Deadlifts

Deadlifts aren’t just for the powerlifters anymore. This exercise has been a staple for anyone who has ever stepped in a weight room with the goal of becoming their strongest selves, but with the growing demographic of people working out, the deadlift has adapted, and I don’t just mean in variation, but in volume of usage. So, who can benefit from the deadlift and why?

The Strongman

We will start with the most obvious of the first of our four deadlifters. This person comes in and knows exactly how this whole workout is going to go. This person is a veteran of the weight room, can do it all. Squat, bench press, rows, this person is well built and can move a ton of weight, so why does the strongman need to do deadlifts?

Deadlifting does a great job of activating both upper and lower body muscles, more so than any other major compound lift that is typically performed on a given day. Deadlifts are the BEST way of creating full body tension, as this lift is normally performed at a very high weight, often more weight than you’d use on any other lift. Bearing such loads forces your body to adapt by recruiting more and more muscles to complete the lift. Another nice trait of the deadlift is, other than some occasional lower back tightness in the beginning, you can add the deadlift to any day without risking muscle soreness that would hinder your other workouts. Because of the lack of eccentric contractions in the deadlift, muscle soreness is never as intense as say the aches you may feel in your chest after a bench press day.

The Beginner

Deadlifting is a complex exercise, so what business does a gym rookie doing it? Shouldn’t they start with the basics? Maybe getting a trainer to teach you the lift would be wise, and at the very least there are 100,000 people on YouTube willing to teach you the deadlift, but yes, you should do deadlifts regardless of your gym experience. I’m not saying load the bar up and crank out sets of 3 on Day 1, but rather go through the motion, perfect your form, and add weight later (like every other exercise). The reason I think it is important for beginners in the gym to practice deadlifting is because the biggest hurdle when you are beginning a workout routine is properly engaging the muscles you are trying to work. Getting your muscles to perform lifts correctly is a result of something called neurological adaptation, and if you are just walking into the gym for the first time, you may not be equipped with this. So, what better than an exercise that forces your entire body to contract? It doesn’t need to be heavy, and form is key, but deadlifts force your body to create pressure and get all your muscles to work together, speeding up the time it takes for your neuromuscular system to get use to your new found workout routine.

The Weekend Warrior

For those just trying to squeeze it in, deadlift should be at the top of the list. This full body lift not only works every muscle in your body, but it also gets the heart pumping. I’m not sure I would go as far as to call high rep sets of deads a “cardio workout” but give it a shot and tell me it doesn’t get your heart racing. They also prep your body for real-life situations (moving, yard work, carrying 15 grocery bags in one trip) and improves your grip strength, further helping you complete day to day tasks with just a little more ease.

The Above-Average Joe

This person comes to the gym diligently but doesn’t necessarily set there goals to any particular extreme. This person wants to come in a few times a week, get a good workout, maybe get a couple days on their own, and make sure not to injure themselves. Loading up a barbell and squatting down to an uncomfortable position doesn’t sound like the most desirable thing to do, especially when there are thousands of other exercises, they could do to effectively work all their body parts.

Great Question.

My best argument for why someone who fits into this category should do deadlifts is all based on the demands of day-to-day life when it comes to maintaining optimal skeletal integrity. The two aspects of this that I choose to highlight are posture and bone density. Ideal deadlift form requires the most perfect of posture to perform. The benefits of good posture are plenty, but to keep the article short, let’s keep the examples short and just focus on its injury-preventative properties and it’s positive impact on your balance. The bone density benefits are especially helpful for older clients. As we age, we lose bone density at an increasingly frequent rate and the best way to restore it is with weight bearing exercises, with deadlifts being the king of the weightlifting category.

Whether you’re the strongest guy at the gym or decided at age 60 that you needed to start working out, deadlifts are such a good choice for anyone, regardless of experience or goals.