The basic compound exercises consist of the following:
- bench or chest press
- row
- overhead press
- pull-ups or pull-downs
- leg press or squats
- deadlifts
A program that consists of these moves, and/or variations of them, will give you all the muscle growth you need. (I also contend that the average person who lifts weights doesn’t need to do the last on the list, deadlifts. They cannot be done on a machine and require a barbell as well as training and skill to avoid injury. I do them, but I’m experienced.)
Isolation exercises
Isolation exercises are neither necessary nor sufficient. I must admit that I do them, but I may need to reevaluate. They consist of exercises like the following (not a complete list):
- biceps curl
- triceps pull-down
- leg extension
- calf raise
The study above used untrained men, i.e. newbies to weight lifting. It’s possible that well-trained men may need to use some isolation moves, along with the compound moves, to get the growth that they want.