The deadlift is a full body compound weight lifting exercise that stresses over 80% of the body’s musculature. When done correctly, deadlifts add slabs and pounds of lean muscle mass to your body. It works the entire back, traps, forearms/grip, hamstrings, quads, biceps, and buttocks.
You involve the major large muscle groups of the body (back and legs) while recruiting the underlying stabilizer muscles to strengthen the tendons, joints, and connective tissues of the body. The deadlift is a mass building movement that will help you build lots of muscle mass and get stronger. All that requires is an olympic barbell with weight plates.
photo credit: Cronfield
Here’s a quick rundown of the basic execution of a deadlift:
1) Load an olympic barbell with weights and stand in front of the bar.
2) Bend down into the bottom of a squat position (parallel position) and grasp the bar with hands 3-5 inches shoulder-width apart using an overhand grip. The arms should be fully extended and locked. Keep your head straight and eyes looking slightly up.
3) At this point, the bar should be in line with your head (vertical). Maintain a flat back. Do not round your back.
4) In this bent-over squatting position, pull the bar up slowly and controlled by driving your legs “into the ground”. Do not round your back as you pull up.
Driving legs “into the ground” means that the legs should do the initial pushing as you pull the bar up. Imagine pushing your legs away from the ground to move the bar up. Throughout this positive phase, tighten your body. Again, the back should not be rounded.
5) Straighten from the knees and contract your legs until you have the bar in standing position. Hold the bar and pause for 1 second while standing. Your head should still be straight with eyes level or looking slightly up. Do not over arch or lean your back in this standing position.
6) Slowly lower the bar to starting position by bending your legs and knee first. Maintain a flat back and tighten body. Do not rush lowering the weight. The majority of injuries resulting from deadlifting actually takes place on the lowering/eccentric portion of the lift. Lower the weight all the way down until it touches the floor.
7) This is one full repetition. Once the bar is on the floor, re-adjust your grip and check for a flat back, level head, and locked arms extended to continue your set until desired reps are completed.
photo credit: Cronfield
The main compound barbell deadlift with an overhand grip has many variations you can choose from:
- dumbbell deadlift; use 2 heavy dumbbells
- trap bar deadlift; trap bar is used placing more stress on the quads and hamstrings, using a trap bar offers those with shorter arms an advantage in pulling more weight
- stiff legged deadlift, SLDL; ensure a slight bend from the knees, do not lock your knees for the whole movement, imagine thrusting your hips and buttocks back into a sitting position
- one arm deadlift; use barbell or dumbbell
- dimel deadlift
- suitcase side deadlift; stand to the side parallel of the bar and execute the lift
- over/under (alternate) grip; you could use an overhand grip with both hands, underhand grip with both hands, or over/under grip
*Don’t be afraid to use chalk for a stronger grip. Avoid using wrist wraps if you’ve just started doing deadlifts.
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