It’s no secret that I love to coach and perform the deadlift. Here’s me nailing twice my bodyweight deadlift six months ago. There was a lot of pain, blood, sweat, and tears that went into this attempt.
Picking up and putting down a barbell is part exhilarating and part f#$%ing hard. And like most barbell exercises worth doing, the barbell doesn’t lie to you. You can either lift it or you can’t. In this respect, I’d say deadlifts are better than politicians.
Admittedly, this is a low bar.
See what I did there? And no, I’m not sorry.
The deadlift is a hinge movement that strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, lower and upper back, and grip. It’s pretty much a full-body movement. But not everyone is built to pull from the floor, but everyone is built to do a deadlift/hinge variation.
If you want baby’s got back, here are eight reasons to do or continue to do the deadlift.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Reason One-More Juice In The Caboose
If you want to fight the flat butt, then you gotta use it and not lose it. Doing deadlifts and their variations works the biggest and potentially strongest muscle in our body, the glutes. When doing deadlifts, it directly targets the glutes for a bigger and stronger behind. (1)
Then Becky (or your partner) will be looking at your butt and saying ‘oh my God’
Reason Two-Harder To Kill
When you have the hot little barbell in your hands you’re training and hopefully improving grip strength. And this will make you harder to kill.
Because improving your grip strength is linked to a lower risk of premature death. The Lancet published a study in 2015 that covered the health outcomes of nearly 140,000 people across 17 countries who were tracked over four years, via a variety of measures—including grip strength. (2)
Grip strength was not only “inversely associated with all-cause mortality,” but every 5-kilogram (kg) decrease in grip strength was associated with a 17 percent risk increase.
Plus, it’s handy if you ever find yourself hanging from a cliff.
Reason Three-Better Posture
Poor posture is not a big deal, but wouldn’t you prefer to have good posture and not ape-like posture. Deadlifts and it’s variations improve your upper back, lower back, and core strength so you can look the world straight in the face.
If you do deadlifts with less-than-optimal posture, the deadlift will let you know about it. This, I found out the hard way.
Reason Four-Back On The Grip Strength
Lifting, gripping, and ripping is not only for getting sexy and strong. Reduced grip strength is linked with an eightfold risk of developing muscular disability among older adults, and poor grip strength is linked with adverse weight gain among women and mortality among men. (3)
Plus, it always helps to be able to open the pickle jar.
Reason Five-Better Total Body Strength
Barbell exercises which you lift straight up and down like the deadlift, squat, bench, and overhead press allow you to lift more weight for more strength. And with the weight being in your hands, the deadlift is a full-body move that improves your overall strength. Plus, if you’re ever in doubt, stronger is always better.
Reason Six-Bigger Engine
The stronger you become helps develop better work capacity. In layman’s terms, you’re able to do more before you get tired. In life you’ll need to perform when you’re tired and being stronger will prepare you for this. My coach once said, “practice is hard, so the game is easy.” Deadlifts are hard but doing them helps make your life easier.
Reason Seven-Reduced Injury Risk
Yes, can get hurt doing deadlifts. I’ve been there and it’s usually because I have done something wrong. But deadlifts train and strengthen the smaller muscles of the lower back that support your spine when done right. Lower back muscle and strength provide the foundation for most lower and upper body movements. And you’ll be able to lift more weight safely and reduce the chances of putting your back out.
Reason Eight-It’s Practical
If you’re clumsy like me, you may find yourself picking stuff up from the ground all day long. Now rather than rounding the lower back to pick it up, you hinge and use your hips and hamstrings to pick it up. This motion is the (hinge) deadlift.
Remember the saying ‘lift with your legs and not your back?”
It really means lifting with your hips (and legs) and not your back. Your lower back is not designed for movement, it’s designed for stability. Using our muscles of the hips and legs to hinge (and squat) is what they’re designed for. And graining this movement with deadlift variations will get you strong and save you from a world of hurt.
Wrapping Up
Deadlifting from the floor is not for everyone, but the deadlift motion is for everyone because it’s the way we are meant to move. Hopefully, I’ve given you eight good reasons to deadlift, to help realize your strength potential. Then Becky will say
“(Insert your name here) look at him (or her) deadlift, They’re so strong. They must be some rap stars’ girlfriends (or boyfriend).”
If you want more juice in the caboose I have the program for you here.
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