The big 3

Now I love the big 3. The squat, bench press and the deadlift. These lifts are the 3 used in power lifting competitions and are great for adding lots of muscle. Ladies do not let that put you off. These lifts will bring up the important areas,Your butt, thighs and chest. Important not just for aestethics, but for function too!
Now ideally you would throw in a couple of other big moves, but the 3 should definitely be used regularly in your arsenal.
The big 3 take a lot of flak, especially squats and deadlifts. Squats are bad for knees and back, deadlifts bad for backs. Sitting is bad for your back!, the squat and dead are great for the whole body if performed well, so if your unsure how to do them, find a good teacher!