Training dogma is a funny thing. You can see it in action in any gym in the world, the most obvious of which might be the legendary 'bro-split'. Having a guiding set of principles for your training is a good thing, but these principles should be based on more than just an emotional attachment to a routine or exercise.
Often, the reason for views on exercises becoming cemented is because you've seen or been told by the biggest guy in the gym 'how it is'. Or because you've picked an exercise when you've first started training and seen fantastic results from it. The caveat here though is that when you're first getting into training, pretty much any exercise will give you fantastic results. Your unconditioned body (insofar as weight training is concerned) is like a newly awakened Neo. No wonder it hurts like hell the day after your first session.
This same rule applies to personal trainers and coaches too, who often train their clients how they would train themselves. "Conventional deadlifts for Brenda who's just had her 2nd kid and wants to lose some fat? Yeah, cause compounds burn fat bro!"
Emotional bias should be, where possible, put to the side in favour of an objective approach to exercise selection, whether for yourself or for your clients. If the goal is to build big legs or even fat loss, then the majority of the population would probably be better off with goblet squats, hack squats, leg presses, or split-squat variations rather than a barbell on their back. Back squats are a great exercise, but they're not so great when you remove 50% of the ROM, it turns into a Good Morning, and your lower back and knees feel like s*** the day after. When the only reason you're keeping squats in your programme is that someone told you they were important, you need to take a good look at your own bias. The only people who "need" to do them, are powerlifters because their sport requires it for competition.
To be clear, this isn't an article meant to stop people from doing barbell back squats. Far from it. It's a perfectly good exercise that can deliver incredible results in both strength and hypertrophy. Rather, it's to look at the reasons behind your selection of certain exercises, and whether or not you have chosen them based on enjoyment or based on the requirements of your goal, environment, and ability to execute.
Enjoyment of an exercise is usually linked to the level of progress one can derive from it. If on a weekly basis you can measure improvements either in volume, intensity, or technique, this usually gives you positive emotional feedback. If the exercise is suitable for your goal and it allows you to chase higher numbers safely, this is a win-win. Chasing higher numbers on an exercise which doesn't have a good reason for being in your programme, can sometimes lead to diminishing returns, injury and frustration at your own apparent lack of progress.
An example would be a bent-over barbell row. Your reason for choosing it is that you want to build your lats. For the vast majority of the general population, there are better alternatives for growing their back. This is due to the positional requirements of the bent-over row, which tends to be the first problem. The lack of external stability forces a greater need to create it yourself. This, in turn, makes it harder to focus on contracting the lats, rhomboids and rear-delts. The pronated or supinated grip can be difficult for many to get their wrists into position. The low back and hamstrings tend to fatigue faster than the upper back muscles. Again, the exercise is perfectly good if none of those are a problem for you. But for those for whom it might be problematic, might a chest-supported neutral-grip row be better?
Take an objective look at your programme. Assess if you have an emotional connection to certain exercises that aren't actually the most appropriate for you for what you're trying to achieve. If you have a coach, they should always have a reason for having selected something in your plan. If you don't know what that reason is, there is also a responsibility on you to ask and be educated. Make sure you have the right tool for the right job.
Live strong and prosper.
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