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Achieving elite-level fitness by sticking to the basics

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Loc Nguyen
May 07, 2025

Throughout my life, I’ve tried to master dozens of skills.
Some I succeeded in.
A lot of them? I failed miserably.

But across every skill — whether I crushed it or not — I noticed one pattern:

If you stick with the basics for a long-ass time, you will become a master.

That’s it.
That’s the whole secret.

The only difference between a novice and an expert is this:
The expert has done the basics for an extraordinarily long time.

I can vouch for this with my whole chest.
I’ve mastered two skills that are total opposites — fitness and coding.
Yet both follow the same law:

  • Master the basic lifts in fitness → you’ll get elite.

  • Master the core patterns in code → you’ll get elite.

The biggest trap beginners fall into is this:
They think skipping the basics will get them there faster.

They chase advanced tricks, niche techniques, flashy shortcuts.
And ironically, that slows them down.

This trap even has a name: the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Mount Stupid – You just started, you know a little, and you’re way too confident.

  • Valley of Despair – You realize how complex it really is and your confidence crashes.

  • Slope of Enlightenment – You build real knowledge and start making real progress.

  • Plateau of Sustainability – You become consistent, competent, and solid for life.

So what’s the takeaway here?

Stick to the basics, my friend.

And if you don’t know what the basics are, I got you.
Here’s the full list of exercises you actually need to build an elite physique:

Chest

  • Bench Press

  • Incline Dumbbell Press

  • Cable Flys (Standard + High to Low)

  • Machine Press

Back

  • Lat Pulldown (Standard + Close Grip)

  • Bent Over Barbell Row

  • One-Arm Dumbbell Row

  • Seated Cable Row

Legs

  • Barbell Back Squat

  • Leg Extension

  • Stiff-Leg Deadlift

  • Walking Lunges

  • Calf Raises

  • Hip Thrusts

Shoulders

  • Overhead Dumbbell Press

  • Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

  • Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

  • Dumbbell Shrugs

Arms

  • Dumbbell Bicep Curl

  • Hammer Curl

  • Dumbbell Skull Crushers

  • Cable Tricep Pushdown

Abs

  • Cable Rope Crunch

  • Hanging Leg Raises

You master these moves — clean form, consistent volume, smart recovery — and your physique will become elite.

No fluff. No weird hacks. Just fundamentals executed relentlessly.

That’s it for today.
Hope this was useful.

Kind regards,
Loc Nguyen