CLICK HERE for a podcast about this topic (episode 222 of Running Stronger)
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I’m a huge proponent of deadlifts.
Every single one of the people I coach…
Whether the person’s 13 or 83…
Whether the person is trying to peak for an athletic competition or recover from a botched hip surgery…
Every one of them does deadlifts.
Now do all of them look the same?
Absolutely not.
That would be irresponsible.
Some people are deadlifting heavy barbells off of the ground while others are deadlifting much lighter kettlebells off of an elevated platform.
But everybody I coach does deadlifts.
Why?
There are a lot of reasons, but arguably the biggest reason I appreciate deadlifts so much is that they have a HUGE impact on the muscles that protect your spine.
In other words, they help prevent or improve low back pain.
Which is funny because most people I know think they cause low back pain.
But that’s only if you do them badly and/or irresponsibly.
Muscles like your erector complex and your multifidus don’t really do a great job of “creating force.”
Instead, they “respond to load.”
So if you want to get a stronger “low back,” you need to put yourself in a bent-over position and hold some sort of heavy-ish weight long enough for those muscles to work and create an adaptation.
So yes…
Deadlifts are good for your glutes.
And your hamstrings.
And your grip.
But one of the primary reasons I program them is that they help people build a stronger back.
If done correctly.
Admittedly, as deadlifts get heavier, the risks get bigger.
(And “heavy” is relative to the person.)
If you’re trying to pick up a heavy weight off the ground, then you’re still putting at least a decent amount of stress on somewhat fragile structures in a mildly compromised position.
That doesn’t mean we should avoid deadlifts.
It just means we should do them properly.
The other week, I filmed a video for someone I coach who was feeling deadlifts a bit too much in her back.
Over the past year or two, she’s gotten very strong and as a result, she needed a few more details as to how she can lift heavy weights safely.
As I was watching through the video, it seemed like it could potentially help someone else, so I trimmed out the personal details and popped it on the internet.
If you want to get the most benefit, I highly recommend you watch the video (attached below).
Yet if you want a quick list, I’ll add it here as well.
1 – Expect to feel deadlifts in your back
Your low back is working during a deadlift.
As such, you might feel your low back, just like you might feel your bicep and forearm during a lat pulldown.
Or your shoulder during a bench press.
It shouldn’t be the primary thing you feel.
It shouldn’t hurt.
But we should expect the muscle to be working… because it is.
2 – Brace better (differently…?)
There are two primary bracing strategies when lifting.
In one, we just tighten all of our core muscles and call it a day.
This works great when loads are lighter, but we might want to try a different strategy when loads get heavier.
It’s really difficult to describe through text, so here’s where I’m going to point you to the video (about 2 minutes in).
Although one thing I will say, this heavier bracing strategy isn’t great for people with high blood pressure.
So be careful.
3 – Keep your armpit crease over the bar
If your armpit crease is directly over the bar, then the bar can raise in a straight line and stay close to your body.
It also pretty much guarantees that you’re engaging your lats in order to keep your torso stable while simultaneously limiting the tendency to drag the bar up your legs.
How do you know this is happening?
Either have a workout buddy watch you deadlift or take a video from the side.
Too few people film themselves lifting and we could solve a lot of problems by just pulling out our phones and taking a quick video.
Is it awkward?
Sure.
Can it help you lift a lot more safely and effectively?
Absolutely.
4 – Find the right knee bend to hip bend ratio FOR YOU
I am a short person with short legs (even for a short person).
That means my deadlift position will look a bit different from my tall client with long legs (even for a tall person).
Will it look entirely different?
No.
It’s still a deadlift.
Neither of us is doing it while standing on our heads.
But the exact ratio of knee to hip bend that will allow us to produce good force out of the bottom won’t be quite the same.
And it probably won’t be quite the same for you either.
You have to experiment and find what works for you.
Then practice it a few hundred to a few thousand times to make it feel smooth.
5 – Take the slack out of the bar
Too many people “yank” the weight off the ground.
That’s a great way to shock-load your back and hurt your spine.
Instead, we want to find a stable, powerful position, create a lot of tension, then unleash the tension to lift the bar.
This is another one that’s best displayed through video, but note that this applies to all deadlifts.
Whether you’re using a kettlebell or a barbell…
Whether you’re doing a conventional deadlift from the ground or a Romanian deadlift from the waist…
The movement should be smooth and controlled at the bottom.
We do not want to yank the bar off the ground or bounce out of the bottom.
At least if you like your spine.
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Those are five tips to help improve your deadlift.
I know it might not make a ton of sense in written form, which is why I posted the video.
And if you have any questions, please shoot me a message.
I’m always happy to help if I can.