AFAA Personal Trainer Certification 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

In powerlifting competitions, the lifts that are contested are the bench press, squat, and dead lift. These three exercises are specifically chosen because they effectively measure an athlete's overall strength in different movement patterns.

The squat targets the muscles of the legs and lower body, emphasizing the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Competitors must lower their hips below their knees and then rise back to a standing position, demonstrating both power and control.

The bench press focuses on upper body strength, primarily engaging the chest (pectorals), shoulders (deltoids), and triceps. During the competition lift, the barbell is lowered to the chest before being pressed back up, requiring a combination of strength and proper technique.

The dead lift assesses strength across the posterior chain, including the back, glutes, and hamstrings. Competitors lift a barbell from the ground to their hips in a single motion, which showcases their overall body strength.

These lifts are standardized across competitions, allowing for consistency in judging and comparison of performance across different athletes. Other exercise choices listed in the options, such as clean and jerk or leg press, belong to different strength sports or training modalities and are not included in powerlifting.