Rules of Iron: Top-Tier Exercises

The foundation of your workout should be the top-tier barbell exercises:

• Squat
• Deadlift
• Bench Press
• Overhead Press

Your workouts should be based around these movements, and each workout should begin with one of these exercises. They are complex, multi-joint exercises that give you the biggest bang for your buck – more strength, more muscle mass.

Keep these rules in mind:

• Squat twice per week
• Press twice per week
• Deadlift once or twice per week
• The best warmup for these exercises is to perform the exercise at a lower weight for a few sets – the heavier the weight, the more warmup sets you’ll require
• 3 – 5 sets per exercise
• 5 – 12 reps per set

If you are not training for competition, then you really don’t need much more than this information. Training for powerlifting or bodybuilding is going to require a different approach. But for those who just want to gain and maintain strength, a simple weight lifting program built upon these exercises will suffice.