So you may be looking for the ultimate total body workout that you can do every week even multiple times a week. May be because you only have a certain allotted amount of time as we are all busy and some are busier then others especially if you are parents. The big 3 lifts Squats, Deadlifts and Bench Press are the ultimate compound exercises that lead to max results so why not push the limits if you can.
So can you squat, deadlift, and bench press all in the same day?
This can be a great idea to do bench, squat and deadlift all in one day if you have good form and know what you are doing. Meaning don't go all out if you aren't experienced with each one of these lifts. Start out light then increase the weight the more times you do this routine. You can do this up to 3 times a week maybe mixing in heavy, medium and light sets for maximum results. Keep your reps low as well.
There are some Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press based workouts we discuss below along with real weightlifters and powerlifters opinions on doing all this in the same day.
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Squat, Deadlift And Bench (According To Weightlifters)
So we didn't want you to only take our word for it on if you can do Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press all in the same day. We went out and scoured the the internet for real weightlifters to get their real responses. They provided insight not only with their opinions on the same day, but also the best programs to follow even if doing squat, deadlift and bench press is all you want to do. This information was curated so the only thing that has ben changed is spelling and grammar where it was needed.
Real Weightlifter Opinions
1. Glidaar “Try Stronglifts Program” – Try StrongLifts 5×5, great beginner program. Has Bench, Squat, Deadlift, overhead press, barbell row and that's it! You can add accessory if you want to but not needed from the start. If 5×5 feels like too much, try stronglifts bro, starting strength, which is 3×5 squat, bench, row, deadlift and power clean. If you don't like power clean I'd overhead press instead, but once you get good at cleaning it can be very fun!
2. SockRepublic “You can do it!” – A couple times, just to try it out, I combined Squat, Overhead Press, Pendlay Rows, Bench Press and Deadlifts in that order. I found that doing OHP before BP exhausted my arms enough that BP became very tough. So if my goal was to get sick bench gainz I wouldn't do it again, or would at least bench first, but other than that and just how damn long a workout could take I didn't see any other downsides.
3. Duffman13JWS “Split up a bit if you can” –
This was me, I split my workouts into push/pull a and b to combat this. The basics are:
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Push A – Squat, Bench. Seated DB press as an accessory
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Pull A – Power Clean, Weighted Pullup. 1-arm row as an accessory
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Push B – Front Squat, OHP. Dips and incline DB press as accessories
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Pull B – Deadlift, BB Row. Chin-ups as accessory.
There is obviously more to the workouts than just that, but with those basics I'm able to hit everything I want as hard as I want during the course of a week.
4. Path “Squats and Deads probably split” – If you're working for hypertrophy I think it's fine but honestly I wouldn't recommend deadlifts and squats on the same day unless you're doing 1 of them at 50-70% your TM. You'll typically be exhausted just after deadlifts and squats alone if you're pushing yourself to do the other exercises.
Also depending on how long you spend resting between sets you might be in the gym 2+ hours. I generally take 2-3 minutes between heavy sets of squats or deadlifts , sometimes more.
5. MelodicMachine “Better then nothing” – There’s a lot of nuance required to answer your question. What rep range are you expecting to do? What type of volume and frequency are you planning? (Total weight and days per week of training)
I mean, personally I run that program you listed but do it over 2 separate workouts broken in half with Barbell Rows added in.
Workout A) PU, OHP, DL
Workout B) SQ, BP, BR
Alternating MWF.
I do 5 Sets of 5 Reps each. Lifting heavy. (225 SQT, 275DL, 165BP). For me right now that’s so heavy that if I tried to do all six exercises in one workout I would be missing out on potential volume due to inability to do some of those together and still perform at my best. And I would be at the gym for probably 90 minutes. I would also be concerned about injury.
But I mean, if I decreased weight and went lighter and did all six 3 days per week I could potentially hit the same volume amounts… but then the weight would have to be lighter to offset the increased training frequency. At that point would I still be getting the same level of hypertrophy? I honestly don’t know. Should I change to 8 to 12 Reps doing only 3 sets instead of 5? Again I don’t know.
My big question to you is, how often do you plan on doing this? If it’s only once a week, then go for it! Do whatever it takes to get in the gym. I personally like lifting heavy and running a program that has me in and out of the gym in 45 – 50 minutes 3 days a week and feels like I did a lot of work is the one for me.
But hell man, give it a shot. Running a program is about consistency, knowing yourself and tweaking the program to work in your lifestyle to get you the best results.
TLDR: It’s not really a question of good or bad without knowing more information about your goals, frequency, and other training methodologies – but whatever gets you in the gym is a good thing. That being said, most people don’t try to combine those all in one day for some of the reasons listed above.
Results
57% of the 217 responses said it is doable just don't push the reps. Meaning keep the reps low so if you are doing heavy try to keep that in the 5-8 range, medium in the 10-12 range and light in the 15-20 range. You can switch this up a few times a week. A great program to checkout is StrongLifts 5X5 and you can adjust this according to your workout schedule.
Can I Just Bench, Squat And Deadlift?
Just doing this 3 lifts will take you to great heights especially if you are just starting out. This is the big 3 lifts for a reason so if you do a 3 times a week regimen just doing these 3 lifts you will get results. At some point you will plateau and need to switch it up a bit, but by that time your overall strength will have built up to help with other lifts.
Squat, Deadlift, Bench Ratio
When you are first starting out don't pay too much attention to these ratios. Your goal should be getting to your bodyweight first then slightly increasing over time. Below are some different standards and goals you can shoot for. Don't go for all at once as you will hit them at different strides in your lifting journey. I myself always deadlifted more then I could squat in the beginning and it finally flipped as I progressed.
Beginners:
Squat: 1.2 X Bodyweight
Bench: 1.0 X Bodyweight
Deadlift: 1.5 X Bodyweight
Intermediate
Squat: 1.5 X Bodyweight
Bench: 1.25 X Bodyweight
Deadlift: 1.75 X X Bodyweight
Advanced:
Squat: 2 X Bodyweight
Bench: 1.5 X Bodyweight
Deadlift: 2.5 X Bodyweight
Powerlifting Pro
Squat: 2.75 X Bodyweight
Bench: 2.0 X Bodyweight
Deadlift: 3 X Bodyweight
*These are all one rep maxes to shoot for. Be careful make sure you have spotter or spotters once you get to a much heavier weight.
How Often Should You Bench, Squat And Deadlift?
You should only Bench, Squat, and Deadlift twice a week unless you are basing your entire routine around them like a 3 day total body split. So if your main focus is the Big 3 you can do them something like Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays
Bench, Squat, Deadlift 3 Times A Week
You can do Bench, Squat and Deadlift up to 3 times a week. Anything more then that would honestly depend on what your daily life is like especially with an active job. You would be not only putting too much stress on your muscles, but also your joints.
Make sure you are eating a well balanced diet loaded with protein and carbs because compound lifts burn a lot of calories. Not saying eat junk food so make sure to take your creatine and protein recovery drink as well.
Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Overhead Press Program
There are several programs out there that stick to these main 4 lifts mainly and don't go to far outside of that.
The 5X5 Deep South workout is one of the best that their focal point is on the Big 3 lifts and Overhead Press. So give that a shot. This will help you build a base and until you plateau or have switched your goals there is nothing more you need.
Bench, Squat, Deadlift Only Workout
You can do this workout up to 3 times a week and it is all you pretty much need to get back on track and get some good gains. You will plateau at some point and will need to look to expanding on your routine after that.
15 Minute Routine
You will only be performing the big 3 starting with squat, then bench and finally deadlift. The first two sets will be light weight and the last set will be heavy with 3 sets total.
Squat – 2 Sets of 10 Reps lighter weight with 1:30-2 minutes rest in between sets. Finish with 1 set of 5-8 reps with heavy weight.
Bench – 2 Sets of 10 Reps lighter weight with 1:30-2 minutes rest in between sets. Finish with 1 set of 5-8 reps with heavy weight.
Deadlift – 2 Sets of 10 Reps lighter weight with 1:30-2 minutes rest in between sets. Finish with 1 set of 5-8 reps with heavy weight.
That's it just do a quick stretching routine and make sure you adjust your weight accordingly each week
Related Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press Questions
Are Squats Deadlifts And Bench Press Enough?
Squats, deadlifts, and bench press are enough to get you started on the right track. At some point you will need more based on your goals. If your goals are to compete in powerlifting you will need to branch out and do other weightlifting exercises. Just like do you think Michael Phelps only trains in the water for swimming? No he does everything to make sure those muscles he barely uses in the water are pushed to the limits outside of which gives him the edge.
Then number one you need to work on your dieting and macros which make all the difference. Without dialing this in you can kiss your big gains goodbye. Just lifting will only take you so far and when you get serious about your eating is where everything will come together.
How Much Should I Squat, Deadlift, And Bench?
As a beginner you can look to Squat 1.25X your bodyweight, Bench 1X Bodyweight, Deadlift 1.5X Bodyweight. Then your goal should be to work your way up to 2 times those beginner amounts incrementally reaching new PR's until you reach it. At that point you will be ready for competing.
Do Deadlifts Help With Bench Press?
Deadlifts do help with your bench presses in several different ways including strengthening your core, traps, delts, and lower back. All of which you use indirectly in your bench press especially when you get up to heavier weights. Even the legs from getting stronger will help you when you are driving up your bench press. You may not using those muscles that much, but they are greatly involved as a supporting cast for your pectorals.