Learn How To Properly Deadlift
The deadlift can be an intimidating exercise for newbies and beginners or even seasoned vets which don’t know how to perform the exercise correctly. Deadlifts are one of the best compound exercises which work a great amount of muscles in your body and help to promote overall strength and muscle growth.
The Breakdown
- Bracing Before you lift is key . You want to make sure your abs and core are tight! This will help to protect you when you are lifting the weight. Take a deep breath collect air in your midsection lock your ribcage, and keep your abs and glutes tight. This will help ensure nothing in your core moves. In-turn creating stability and protection for your lower back.
- Set-up – Brace as outlined in step 1. The bar should be positioned over the middle of your foot. For conventional deadlifts arms should be shoulder width apart, just outside of your knees. Keep your chest up and maintain a flat back.
- Creating Torque – hold the bar firmly act as if you are trying to bend the bar away from the middle. This will set your shoulders down and back (external rotation) and will help to create torque when lifting the weight.
- Stand straight up keeping the bar as close to your body as possible.
For a visual of these steps watch the video below
Why Deadlift?
There are multiple benefits when it comes to deadlifting.
- Overall strength, not a lot of exercises can produce the force output of deadlifts
- Muscles worked – deadlifts work most of the muscles in your posterior chain, mainly hamstrings and glutes. They also work your back and the muscles of your core have to work in-order to stabilize the body.
- Functionality – Deadlifts are a functional movement, it mimics lifting things off the ground which individuals do on a daily basis. Furthermore, deadlifts also carry over to sports as it helps athletes to create explosive power which will help with strength, speed and jumping.
