If going to the gym intimidates you, my gym basics series will give you some fundamentals to feel confident with resistance training. If you want to know more about getting comfortable with a deadlift, read on!
Deadlifting is one of those basic gym moves you've probably seen if you've ever watched a movie about sports, gone to the gym, or worked with a personal trainer. It is perhaps the most fundamental move: pick up a weight, and put it back down. The deadlift is beloved by many weight trainers for a variety of reasons, but this is because you can use it to set a PR (personal record) that helps you to gauge your overall strength and progress. In other words, if you want to track your gym progress without measuring your body or weight, a deadlift is a good way to do it.
The deadlift is beloved by functional trainers, strength trainers, and bodybuilders alike. It primarily works your back, glutes, and legs, but it is truly a full body exercise. It is also functional, because picking up weight is a skill you will use in your daily life. It will make tasks like picking up groceries or furniture, shoveling snow, raking leaves, and even just getting out of bed and getting dressed, easier and less likely to injure you.
So how do you perform a deadlift without injury, and how do you train it to make progress?
Tip #1 - Try it. Try it again. Move your feet, then try again.
The deadlift is a basic move, but there is a lot that can go wrong. Start with a light weight. (See how to do that here.) And just practice, practice, practice. Feel your body move through it. Stand in a mirror or take a video with your phone (don't be embarrassed of seeking to improve!) and watch how your back moves, how your legs move, how your arms move.
Building a connection between your mind and body is part of the reason we exercise in the first place, and even if you did a perfect deadlift under the instruction of a trainer or physical therapist, if you don't "feel" what is right about it, how will you ever replicate it? By just practicing the move, you will begin to feel when something is right, and when something is off and may cause injury. By practicing, you are building up your gut instincts.
Tip #2 - Keep the weight close to your legs
Whether you are using dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells, whether you are doing an RDL, sumo, or American deadlift (I will break these down below), keeping the weight close to your legs protects your lower back, which is one of the easiest areas to injure on the human body. If you allow the weight to move away from your body, you are changing your center of gravity under load, which can really mess you up.
Keep it close!
What is a Romanian deadlift?
The main identifier for a Romanian deadlift is that the weight starts at the top near your hips, and stops somewhere between your knee and ankle, then is not dropped or touched to the floor. It works your glutes and hamstrings more than an American, and is therefore ideal for a leg or glute day.
What is an American deadlift?
A standard, or American deadlift starts with the body bent over the weight, then you drag the weight up to hip height, and ease it back to the start position.
What is a sumo deadlift?
Your final tip will lead into your post’s conclusion. For example, “Lastly, knowing just a little bit about SEO can go a long way in helping your blog succeed. You can learn more about SEO in our guide.” Then be sure to add a link to your guide here.
Should I be dropping the weight once I reach the top of my deadlift?
In larger gyms or online, you may see someone lift the weight, then drop it.
A good way to know if you should be doing this as well is by asking a couple of questions: Am I preparing for a serious competition, such as the Olympics? Am I a powerlifter achieving a personal record for one rep? Am I an inconsiderate jerk?
If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes' then you should definitely drop your weight. If not, you should be bringing the weight down with as much care and control as possible.
So how do you include a deadlift in your workout?
As a personal trainer, I use deadlifts in workouts for myself and clients every week. So how do I do it?
First, choose your form of deadlift. Early in your gym practice, don't worry too much about whether you want glute dominant or hamstring dominant, just choose the deadlift that is most achievable and comfortable for you. For most people, the Romanian is a good place to start, because it lends itself well to dumbbells.
Warm up with your deadlift in mind.
A deadlift recruits many muscles, and these muscles should be warm before you attempt the move. Warm up your full body with some walking, jogging, jumping jacks, any full body movement that gets your heart rate up and blood pumping, then move into some mobilizations. These are simple moves which build the mind-body connection, and help you to feel the muscles you are targeting.
I like bird-dogs, hip bridges, good mornings, inchworms, and body-weight squats. If you have a resistance glute band, throw it on for the hip bridges and squats, as it really helps you feel your glutes activating.
Put the deadlift at the beginning of the workout.
The deadlift will be the biggest, or one of the biggest, moves in your workout. After you warm up and activate your back and legs to prepare them for the movement, your deadlift should be one of the first moves.
Why? It depends on your goals, but we put our most important activity early in our workout. So if you want to run, you run first, but if you want to gain muscle and are just using running for cardio, you lift weights first. You want to be fresh going into your deadlift because it is a full body, complex movement, and you will be recruiting almost every muscle in your body. If you go into a deadlift after bicep curls or core work, those specific muscles will be fatigued, and you will recruit other muscles to compensate. This can lead to injury.
So put deadlifts early, when you are warm, but not tired.
Choose your sets and reps.
To achieve muscle growth, you will want to do 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps. (A set is the number of times you set up to do the exercise, and a rep is a repetition. So 2 sets of 8 reps mean you stand up to do deadlifts twice, and execute 8 deadlifts each time.)
To get stronger, you want to do 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps, with the heaviest weight you can manage and control. I would recommend you wait until you are very comfortable with the movement before moving into this range.
For goals like weight loss, body composition, or general fitness, go with the "muscle growth" range, as this will increase your lean body mass and help with burning fat and body composition goals. (The New York Times wrote a nice article about how strength training can help with longevity.)
This means that most people should be starting at 2 sets of 8 reps, working to increase to 3 sets of 12 before increasing the weight you are using.
Make time for recovery.
Finally, after you deadlift, make sure to recover. Foam rolling your glutes can feel very nice after a deadlift, and some good stretches in the legs and to open up the chest and back for 30 seconds to 2 minutes will leave you feeling relaxed and ready for the rest of your day.
I will do my best to post a short tutorial and stretch routine this week, so keep an eye on my Instagram and Facebook.
If you have any questions, reach out to me here through my website, any of my social media, or at pearl.howell.fitness@gmail.com. I love to talk through issues keeping you from moving!
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