Proper Form: Benches, Squats and Deads

The bench press, squat, and deadlift are the 3 most common and basic mass/power builders. Form is of utmost importance if maximum gains are to be ensured. Yet proper form is elusive to many, and sadly, because of that, people avoid doing them altogether as they fear they may injure themselves. This article will discuss the proper lifting technique for these 3 core lifts to ensure you maximum gains and minimal chances of injury.

Bench Press

The bench press is probably the most common exercise in the gym. Everyone from the pros to the regular Joe bench-presses. Form is of utmost importance here not so much because of the high chances of injury, but because it will ensure that you are working your pectorals and not your deltoids.

Lie under the bar and arch your lower back. Stick your chest out, pull your shoulders back, and make sure your entire upper back is supporting your upper-body weight. Plant both feet firmly on the floor; some people like to put both feet up, but this causes your lower back to be completely straight on the bench, thus you will be unable to isolate your chest. Tighten your core. Then, grip the bar, unrack it, and lower it to below your nipple line. The bar must touch the chest. Ensure that your arms are tucked close to your body throughout the movement. After that, press the weight back straight up until your elbows almost lock. Do not lock your elbows though; this will cause injuries, especially if you are training heavy.

Always make sure you do not bounce the weight off your chest when benching. This mistake is far too common, and it can cause broken ribs.

Squat

Squats have been hailed as the king of mass builders. It hits your quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back and abs. Your upper body also benefits as it has to support the weight across your upper back. Sadly, a lot of people are doing it wrongly and injuring themselves; and some avoid it for fear of injuring themselves.

Place the bar across your shoulders, on your lower trapezius muscles. Stick your chest out, pull your shoulders back, and squeeze your back muscles together to create a shelf to further secure the weight. Keep your spine neutral. Lean forward slightly and stick your butt out to keep your spine straight. Keep your feet wide apart. Brace your core, and squat till you are at parallel (officially, it's defined as when your hip joint passes your knee joint). Be sure not to lock your knees when you are standing, and also, do not move your knees forward as you are descending; this could cause knee injuries.

When descending, start the movement by dropping your butt to the ground. Remember: Ass first! When you are at parallel (or in powerlifting lingo: "in the hole"), pause for a moment, then using your glutes and hamstrings, power the weight back up. Be careful not to arch your lower back even slightly on the squat; the weight could crush your spine and put you out of action for a very long time.

Of course, there are other variations of the squat, such as the front squat or the Olympic squat, but for this article, we'll simply discuss the Powerlifting Squat.

Deadlift

The deadlift is the best exercise for both mass and strength. It is the most excruciating exercise, both physically and mentally. Physically, it works your entire back, your glutes (butt), your quads, your hamstrings, your forearms and grip, your abs, and even hits your chest and delts slightly. Mentally, you’ll have to be really tough to be able to put your body through such physical torture.

Place a loaded bar on the floor, and grip it about shoulder width apart. For heavy lifts, use an over-under grip, meaning that one palm faces inwards (towards you) and the other faces outwards. Place your feet shoulder width apart. Then, dip your ass to the ground, look straight ahead, and ensure that your spine is in neutral alignment. This is your starting position.

From here, stand up with the weight, keeping the weight close to your body and your spine neutral throughout the motion. At the top of the rep, by sticking your chest out, thrusting your hips out and using your back muscles, pull the weight back and squeeze all the muscles in your back. This is known as the "lock-out". It has to lock-out to be official. Hold it there for about a second to two before lowering the weight back to floor while still keeping your spine neutral. That's one rep. (If you're going for multiple reps, let the weight rest on the floor for about a second and take a deep breath before attempting your next rep.)

A note on breathing: inhale deeply before the lift, hold your breath during the lift, exhale at the top, then inhale again, before lowering the weight while holding your breath, and then exhale when you have placed the weight back on the floor.

A Final Word

Many people worry about injuring themselves on these lifts, especially the squat and deadlift. This is made worse by all the horror stories about how some clowns have severely injured themselves on these exercises before. Usually, however, the fault is not in the exercise itself, but incorrect form.

Incorrect form is caused by either ignorance or using too much weight. This article has already filled you in on the correct technique, however, you on your part must not lift more than you can handle. Lifting too much weight will lead to you compromising your form and eventually, injury. So as long as you are using the correct lifting techniques and an amount of weight you can handle, you don’t have to worry too much about injuring yourself.

Incorporate these 3 powerlifting staples into your routine today, use proper form and a decent amount of weight, and watch your strength and size go through the roof. Till then, lift safe, and most importantly, have fun!