They’re in everyone’s top list of workouts for a reason.

We all know the big 3 workouts in bodybuilding and weight lifting. And if for some crazy reason you haven’t – let us quickly break it down for you. First and most popular is the bench press, a staple of weight lifting. Squats come in a close second (though on average is considered the best workout to perform for massive muscle growth). Finally, third is the deadlift, another of the classic three lifts that can be found in powerlifting alongside bodybuilding.

But why are these three so believed among bodybuilders and other competitive athletes? How did these three topple above every other exercise in the bodybuilding arsenal? Generation Iron takes a closer look at why these three top contenders and breaks down why they are essential to every bodybuilding workout. Let’s get to it.

Testosterone

It’s proven that these workouts are great at the release and build up of testosterone throughout the body. The anabolic state you go through while performing the big 3 proves to build a massive amount of muscle. This makes these workouts a no brainer to those looking to perform at a high level in any sporting event.

Practicality

There’s no questioning it. These three workouts are the cream of the crop for a reason. Each one works more than one muscle group, and when combined, prove to be a recipe for a total body workout. The simplicity of the workouts make it accessible to any athlete looking to pack on size and strength. Forget complicated movements or encumbering machines. These workouts are simple and effective. If you never end up adding anything new to your routine, these three workouts will have you covered.

Strength

Let’s face it, if you’re looking to make big strides in any sporting endeavor, particularly those that require physical exertion, then you’re gonna need functional strength. The big 3 are great lifts to build not only a massive amount of muscle but huge strength as well. The squat and the deadlift specifically are perfect for building your core strength. And when you build the core – it attributes strength to the rest of your body. Can this make you ripped all over with just these exercises? Of course not, but they are the essential building blocks to the rest of your strength training.

Muscle Mass from Compound Movements

These big three are intense compound movements. And compound movements are essential for building up some serious mass. It really builds up the testosterone (which we already mentioned earlier) but more importantly workout a large group of muscles. This is necessary to gain true mass – the kind of mass that competitive bodybuilders need in order to stand out on the stage.

Proven

The truth of the matter is that you should have the big 3 in your training program for one reason above all else: their track record. After so many years of being used by multiple athletes for great gains, it’s pretty damn obvious that these workouts are all tried and true. You can’t fight facts, and if anything these workouts have been proven to give an athlete all they need.

Which of the big 3 are you a fan of? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The greatest generation of posing.

Every sport has a definitive age, a time in which many competitors, athletes, and observers agree is the time when the sport was at the height of it’s power. For bodybuilding many people have different opinions on when that time period was. Some believe that the 90’s featured some of the most impressive bodybuilders and events of all time. Many others believe that bodybuilding has never been better than it is in it’s present state. But for most people the consensus is that the 70’s and 80’s was the time that bodybuilding was at it’s greatest. They don’t call it the Golden Era for nothing.

The Golden Era was a time when focus was centered more on building great aesthetics rather than just building massive muscle. Sure, building up you body is the whole point of the sport, but the idea was to attain a physique that was at once strong and graceful. Back in those days many bodybuilders wanted to have tiny waists, broad shoulders, and a very symmetrical form. Men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva, Lee Haney and a ton of other talented bodybuilders were concerned with not only building a power physique, but ensuring that the sport they held dear was treated as an art form as well.

One of those artful elements of the Golden Era is no doubt the competitors posing routines. Many of the athletes would spend hours perfected their poses until they got it just right. You couldn’t go into a competition looking shredded but bring with that physique a piss poor posing routine. You’d never win a Mr. Olympia without having the total package and posing was essential to ensuring victory. Just look at how different the posing routines were back in the day compared to the current landscape.

Only Kai Greene and a handful of others these days really put as much concern into posing as the competitors from the Golden Era. So what’s your opinion? Has posing only gotten worse since the Golden Era of bodybuilding? Let us know what you think in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.