagittal plane, the supporting muscles and stabilizers involved recruit from across the body’s anatomical range.
Efficiency and Simplicity: A routine of just dips, chin-ups, and deadlifts doesn’t require specialized equipment. You only need access to a bar and enough weight for deadlifts, making these exercises incredibly versatile.
Functional Strength and Real-World Application: These exercises translate well into daily life activities, as they focus on pushing, pulling, and lifting motions. The strength and stability gained from these exercises improve posture, stability, and overall athleticism, while also reducing the risk of injury by developing strong foundational mechanics.
Conclusion
If the goal is to build a functional, strong, and balanced body with the fewest exercises possible, dips, chin-ups, and deadlifts offer an ideal solution. They target the major muscle groups efficiently and cover essential movement patterns in the sagittal plane. However, for a well-rounded routine, integrating movements from the frontal and transverse planes over time will help ensure balanced muscle recruitment, improved coordination, and enhanced functional strength.
When it comes to minimalistic training, these three movements form a powerhouse combination. They provide a comprehensive full-body workout and lay the foundation for strength, stability, and functional fitness. So, if I could only choose three exercises, dips, chin-ups, and deadlifts would be my top picks—simple, effective, and powerful enough to form the cornerstone of any training routine.