If you want to get big and strong in minimal time, you really only need to focus on three moves: the squat Opens a New Window. , the bench press Opens a New Window. , and the deadlift Opens a New Window. . That’s what powerlifters do.
In powerlifting, competitors vie to lift the heaviest weight possible for one rep. They don’t specifically train to get huge muscles, but they still end up being massive. The guys in the lighter weight classes are often pretty lean, too, since the muscle they’ve built through heavy training helps them burn more fat. No matter your fitness goal, training like a powerlifter is a great start.
How it works
Getting stronger on the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift has a trickle-down effect to every other exercise you can do. In this workout, you’ll start each training session with one of the three lifts, paired with an exercise that helps better activate the muscles used for it (such as the band thigh abduction in Workout I).
This combination will make your sets on the main lift that much more effective—and safer as well. Then you’ll go on to do assistance exercises that bolster the muscles you’ve trained on the main lift. You should notice your ability to go heavier on the assistance lifts steadily improving as the workout goes on.
