subject: Stop Deadlifting Like a Pencil Neck and Learn How To Pull Like a Pro [print this page] Stop Deadlifting Like a Pencil Neck and Learn How To Pull Like a Pro
The deadlift, bar none, is the most comprehensive full body movement that anybody can perform. Although closely rivaled by the squat, I will provide substantial arguments why the deadlift will always reign supreme.
Two Reasons Why The Deadlift Kicks Ass
Extremely High Neuro-Muscular Activation Simply put, the scale of neuro-muscular activation rates how many muscles a movement recruits. The higher the rating, the more compound and demanding the movement. So for example, an isolation movement such as a concentration curl, would rank very low on the scale of neuro-muscular activation, where as a full body movement such as a squat, deadlift, or pull up would rank much higher. Why is this scale important? Because the more muscles we recruit during a movement, the more stressful the movement becomes, and therefore we will get a greater benefit from performing that movement. To simplify this concept even further, the more muscle groups we use, the more calories we burn! We want to take advantage of the greater and longer lasting hormonal and metabolic effects that come along with performing movements that rank very high on the scale of neuro-muscular activivation. And the two movements that top the neuro-muscular activation scale are none other than the deadlift and the squat!
It's Functional! Functional fitness has become clich. Walk into any YMCA and you will be sure to see some whack job trainer balancing with one foot on a bosu ball while doing some sort of tricep extension. This type of training is not functional. As a matter of fact, I really have no idea where the idea of training on an unstable surface is functional. When, do you ever have to perform on a surface as unstable as a bosu ball? In reality, we as humans mostly perform on stable surfaces, but must handle an unstable load. Sure balancing on a bosu ball does have some benefits, but as far as functional fitness goes, its more laughable than functional.
True functional fitness should apply to your everyday life. Functional training is not specific training. Do not confuse sports specific training with functional training. One method prepares the body specifically, and another method prepares the body generally. Functional training should prepare you to handle the basic tasks of everyday life. Now what on earth, is more functional than being able to bend over and pick something up? Probably nothing. How many times a day do you pick something up? I pick something up off the floor at least every 30-40 minutes. Whether I am grabbing my backpack, moving a kettlebell, picking up a glass of spilt milk(raw and organic of course, and yes I am a slob), I am constantly picking shit up off the ground. This is a basic human movement htat we should all be able to perform. And you don't need to juggle two tennis balls while doing calf raises on a bosu ball to be able to do this! I hope that you now understand what true functional fitness is, and what it is not. The deadlift teaches you how to pick something up off the ground safely, especially when it comes to lifting heavy objects from the ground. Being able to perform a proper deadlift is an essential life skill. Even if you are only ever able to deadlift 135lbs your entire life, being able to do so properly is an invaluable skill to have!
What the Deadlift is not
The deadlift is not a "lower back" exercise. Bodybuilders have done a great job of ruining the deadlifts reputation over the past couple decades. They have taken a movement that is intended to be functional, full body, and miserable in the sense of it's difficulty, and converted it to a dreaded isolation exercise for the lower back(erector spinae) muscles. Yes, the extensors do play a role in the deadlift, but they really on help with finishing the movement, and are certainly not the prime movers. The lower back muscles recruited in this movement are more for stability and maintaining posture than actually moving the weight. Never learn to deadlift from a wanna-be bodybuilder, because most have it completely wrong.
The deadlift is also NOT a hip-dominant movement. I'll repeat, a conventional deadlift, is NO a hip-dominant movement! What? This is madness! No, it's not. Allow me to explain. But let me first differentiate a hip dominant, and a knee dominant movement.
A hip dominant movement is mostly completed by an extension of the hips, and most of the work is done by the hamstrings.
A knee dominant movement is mostly completed by an extension of the knee joint, and most of the work is done by the quads.
So is the deadlift a knee dominant movement? If I truly had to classify the deadlift as one or the other, I would indeed consider it to be a knee dominant movement. Why? Because on a truly conventional deadlift, when you set up, your ass is as close to the ground as possible and there is a large amount of flexion in your knees. A true deadlift is in fact instated by a forceful extension of the knee joint, which raises the bar right up along the shins, and is finished, by an extension of the hips. So while there is indeed a hip extension component to the deadlift, it is not the prime mover, but more so the finisher.
How To Deadlift
Let's get right down to it.
The first thing you need is not a barbell, but appropriate attire. When deadlifting, you either want to lift barefooted or wear as thin soled shoes as possible. Cushioning in the heels, often found in most athletic shoes, is undesirable for deadlifting, as we want to keep almost all of our weight on our heels and to keep our shins as vertical as possible. Running shoes, aka, "heels for men", make this an arduous task. So ditch the shoes, or find a nice pair of Chuck Taylors , Vibrams, or wrestling shoes before you deadlift.
Now you need a barbell and some plates. Load the barbell up with an appropriate weight.
The set up for the deadlift is incredibly important. If you do not take the set up seriously, then you are not respecting the weight, and will eventually end up hurt. If your set up sucks, then your lift will also suck. The set up is where we get everything in alignment and also set up our breath.
Position the bar so that it is right above the center of your feet. You should be assuming a stance no wider than shoulder width, and your toes should be pointed forward or angled just every so slightly out. For some reason, people often feel they have to get their shins right against the bar before they start to deadlift, but this is wrong. We actually want some space between our shins, as this will give up some space to finish our set up.
The next step is to fixate your eyes. Depending on who you ask, certain deadlifting experts will tell you to look up (cervical extension), while others will tell you to keep your head perfectly in line with your spine (neutral spine). What do I prefer? I really don't care, because both are safe. Experiment and find out what works best for you. But which every you choose, fixate your eyes on a certain spot and keep them there. If you are looking up, keep your eyes on the ceiling. If you are trying to maintain a neutral spine, then a good tip is to fixate your eyes on the horizon or where the wall meets the floor.
Once you have your feet in position and your eyes fixated, it's time to grip the bar. You should be able to do this without looking at the bar. This may take some practice, but eventually you will get the feel of it and it will come as a second nature to you. It is fine to readjust your grip if you do not feel it is correct, but keep your eyes fixated. It should not be difficult to find an even grip if you set your stance up right, because your hands should grip the bar right outside of your shins. So if your feet are positioned correctly in the center of the bar, then it should not be a problem trying to find an even grip, just track your hands down the outsides of your legs. You always want your arms to be completely straight when you deadlift. Flexion in your elbows will lead to leakage and often lead to you trying to pull the weight up with the arms which is exactly what we don't want.
You want to use an alternating grip when you deadlift, where one palm is supinated and one palm is pronated, meaning one palm is facing forward and one backward. The weakest part of the grip is your thumbs, using the alternate grip allows you to utilize more finger strength and rely less on your thumbs. Be sure to switch your grip every rep or so.
Now for the very important part. Once you have a firm grip on the bar, you want to arch your lower back and push your chest up and out as much as possible, like you are incredibly proud of yourself. This is the position you want your upper body locked into for the entirety of the lift. Never do we want flexion in our back (a rounded, gorilla looking back). Maintain the arch in your lower back, and a big chest throughout the movement.
This is also the time to take your breath. The kind of breath you want to take is an incredibly deep inhalation through your nose, trying to fill your stomach with air. Really focus on trying to breathe as deep as possible as if you are trying to inflate your stomach. This creates pressure in your abdomen region, which will act as a natural weight belt, keeping your spine safe and greatly reducing the risk of a hernia.
Two Breathing Options
The valsalva maneuver is when a lifter holds their breathe throughout the entire movement in order to protect their back. This may work well for you, but I do not recommend it unless you are fairly conditioned and have a healthy blood pressure. I would never tell somebody who hasn't lifted in 20 years and has high blood pressure to perform a valsalva maneuver, but if you are healthy, then this is a great technique.
The other breathing option is to power breathe. A power exhalation is when your breathe through clenched teeth, while holding the tongue on the roof of your both. If you do this correctly, it should sound like you are hissing. This type of breathing allows you to exhale, but also helps you maintain that pressure which will keep your back safe during the lift. If you opt for the power breathing option, breathe throughout the entire lift, but do not exhale all your air! Only exhale about one half to two thirds of your air when you actually lift.
The final part of our set up is to begin our descent. Start your descent by pushing your hips back and down, like you are trying to sit on a bench that is just out of reach. Feel your hamstrings stretch and load up with tension. Continue to push you chest up and drop your butt as low as possible. You want to end up with your thighs at or below parallel to the floor, and flexion should be about 90 degrees. Now from this set up you should understand why I classify this as a knee dominant movement, because it is going to be the extension of the knee joint that initiates the movement. If you can not get in this position with a big chest and an arched back, then you need to work more on your flexibility, especially hamstring flexibility and hip mobility before you start deadlifting.
Time to start the lift. At this point your entire body should be engaged. Everything should be tight and loaded like a spring. To initiate the lift, begin by driving your heels forcefully into the ground as if you are trying to push the earth away and apart. We use this visualization not only to make use stronger, but by thinking about pushing the earth apart, this will help us keep our knees from bowing inward. Another trick is to notthink about pushing the earth apart from your heels, but rather your glutes. See which visualization makes you feel stronger.
As you begin to "push the earth apart" think about pulling the bar toward you, as your knees extend and the bar rises along the shins. The bar should literally be scraping against your shins as you progress through the lift. Be sure to maintain a big chest and an arched back throughout. Continue to push the earth away and extend your knees until the bar is just about knee height. Now at this position, the shins should be vertical, and it is time to drive the hips forward. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you possible can and drive your hips forward continue driving the bar up and finish the lift. At the finish/lockout you should be standing straight up, nice and tall, keeping a big chest and arched back, but never lean back or over extend your hips.
Congratulations, you just completed your first proper deadlift, at least I hope so. Remember, this lift is a skill and takes practice!
The descent is very fast. You want to pretty much "fall" with the weight. Push your butt back very quickly and let the weight drop to the floor. DO NOT resist the weight as it falls, but just follow along with it. I prefer you come down with the weight rather than just dropping it, so that you may guide it safely down. Once the bar has reached its final destination, let go of the bar, reset, and repeat. Do not go right into another deadlift once you drop it down, as this rarely ends up to be a good set up position. Instead, go through the whole set up process again before performing your next rep.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start deadlifting. Remember that strength is a skill, so if you want to be strong, then you have to get out there and practice!
