Do you want to slim down? Bulk up? Move well? Maybe you just want to look better at your current weight. If you’re interested in any of these but aren’t practicing the art of deadlifting, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life.
If you think about it, deadlifting is something that we do daily. Whether you’re a female picking up a heavy purse, a parent picking up a child, a student picking up a backpack, a worker picking up boxes, inventory etc., I can’t think of a single day that goes by where one WOULDN’T deadlift and benefit highly from training the deadlift correctly.
But I find it fascinating how so many people STILL think that deadlifting should be left to the body builders, powerlifters, and Crossfitters when the truth of the matter is, regardless of your goals, deadlifting is one of the best fitness tools to get you great results.
Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the benefits so they avoid them. On the other hand, not many people know how to deadlift or have the physical capability to deadlift properly. Either of these scenarios generally cause injury. We’re here to fill you in on the benefits and teach you how to deadlift.
Why should you deadlift?
1. BUILD YOUR BACKSIDE. If your goal is to tone your glutes, hamstrings, and help maximize shoulder stability, you won’t find a better exercise to target all at once.
2. STRONGER CORE. If your goal is to target your abs, this exercise is absolutely for you.
3. ALLEVIATE LOW BACK PAIN. So many of us are stuck in extension all day. Although this causes pain in many different places, it’s often felt in our lower back (been there, done that). When done correctly, deadlifting not only helps train your way out of extension, but it helps alleviate the pain that comes with it.
4. INCREASE METABOLISM. Research shows that 1 pound of muscle burns seven to 10 calories per day, while 1 pound of fat burns only 2 to 3 calories. This means that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Who doesn’t want to burn more calories while sleeping?
5. ACHIEVE MAXIMUM RESULTS QUICKLY. Deadlifting is considered a compound exercise, which means this one exercise uses more muscles and joints than just about any other exercise out there, which is super beneficial for those who “don’t have time to workout”. It’s a “big bang for your buck” type of exercise.
Here are cues we often use when coaching the deadlift:
1. Place weight in line with your heels, not the toes
2. Spine remains neutral as you hinge down to the weight
3. Shoulders stay packed in close to the torso
4. Tuck chin
5. Feel the whole foot while shifting weight into the heels (just be sure to not shift all of your weight to the ball of the foot)
6. Push hips forward and ribs back to bring yourself up to neutral standing position
For a video demonstration, check this out: https://youtu.be/2KH9jo_oFqs
Now you know WHY you should deadlift. You have some good takeaways and an idea of HOW you should deadlift, but how equipped are you with EXPERIENCE to deadlift?
Deadlifting, although it may sound easy, it isn’t as easy to do. As with any training, it’s important to identify any movement limitations you might have first. Stacking fitness on top of dysfunction will only lead to ineffectiveness and injury. Attempting this exercise without having first been greenlighted by a professional trained in Functional Movement Screen assessments could potentially cause more harm than good.
Train Smart.
For more information on training and assessments, check this out: www.completefitnessresults.com