Top 3 Best Exercises You Must Do

BACK SQUAT

Known as the king of all exercises, the back squat is the one lift you should most definitely incorporate into your workout if you haven’t done so already.  By doing the back squat, you’ll activate not only your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves , you’ll also work your core and more.  If you’re not very familiar with the back squat you should start light and perfect your technique before you venture into squatting heavier weights.

To begin the back squat, spread your legs shoulder width apart with your toes pointing out.  Then keep your core tight and head up with your chest out when you unrack the bar and squat below parallel in a controlled motion.  The movement is very similar to sitting back onto a chair where you break at the hips and lower yourself down.  Make sure the racked bar isn’t too high, you don’t want to waste energy unracking the bar or worse yet, struggling to rack the bar after a tough set.  Try not to use the elasticity and the bounce to get the weight up, squeeze your glutes and push the weight back up driving through your heels while keeping your back arched.

The most important thing you should do is focus on getting as much depth as you can.  Some of us aren’t as flexible as others and that’s understandable but try to go below parallel to get the full benefits of the back squat.  Don’t be afraid to lower the weight to work on your form and technique.  It’s definitely more rewarding than quarter squatting “heavy” weight and risking injury just to stroke your own ego.

DEADLIFT

The deadlift is also a great workout for the whole body.  The lift is very functional because you get to improve your grip strength and pick up heavy objects without hurting your back.  By performing the deadlift you’ll work your hamstrings, lower back, upper back and your traps and forearms.  Be sure to focus on form and technique once again because the last thing you want to do is hurt yourself.

Begin by positioning your feet underneath the bar, shoulder width apart.  A good reference to the position of your feet is to imagine cutting your feet in half with the bar.  Then grip the bar with either a double overhand grip, alternating grip or a hook grip.  If you need extra assistance, you can always use straps.  Lean foward enough that your shins touch the bar and stand straight up squeezing your glutes and hamstrings with the weight on your heels, holding tightly onto the bar.  

Always be concious of keeping your back straight with a slight arch in your lower back.   Try to drag the bar up your shins to maintain the proper form.  Be careful not to lock out your legs too early and perform a stiff legged deadlift either.  To place the bar back down, do the exact opposite and slide the bar back down your legs and repeat.

BENCH PRESS

The bench press is one of the most common exercises when it comes to working out for a good reason.  The bench press is often a benchmark for strength around the gym, whether or not it may be true.  The bench press is a great upper body workout that specifically targets your chest and triceps.  The motion is relatively simple where you unrack the bar, lower it and press it back up.

But there are some subtle nuances that you may be overlooking.  First, keep your feet underneath you instead of flailing around because you should drive your heels into the floor and push your traps into the bench.  Hold onto the bar very tightly and visualize bending it in half to maintain the proper form.  Use your lats to pull the bar out of the rack instead of lifting it and messing up your alignment.

Try to keep your elbows tucked instead of flared out, that’s where all of the shoulder injuries come from. Once you include these 3 lifts into your workout routine, you’ll most definitely see undeniable progress that you can be proud of.