The Big Three Exercises

If you’ve ever watched a powerlifting competition, you know that the athletes compete in three events: deadlift, squat, and bench press. But even if you’ve never witnessed those strong competitors move mind-boggling amounts of iron, odds are that those very same exercises—or at least variations of them—are the bedrock of your training program. Sure, your workouts are filled with countless other moves, but the one you perform first in each workout while your muscles are still fresh is likely one of the “big three.”