What Makes an Exercise Effective?

I was trying to figure out which exercise is better for me. I noticed that leg press feels better for my quad and gives me a better pump. On the other hand, hacksquats don't feel as good and don't give me a good pump. I also considered the effects on my muscles like weakness, twitching, and cramps. If an exercise makes my target muscles weak and wobbly, it's probably not a good exercise. I also looked at post-workout soreness as an indication of a good stimulus. Overall, I found that the exercise that checks more boxes like tension, burn, pump, and soreness is likely the better one.