Deadlifts

I love deadlifting; it rivals squats as my favorite exercise. In one sense it seems like the simplest exercise in the gym: you just squat down, pick it, and put it back down. But what's so thrilling about it is that everything in your body works together to do it right, from your traps to your calves. It's fully engaging of every muscle group. I suppose this could carry over to Olympic lifting, where you keep going until it's over your head, but deadlifts are more than enough for now. I'm weighing about 150 these days and lifting 205 for 4 reps with no injuries. I'm inching up next time. It's grand.

Jim L.

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Sign me up on that bandwagon!! I too live the full range of work out that you get when deadlifting and squatting. I really enjoy the raised heart rate and breathing you get from these exercises. I prefer to do deadlifts at the beginning of my workout, warming up with deadlifts around the 300 range and head up to my current max 430 4-6 reps at a time. Then, I am ready for a water break and start the rest of my Monday routine. It really sets the pace for the remainder of my workout. I do pretty much the same with the squats, warming up and then working up to my max. It can sure make the flight of stairs up from the basement a bit difficult though. :-)

James R.

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Interested in training to improve your deadlift? I have had the best luck improving my lift (slowly, very slowly) by warming up with a couple of sets of 8 reps at only 135 lbs. to ensure that my form is in the groove. I then proceed as follows:

1) Do a working set in which rep 8 is pushing failure.
2) Pyramid up on the next set to a weight allowing 5 or 6 reps. If I am feeling relatively wimpy, I repeat this step another time before moving on to the next step. On good days, I drive right on.
3) Do several sets of "triples" (3-rep sets) at a challenging weight that does not necessarily toe the "failure line"--I don't like the idea of failing on a rep with that much weight hanging off me! Sometimes I feel like doing 5 or 6 sets of triples. Most often, I get only 3 or so before my back is feeling fragged (probably already did some good mornings and side bends). If I'm really feeling like a wild man, I'll follow the triples with an attempt at a new 1 rep max.

My body (and mind) seems to really respond to the triples. If I train at higher rep ranges, my form begins to suffer as I get winded and tired, and after many sets the grip becomes weak and distracts me from maintaining proper spinal positioning. I try to increase the weight on the triples every other week, even if only by 5 pounds.

Well, that's my story. Good luck on finding the right deadlifting program! My deadlift motto: "Better to progress at a snail's pace than to rocket into traction." Lift on...

Kevin P.

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Deads were always the hardest lift for me. Short arms work well in the bench but are killers for a top DL. AS much as I love the BP, I always knew "the meet didn't start 'til the bar's on the floor."

Consequently, my dead program focused on triples after a couple of warm-up sets of 8 reps with 135 and 185. What helped me the most, though, were high pulls, the same as Olympic lifters used. Built explosiveness off the bottom which was my trouble area. If I could get the bar underway, I could usually complete the lift. Triples again usually with 1/2 whatever my deadlift max was at the time. BTW, Kevin's final point is a good one.

Bill2

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I had a great time this evening. I was able to teach 3 women at the Y how to deadlift and they loved it. These were no beginners to free weights; they have been squatting for years but never had been taught how to deadlift.

Susan

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I'll bet I know what they loved best about it. The way you feel it right where your glutes and hamstrings come together. I know, for me, there is no other exercise that hits that particular area in quite that way and as an aging woman (hahaha) I NEED this exercise. :-)

Lauri

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And after a while if they get bored with the DL have them try the clean. That ties the entire posterior chain from the glutes to the spinal erectors to the traps together. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the clean will have a very beneficial effect on posture too. I'm happy to hear that women are doing exercises like the DL. I wish I saw more of it.

I just started my almost 13 year old daughter on dumbbell squats. When she's got some time with these I'll introduce her to DL's.

Chuck

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Somewhere on this wonderful website, Dave recommendeds the ultimate power rep, the economical mass producer, the quintessential move of every bodybuilder or weight lifter who ever had a back to be proud of: Deadlifts. This exercise works every muscle on the backside of the human body - neck, traps, rear deltoids, some lateral deltoid, all components of the back muscle group, hip flexors, hamstrings, quadraceps and even your calves. Talk about efficient! All that in one exercise.

Go slow at first, maybe just three sets: One light warmup set of 12-20 reps, a second set tuning up at 50-70% of your workout weight for 8-10 reps, then set three, a set of 4-7 reps with a weight you can control using perfect form at all times. Once you get used to this sequence, you can add a fourth set of 4-7 reps. After a couple of weeks, maybe one more strength set of 4-7 reps.

I always do my deadlifts first in the workout because they require all my strength and warmup my entire body. You'll want all your grip and power available for these if for no other reason than the payoff on these reps is very high. Also, I've known of people who save deadlifts for the end of a workout getting injuries. Putting a load like deadlifts on muscles that have been previously fatigued is not a good procedure. That is how you tear bicep tendins, pull back ligaments, hip flexors, etc. Do these while you are strong.

Pumping up, pumping deadlifts,
John Oneschak

Click here for Dave's deadlift description

Click here for Sam's deadlifting photos

Click here for the IOL deadlifting Q&A

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