Recently Bret Contreras asked me for my top three assistance lifts that bring up the bench, squat and deadlift. I’m not a big fan of the barbell bench press by any stretch of the imagination (the military press is a far better, more functional, safer lift) but if someone wanted to bring it up and asked for my help here’s what I would recommend, along with three lifts to bring up the squat and deadlift as well…
Bench Press
Rack Deadlift/ Inverted Row- To bench press a lot of weight you need a big, thick, strong upper back. There is no other exercise that will build those qualities more effectively than a rack deadlift with a scapular retraction. This is a very stressful exercise, however, so you can’t do it all the time, especially if you are deadlifting from the floor as well. For that reason you need to rotate it in and out based on your recovery ability and how often and when you are doing other forms of deadlifts. When you are not doing this exercise a more spine sparing exercise like a weighted, inverted row would be your top choice. Many coaches prefer a chest supported… …continue reading.

Related posts:Do These Exercises to Get Jacked
How to Build Muscle with High Reps
Top 3 Exercises Per Implement
Read more