Powerlifting Squat Bench Press Deadlift Workout

Powerlifting Squat Bench Press Deadlift Workout

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The world of powerlifting is based on three basic compound movements which are directly related to your overall strength. The weight that a person can lift when doing a squat, a deadlift and bench-press is without a doubt the best way to measure a person's strength.

All three movements involve two or more body-parts which is why they are called compound exercises. We will briefly look at each one and go through the basics on how to perform them correctly. The first movement that we will discuss here is the bench-press.

If you have ever been in a men's dressing-room at your local gym you will know that the bench-press is often rated as the first measure of strength by men. The bench-press targets the main chest muscles which are the upper and lower pecs but the movement will also directly target the front deltoids as well as the triceps.

There are basically three different grips that you can use when you do bench-press and they are the regular or medium grip, the wide grip and the narrow. The wide grip will work the outer pecs and the closer your hands get the more triceps, deltoids and inner pecs you will use to complete the movement.

Keeping your feet firmly on the floor you need to make sure that you NEVER use momentum by bouncing the weight off your chest and always complete the press movement by locking out your arms to make sure that they are completely straight.

The next movement is called the king of all movements and is the squat which directly targets the quadriceps, the glutes, the hip adductors and the calves. There are many different types of squats that you can do but we will only concentrate on the back squat or the rear squat.

This movement is done by placing the barbell just below the top of your shoulder or the bottom of the traps that you can see. You also need to make sure that you look straight ahead, your shoulders back and pushing your chest out before you start squatting.

Your feet should be pointed slightly outwards and you should make sure that most of the weight goes directly to your heels and not your toes. It is a good idea to work using a squat rack so that you do not waste precious energy in getting the barbell onto your shoulders.

The last movement we will discuss of the big three is the deadlift which is considered by power-lifters to be the real test of strength because it involves your overall strength and your explosive power that you have inside you. The deadlift is done by power-lifters with a grip on the barbell that is shoulder width.

Just like when doing squats you need to keep your hips down and your back completely straight. With your feet pointed slightly outwards to about 45 degrees your shins should be extremely close to the bar and almost touching and again, just like squats, most of the weight on your heels.

The Big Three listed above with a very brief explanation have been the major method of gaining muscle mass in the last 50 years. They are called mass builders as a result. You will discover if you are a beginner that these three basic compound movements are what will get you strong.

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