Walk into any commercial gym and you’ll find dozens of machines promising to build bigger muscles. According to Stefan Jankovic, founder of Men of Apollo, that’s exactly why many lifters stay confused.
In a recent YouTube video, Stefan argues that building muscle doesn’t require an endless list of exercises. Instead, he believes mastering five fundamental movement patterns is enough to develop strength, size, and athletic function over the long term.
“You don’t need 200 exercises. You don’t need 20. You need five.”
Rather than thinking in individual exercises, Stefan encourages lifters to think in movement patterns that mirror how the human body was designed to move.
The Dip
Stefan starts with the dip, calling it the upper-body equivalent of the squat.
Unlike machine presses, the dip forces the body to move through space while challenging the chest, shoulders, and triceps simultaneously. Whether leaning forward to emphasize the chest or staying more upright to target the triceps, the movement rewards full-body control rather than external support.
“It’s just you and gravity,” Stefan says.
Once bodyweight dips become manageable, he recommends progressively adding weight instead of endlessly searching for new chest exercises.
The Pull-Up
Next comes what Stefan describes as “the great equalizer.”
Rather than measuring upper-body strength by the bench press, he believes clean pull-ups offer a far more honest assessment because momentum and poor technique are harder to hide.
The movement develops the lats, upper back, and biceps while improving relative strength. Stefan recommends mastering bodyweight pull-ups before experimenting with grip variations or eventually adding external load.
The Overhead Press
For shoulder development, Stefan turns to the overhead press.
Whether using a standing barbell, seated dumbbells, single-arm variations, or even handstand push-ups, the movement trains the shoulders through a full range of motion while recruiting the triceps, upper chest, traps, and core.
“One lift, half your body working.”
He also stresses pressing to a full lockout rather than cutting repetitions short, allowing the shoulders to work through their complete range.
The Squat
The squat forms the foundation of lower-body strength.
Stefan argues that many lifters simply don’t squat deeply enough to maximize muscle growth. Whether performing back squats, front squats, goblet squats, or Bulgarian split squats, he emphasizes controlled depth and allowing the muscles to work from a fully stretched position.
“The moment you commit to squatting one to two times per week is the moment your life will change.”
The Hinge
The final movement pattern is the hinge, which targets the posterior chain through exercises such as the deadlift, Romanian deadlift, and hip thrust.
While squats primarily challenge the front of the legs, hinging develops the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and spinal erectors, creating balanced strength throughout the entire lower body.
Stefan warns that neglecting this pattern leaves athletes with significant strength gaps despite strong-looking quads.
The Takeaway
Stefan’s philosophy strips muscle building back to its essentials. Instead of chasing every new exercise or machine, he recommends mastering five foundational movement patterns, progressively increasing the challenge over time, and trusting consistent overload to produce results.
For lifters overwhelmed by complicated workout programs, his message is refreshingly simple: build strength through the basics, and let the muscle follow.
About the Author
Jeremiah Oliva
Jeremiah Oliva is a writer passionate about fitness, sports, and active living. He has experience in songwriting and managing content and social media for online radio and magazine platforms.
He covers HYROX, CrossFit®, and competitive fitness, with a focus on performance, mindset, and athlete development.
Outside of writing, Jeremiah trains in boxing, cycles, explores the outdoors with his kids, and plays the guitar.
