Exercise of the Week – Deadlift

by charlie smart in Training

My exercise of the week is a deadlift, you may have heard the name of this exercise being thrown around and maybe even seen it done in gyms or on videos online. Deadlifts are very beneficial when training as they target several muscle groups which we will look into in further details later. There are also several different type of deadlifts that can be performed with slightly different target areas of the body, again I will explain a little later.

What is a Deadlift?

A deadlift is defined as “a lift made from a standing position, without the use of a bench or other equipment.” When doing a deadlift generally speaking you will use weights to make the exercise more beneficial to muscle building. It is advisable to practice a deadlift without weights to start off with to make sure you are using the correct technique which will therefore prevent injury if the incorrect form is used.

Different types of Deadlift

There are several different types of deadlift including the standard deadlift, Romanian, stiff leg, sumo, deficit and a few others, the two I am going to go through with you today are the standard deadlift and the stiff leg deadlift. We will look at the technique of them and also the muscles that they work – this will be based on using a barbell weight (to help you visualise).

Deadlift (normal): Technique –

  1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width apart
  2. Your knees should be slightly bent, squat down and grip the bar just outside of where your legs are
  3. Make sure that your feet are facing forward, keep your back straight and core tight throughout the exercise
  4. Lift the bar keeping this close to your body and exhale while lifting
  5. When the bar is lifted past your knees and your arms are straight, rest the bar against your thighs while maintaining the straight back and tight core stance
  6. Slowly start to bend from the knees and hips to squat back down to your original position and put the weight back down onto the floor – while maintaining a straight back position
  7. Repeat this action

Muscles Groups Worked: Gluteals, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Erector Spinae, Soleus & Gastrocnemius, Rhomboids, Trapezius Obliques and Abs – so basically upper and lower back, full legs and bum! This is why it is such a beneficial exercise to be throwing into your routines – big gains!

Stiff Leg Deadlift: Technique –

  1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width apart
  2. Your knees should be slightly bent, squat down and grip the bar just outside of where your legs are
  3. Make sure that your feet are facing forward, keep your back straight and core tight throughout the exercise
  4. Lift the bar keeping this close to your body and exhale while lifting
  5. When the bar is lifted past your knees and your arms are straight, rest the bar against your thighs while maintaining the straight back and tight core stance
  6. Keeping your legs as straight as possible, bend from the hips, keep your back straight and slowly lower the bar towards the floor – when you start to feel or see your upper back start to arch, slowly come back up towards your starting position
  7. Repeat this action
  8. Slowly start to bend forward from the hips – keeping your arms extended, back straight and core nice and tight, keep your legs as straight as possible (with a slight bend if you need to)
  9. When you feel as though the top of your back is starting to arch, bring yourself back up into your starting standing straight up position (tip: always good to watch yourself side on in the mirror to watch your technique)
  10. Repeat this action

Muscle Groups Worked: hamstrings, erector spinae and gluteal muscles – so this is your lower back, back of your thighs and bum!

 

Take away note: deadlifts are really good for many muscles in the body, as long as you perform the action correctly with good technique – you will not only build your muscles and strength but also (by strengthening these muscles) you are less likely to cause injury or strain. Happy deadlifting!

Interesting Fact: The world record deadlift is 500 kg (1,102.3 lb) by Eddie Hall.
(Don’t try this at home!)