Whether you are looking to lose weight, build up your muscles, or just lead a healthier lifestyle, you need exercise. Exercise is the way to keep your body fit and healthy. And when your body is healthy, you live a fuller life.

Out of all the exercises, perhaps the most important ones are the big 3. You must have heard bodybuilders and athletes talking about the big three exercises and maybe even wondered what these big 3 powerlifting exercises are.

Well, we will answer that question for you today. The big 3 powerlifting exercises are squats, deadlift, and bench press.

But all these exercises must be done with proper techniques. Here is a technique guide that will help you perform the big 3 powerlifting exercises correctly:

Squat

To achieve better results, it is important that squats are done the right way.

In a powerlifting squat, the position of your hands has to be perfect. The more precise the hand positions are, the tighter your muscles will be.

Here is how you do a powerlifting squat the right way.

• When holding the bar, take the narrowest grip you can. Don’t lift the bar on either side or hold it wide, as it will not give you the same results
• Then slide your body in front of the bar, you can choose high bar or low bar squats
• Stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulder blades
• Keep your spine straight and squat to parallel
• Explode up wth your weight on your heels in a controlled fashion.

Bench Press

Bench press is another one of the big 3 powerlifting exercises. Here is the correct technique for it.

• Lie down on the bench and hold the bar as per your shoulder width
• Plant your feet on the ground and establish a strong foundation
• Lower the bar while keeping your elbows out
• Hold the position just above your nipple line/lower chest, rest bar on chest, and then push back up
• Use your lower body for leverage (without lifting your glutes from the bench!)

Deadlift

Last but not the least is the deadlift. Here is a technique to perform this exercise:

• Position your feet in a manner that they are the same width as your shoulder blades
• Bend your knees and grasp the bar
• Make sure that your grip is just correct – medium hook grip preffered
• Lift the bar keeping it horizontal and close to your body
• Arch your lower back just slightly
• Bring the bar up to standing position, then descend and put it back down

There, you have it guys. These big 3 powerlifting exercises can help you get in shape and tone up your muscles in no time.

To get the desired results, you need to have a workout schedule. Follow your workout regime and you will be in top shape.

Written By: Elevate Nutrition Founders, Jillian Salomone and Paul Salomone