When we talk about strength training , surely the first thing that comes to mind is exercises such as the squat , the bench press or the deadlift . These are three basic movements that should not be missing in any strength routine. So much so, that these three movements are part of a sports discipline known as Powerlifting .
Important aspects to progress
That being said, for everyone who likes strength training, one of your main goals will be to get better at these three exercises . Therefore, first of all we are going to comment on three aspects that we must take into account if we want to continue progressing to be stronger and stronger.
Improve our strength through the three basic exercises
It sounds obvious, if we want to improve our strength in these lifts we must base ourselves on performing them. In the case of beginning lifters, it is clear that simply performing these exercises to a greater or lesser extent with a certain frequency will be enough to achieve adaptations . However, when we speak of more advanced individuals, to achieve improvements we need to push our body a little more to the limit by increasing the training load (intensity, volume, frequency …), as long as we are able to tolerate and assimilate this load. Surely there will come a point where we will not be able to go further, this is when other alternatives should be taken to continue improving, which we will see in this post.
Synergy
When we do a strength routine, as we improve our marks, it is very common to observe how improving in certain exercises has a direct effect on improving others . For example, in the case of exercises such as squats, deadlifts and hip thrusts where the hip joint is a common factor. The same is true in the case of movements such as the bench press and military press.
Weak link
This refers to what makes it impossible for you to continue improving in your lifts. A weak link can be a lack of joint mobility, joint instability, poor motor control, insufficient range of motion, poor technique, incorrect training programming … It is key to be able to identify what is preventing you from progressing further.
Accessory exercises
That said, a key aspect in the progression of our lifts will be the choice of the appropriate accessory exercises depending on the movement we want to improve. Below, we are going to look at the different opinions of eight recognized strength training professionals from their own experience.
Bret contreras
Squat
- Deep squat.
- Box squat.
- Hip thrust.
To improve both the deadlift and the squat, an exercise that Bret advises is the hip thrust (I recommend this article by Rafael Quintana) or hip thrust. In his personal experience, he explains that the front squat, as an accessory to the deep squat, has never helped him as due to his body structure he cannot use enough load for a transfer to take place.
You think that unilateral leg work helps improve strength to some degree, but after that, it seems to have no impact. As for not doing a specific core work, he explains that it is not a limiting factor in his lifts.
Press bench
- Narrow Grip Bench Press.
- Incline bench press.
- Seated military press.
Here he comments that exercises like the floor press for example, never helped him much since he needs to work heavy and with full ranges of motion to achieve transfers.
Sumo deadlift
- Traditional deadlift with sole.
- Isometric front squat.
- Hanging grip with ballast.
As for performing traditional thick-soled deadlifts , that increase in range of motion creates greater difficulty in terms of strength, and this improves acceleration in the initial part of the movement when performing the sumo deadlift.
When it comes to grip, the way to improve grip is by hanging from a weighted bar . He prefers this to other types of exercises that are based on holding a barbell or dumbbells, generating “extra” compression force on the spine. Performing an isometric front squat with 30% more of your maximum weight for this exercise has allowed you to increase your upper back strength considerably.
Nick Tumminello
Squat
- Rack pull.
- Squat jump with vest (20% of CP).
- Deep squat with 3 sec pause.
Dead weight
- Rack pull.
- Kettlebell swing.
- Heavy eccentric deadlift.
Press bench
- Rack press
- Plyometric push-ups with vest (10% of CP)
- Bench press with a 3-second pause down.
Mike robertson
Squat
- Glute ham raises.
- Good Morning.
- Explosive squats with chains or elastic bands.
Press bench
- Board press.
- Narrow Grip Bench Press.
- Pin press.
Dead weight
- Glute ham raises.
- Banded deadlift.
- Romanian deadlift.
Christian thibaudeau
Christian explains that his short arms and legs are a great biomechanical advantage for his lifts.
He says that throughout his career as a weightlifter, he rarely used accessory exercises to boost the basics. This is not to say that they are useless, but that he simply did not need them.
He comments that he performs a squat style known as the Olympic squat, characterized by keeping the trunk in a relatively vertical position compared to the powerlifting style, where a greater inclination of the trunk tends to increase the demand on the hip joint. Therefore, accessory exercises such as hyperextensions or hip thrusts were not going to generate great transfer.
He explains how the front squat was useful, generating a great transfer, since it was an exercise very similar to his squat style, characterized by the torso in an upright position.
As for the bench press, the exercises that gave him the best results were the military press and the push press.
In relation to the deadlift, he explains that the biggest problems he presents are in the beginning of the movement, so the deadlift deficit and the snatch grip deadlift are his preferred exercises. Finally, he comments that the front squat also helped him improve his deadlift, this is because his style was similar to that of the squat with a great involvement of his quadriceps.
Source: Bret Contreras. (2010). “The best assistance exercises for the squat, bench press and deadlift”.
