What are the Big 3 exercises?
Owen Barnes
Updated on February 15, 2026
What are the Big 3 exercises?
Although it’s a good idea to frequently switch out your workouts, three movements that should always be included, especially for hardgainers, are the so-called “Big Three”; bench press, squat, and deadlift.
What are the 4 major lifts?
Though there are thousands of different exercises we could do in the gym, barbell training comprises just four exercises, the so-called “Big Lifts.” These compound movements — the squat, press, deadlift, and bench press — should make up 90% of any athlete’s strength program, regardless of their level of advancement.
What are the 5 major lifts?
The five basic exercises bench press, deadlift, squats, shoulder press and pull-up are generally known as the BIG 5 of strength training.
Can you build muscle with the Big 3?
Yes, you can use dumbbells and machines, and do all of the other exercises that you want, or you are looking to work out a particular muscle group further. But, even if you only ever do these 3 lifts, you’ll be able to pack on muscle, and become stronger every day.
Are the Big 3 lifts enough?
Sorry, but the “big three” powerlifts – the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift – just aren’t enough. They’re not enough to maximize mass or even maximal strength. Make no mistake, training the big three are a great way to develop the lifts and they can be great tools to get larger and stronger.
What is a good 3 lift total?
A 1200 pound 3-lift total (bench press, squats and deadlifts) is more than 95% of gym rats will ever accomplish. A 1500 pound 3-lift total is a huge accomplishment, and will be hard to beat at most local, natural powerlifting meets.
What are the big 6 lifts?
If you do the six major compound movements – the squat, hip hinge, vertical press, vertical pull, horizontal press, and horizontal pull – you’re bound to see success. These are the movement patterns every complete workout program contains.
What lift makes you the strongest?
1 – The Deadlift The deadlift is first on the list for a reason. It not only works your back from top to bottom – from the upper traps down to the spinal erectors in your lower back – it also works your quads, glutes, forearms, biceps, and rhomboids, just to name a few.
What is the best compound lift?
Best compound exercises
- 1 – Squats.
- 2 – Barbell hip raises.
- 3 – Deadlifts.
- 4 – Incline bench press.
- 5 – Clean and press.
- 6 – Parallel dips.
- 7 – Pull ups.
What is the Texas method?
The Texas Method is a three-days-per-week training regimen that emphasizes volume on Mondays, active recovery on Wednesdays, and intensity on Fridays. Rippetoe was inspired by an old bench press workout from Canadian strongman Doug Hepburn, in which Hepburn would do 5 heavy 1-rep sets followed by 5 heavy 5-rep sets.
Is Deadlifting 3 times a week too much?
Both beginner and advanced lifters will benefit from training deadlifts 1 to 3 times per week. There can be a case for deadlifting more frequently, for example, if you’ve hit a plateau in strength or want more technical practice, but you should manage the difficulty and volume of those workouts carefully.
Which lift should be strongest?
So should you squat or deadlift more? The average lifter will squat 90% of their deadlift. Therefore, if you deadlift 100lbs, you should squat at least 90lbs. However, the lower the body-weight, the more someone should be able to deadlift, and the higher the body-weight, the more someone should be able to squat.
What are the Big 3 lifts?
The main lifts are the main compound exercises for any powerlifting or strength training workout program. The Big 3 are the squat, bench press and deadlift. Learn how to perfect your technique and lift more weight than ever by clicking on each exercise below!
What are the 5 best compound lifts?
According to him, the five best compound lifts are: 1 Low-Bar Squat (Main Lift) 2 Bench Press 3 Overhead Press 4 Pendlay Barbell Row 5 Deadlift (lesser priority)
What are the main lifts in powerlifting?
The main lifts are the main compound exercises for any powerlifting or strength training workout program. The Big 3 are the squat, bench press and deadlift.
Why do powerlifters do compound lifts?
For another example, powerlifters benefit from doing the big 3 compound lifts over and over again. This helps them improve their technical prowess, and it also ensures that they’re bulking up not just the specific muscles, but also the specific muscle fibres that they need for those lifts.