Beginner Powerlifting Exercises – Introduction
What are the best powerlifting exercises for a beginner to use?
Powerlifting is arguably the most accessible of all strength sports.
Unlike Olympic lifting, you don’t need the agility and flexibility of a gymnast to do the main lifts – squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.
They’re gym staples that most exercisers are already familiar with.
Also, because you don’t need access to a whole lot of exotic equipment, you can train for powerlifting in a commercial or home gym.
That’s not something you can say about a competitive Strongman training program!
All you really need is a little space, a barbell, weight plates or bumper plates, a squat or power rack, and an exercise bench.
Yes, there ARE other things you can add to your training armory, but when you get right down to it, so long as you can squat, bench press, and deadlift, you have all your main bases covered.
Items like cambered bars, football bars, safety squats bar, chains, resistance bands, and plyo boxes are nice to have but not essential.
In fact, if you are a beginner, your main focus should be on building basic overall strength.
Not just in the powerlifts but a few well-chosen assistance exercises.
For this article, we’re making the assumption you already know how to squat, bench press, and deadlift, as they are the cornerstone of powerlifting.
Round out your workouts with these carefully selected accessory exercises, three per big lift.
The Best Powerlifting Exercises for Beginners
Squat Assistance Exercises
A Powerlifting meet starts with squats.
Squats are a test of lower body strength and also strongly involve your lower back and core.
Squats are very technical, so you really must work on your technique as well as your strength.
That said, these are the three best exercises for boosting your squat.
#1. Box squats
Box squats have two main functions.
To start with, they teach you to hit the right depth rep after rep.
You should be able to do this without looking in the mirror, but, at first, it takes a little practice.
Using a box ensures that you hit the same depth every time.
Secondly, squatting to a box breaks up the eccentric/concentric cycle so that each ascent starts from a dead stop.
This increases your power out of the hole.
How to do it:
- Set up a box or bench so that, when you touch it with your butt, your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Place the box in your power rack, slightly behind you.
- Unrack the bar and set up for squats as usual.
- Push your hips back and descend until your butt touches the box.
- Do NOT descend too fast; touchdown slightly.
- Without relaxing, pause on the box and then stand up explosively.
#2. Paused squats
Paused squats are a bit like box squats but, instead of touching a box between reps, you use muscle tension to hold yourself in place.
Pause squats increase time under tension to build bigger muscles and increase explosive power out of the hole.
They’re a good option if you don’t have access to a suitable box for box squats.
How to do it:
- Set up to squat as usual.
- Unrack the bar.
- Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Without relaxing, hold this position for 2-5 seconds.
- Stand up explosively and repeat.
#3. Bulgarian split squats
A left-to-right strength imbalance could ruin your squat.
Not just reducing the amount of weight you can lift but increasing your risk of injury.
Bulgarian split squats are an excellent way to identify and fix these unbalances, improve hip mobility, and enhance hip stability and balance.
How to do it:
- Stand with your back to an exercise bench.
- Bend one leg and place the top of your foot on it.
- Hop forward and into a split stance.
- Brace your core.
- Bend both legs and lower your rear knee down to a couple of inches above the floor.
- Lean forward slightly but do not round your lower back.
- Stand back up and repeat.
- Rest a moment and then swap sides.
- You can do this exercise using just your body weight for resistance or using dumbbells or a barbell.
Bench Press Assistance Exercises
The bench press is a common bodybuilding and gym exercise and is also a test of upper body pushing strength.
Powerlifters use some specialist techniques to bench more weight, such as a pronounced back arch and a leg drive.
However, this is still the same basic exercise that’s so popular in most gyms.
#1. Paused bench press
In powerlifting, for your bench press to count, the bar must touch and remain on your chest until the referee gives the command to press.
This pause requires practice and may also reduce the amount of weight you can press.
As such, it’s important to include pause bench presses in your workouts.
As well as being good preparation for competition, a paused bench press will also increase pressing power.
How to do it:
- Set up for your bench press as usual, and then unrack the bar.
- Lower the bar under control to the high point of your chest.
- Pause for 2-5 seconds with the bar touching your chest but do NOT relax.
- Drive the bar back up and repeat.
#2. Close Grip Bench Press
While the bench press is largely a test of chest strength, your triceps will probably be the weakest link.
Close grip bench presses emphasize your triceps so you can strengthen this all-important muscle and eliminate the weak link in your bench-pressing chain.
How to do it:
- Set up for the bench press with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the bar and lower it to your chest.
- Keep your elbows tucked in close to your sides.
- Pause if you want to.
- Drive the bar back up and repeat.
#3. Pendlay rows
No, you haven’t accidentally wandered into a back-training article; strong lats are crucial for a bigger bench press.
They give a stable platform from which to press and prevent muscle imbalances that could cause shoulder pain and postural problems.
Pendlay rows are named after late USA weightlifting and powerlifting coach Glen Pendlay.
How to do it:
- Load your barbell and place it on the floor.
- Stand with your toes under the bar, feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees slightly, lean from the hips, and grab the bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip.
- Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Without moving your legs or torso, pull the bar off the floor and into your abdomen.
- Lower the weight back to the floor, reset your grip and core and repeat.
Deadlift Accessory Exercises
The deadlift is the last event contested in powerlifting.
It’s where competitions are often won or lost.
The deadlift is a test of back and leg strength, particularly the posterior chain, which are the muscles located on the rear of your body.
Training your deadlift hard and heavy is the key to getting better at this lift, but there are a couple of additional exercises you can do to boost your performance.
These accessory exercises for deadlifts can be used for both conventional and sumo-style deadlifts.
#1. Paused deadlift
A heavy deadlift often involves some grinding.
That means you really have to struggle to complete your lift, and the bar moves slowly.
Paused deadlifts increase your mid-rep strength, which is where the grind is invariably won or lost.
How to do it:
- Set up for your deadlift as normal, with your toes under the bar, core braced, arms straight, and shoulders pulled down and back.
- Drive your feet into the ground and, without rounding your lower back, pull the bar up the front of your legs to just below knee height.
- Pause in this position for 2-5 seconds.
- Without lowering the bar even an inch, push your hips forward and stand fully upright to complete your lift.
- Set the bar down in one movement, reset your core and grip, and repeat.
#2. Deficit deadlifts
Some lifters find the initial pull off the ground the most challenging part of the deadlift.
If the bar feels like it’s stuck to the floor, the deficit deadlift exercise will help.
It will also make getting into a strong set position feel much easier.
How to do it:
- Load your barbell as usual.
- Place 1-2 45-pound plates on the floor in the middle of the bar.
- Stand on them in your normal deadlift stance.
- Reach down, grab the bar, and set up to deadlift.
- You’ll have to get into a lower position than normal, so take care not to round your lower back.
- Deadlift the bar off the floor, driving the weight up powerfully.
- Set the bar back on the floor and repeat.
- Deficit deadlifts are considerably more challenging than regular deadlifts, so reduce the weight accordingly.
#3. Romanian deadlifts
Romanian deadlifts teach you how to perform a proper hip hinge while strengthening your posterior chain.
Done with moderate to heavy weights, this is an excellent compound exercise for increasing lower back and hip strength.
How to do it:
- Hold a barbell with an overhand or mixed shoulder-width grip.
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms straight.
- Push your hips backward and lean forward without rounding your lower back.
- Lower the bar down the front of your legs as far as your flexibility allows.
- Stand back up and repeat.
Powerlifting Exercises for Beginners – Wrapping Up
The following workout includes the three power lifts, some of the assistance exercises outlined above, and a couple of additional movements designed to eliminate muscle imbalances.
Do each workout on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, to allow plenty of time for rest and recovery.
Finally, make sure you warm up before each workout to avoid unnecessary injuries.
Do a few minutes of light cardio, such as jumping rope, followed by some dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises.
Finish your warm-up with a few light sets of the first 1-2 exercises of each workout.
| Squat workout | ||||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Recovery | |
| 1 | Squat | 3 | 3-5 | 3 minutes |
| 2 | Paused squat | 3 | 6 | 2 minutes |
| 3 | Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 8 per leg | 90 seconds |
| 4 | Leg extension | 3 | 12 | 60 seconds |
| 5 | Abs rollout | 3 | 12 | 60 seconds |
| Bench press workout | ||||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Recovery | |
| 1 | Bench press | 3 | 3-5 | 3 minutes |
| 2 | Pendlay row | 3 | 6 | 2 minutes |
| 3 | Paused bench press | 3 | 6 | 2 minutes |
| 4 | Lat pulldown | 3 | 8-10 | 90 seconds |
| 5 | Close grip bench press | 3 | 8-10 | 90 seconds |
| Deadlift workout | ||||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Recovery | |
| 1 | Deadlift | 3 | 3-5 | 3 minutes |
| 2 | Paused deadlift | 3 | 6 | 2 minutes |
| 3 | Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8-10 | 90 seconds |
| 4 | Leg curl | 3 | 12 | 60 seconds |
| 5 | Hanging knee raise | 3 | 12 | 60 seconds |
The Best Powerlifting Exercises – Wrapping Up
One of the best things about powerlifting is how simplistic the training can be.
You don’t need a state-of-the-art gym, and you don’t need to be supremely athletic.
It’s an everyman and everywoman sport that is very accessible.
You don’t even need to compete to enjoy powerlifting; just getting stronger can be reward enough.
Perfect your performance of the big compound lifts – squat, bench press, and deadlift – and use these additional exercises to eliminate weak links and boost your performance.
Work hard, and, even following an uncomplicated workout, you WILL get stronger and transform your physique!
Related Posts:
- What Is Powerlifting? A Beginner’s Guide To A Sport For All
- Best Beginner Powerlifting Program for Fitness and Strength
- 12-Week Deadlift Program for Beginners in Fitness or Powerlifting
- One Great Beginner Deadlift Workout Routine for Powerlifting & Fitness
- The 5 Best Leg Press Machines for Your Home Gym in 2023
- The Top 10 Squat Accessory Exercises for a Bigger, Better Squat
- How Many Exercises, Sets, + Reps Per Workout Should You Do?
