Deadlifts have become one of the most popular exercises in the gym. You've probably noticed more and more people spending a significant amount of time working out with Olympic weights in recent years, but, more specifically doing deadlifts. There's a good reason for this; for such a primitive and simplistic exercise, it carries numerous benefits which can help nearly anybody, no matter what their fitness goals.
The simplicity of a deadlift is perfectly described in the exercises' name; it's literally the action of lifting dead-weight up off of the floor, usually with a long bar and weights on either side. Traditionally, you would have seen deadlifts done in one form of competition or another; maybe in a strongman contest or Crossfit type of setting where the goal is to lift as much weight as possible at one time or as many times as possible.
But, deadlifts don't always need to always consist of lifting one's maximum amount of weight. In fact, that can be the most detrimental mistake when performing the exercise. The term quality over quantity is the best rule of thumb in the case of both an average person in the gym or anyone training with a specific purpose; focus on a quality form and technique versus the quantity of weight lifted.
While lifting a dead weight off of the floor seems like a simple task, performing a deadlift with proper technique is another story and is essential for 2 reasons. First of all, no matter the amount of weight you're trying to lift, if you're doing it with improper form you will, at some point, injure yourself. Second, there are numerous benefits to performing a deadlift correctly so you want to make sure it's being done efficiently and effectively.
A Fitness Focus Trainer would definitely the best recommendation to learn how to deadlift for efficiency and effectiveness; but let's dig more into why you should incorporate deadlifting into your workout and what benefits you can expect to see.
Posture
Some general aches and pains we deal with in our normal day to day life can be related directly to our posture. Tight chest muscles and ribs, lower back soreness; even stiffness in the knees all tie directly to our posture while we're walking, standing or even sitting. Adding proper deadlifts consistently into your routine can activate and develop and strengthen the muscles around these areas and helps improve posture, ultimately alleviating these common aches and pains.
Reducing the possibility of Injuries
Legs and back have the most and largest muscles out of every body part. They are also the body parts which are used the most for a majority of your day to day functions such as going up and down stairs carrying objects and balancing. Weaker muscles in your legs and back means there's a higher likelihood of an injury accompanied by a longer recovery process. Developing and conditioning the muscles in and around your legs and back are your best bet for avoiding injuries in the first place.
Use More Muscle Groups
Deadlifts use more muscles than any other exercise. Core muscles including abs, obliques and lower back are engaged through the entire exercise. Grip strength improves through the use of hand and forearms. Upper back and trapezius muscles which tie into the neck. So, if you were only allowed to use one exercise for the rest of your life, your best choice is a deadlift; it incorporates all the major muscles groups which mean less need to target many of the secondary muscles.
If you're convinced about the power of the deadlift, and you want to learn how or to improve your technique on this or any other exercise in and out of the gym contact a trainer trainer today.