4 Benefits of Deadlifting

Why YOU should be deadlifting.

About 10 years ago, you couldn’t even mention a deadlift without someone chiming in with how they are bad for your back.

Thankfully with the rise of Powerlifting, Weightlifting & CrossFit as key sports, this has definitely slowed down.

People are starting to look at Deadlifts for they are; an exercise that should be respected, appreciated and used as a tool to become superhuman.

We love deadlifts at our gyms and use them amongst a variety of clients and programs with a variety of different pieces of equipment.

For the purpose of this article, I will highlight and briefly summarise some of the benefits of Deadlifting that I’ve seen over my years as a coach and some recommendations on where you should start.

We use four main types of deadlifts in our programming on a regular basis as main lifts

• Kettle Bell Deadlift
• Trap Bar Deadlift
• Sumo Barbell Deadlift
• Conventional Barbell Deadlift

**Side note: We do utilise the RDL and its variants a lot, but for our general programming we classify them as accessory/supplement lifts instead of main lifts.

Our mission at our gyms is to help busy Central West locals feel, look and move their best every day while adding 10 years to their life. Here’s how we believe deadlifts assist in that mission.

– Fully Body Engagement

Firstly,  in order to have the skill and capacity to safely lift a heavy deadlift, you need to be fully switched on. Deadlifts force you to engage your full body, from your hands to your feet, and the technique requires you to be present and to be in synch, from the hinging of your hips to the isometric holding your spine. This full body demand helps it to really engage the CNS (central nervous system) and drive neural adaptations such as strength, power and general motor development. 

StrongerLower Body +  Posterior Chain
Depending on which deadlift you are using your lower body will get targeted in different ways and you will develop stronger legs. However, all of the deadlift variants targetted the posterior chain in some way which includes the hamstrings, glutes and lower back and this is essential for developing strength that can be utilised in life and sport. By developing these areas with the deadlift we are decreasing our chance of general injury and also improving the quality of soft tissue in our lower body.

Resilient Core + Back

This is where it gets interesting, seeing as deadlifts were told to ‘ruin backs’ back in the day, now they are looked at by many people as a tool that can help build general resilience in the back.
Through strengthening the lower back and upper postural muscles, deadlifts performed in the right matter and right program have actually been shown to build resilient backs through it’s demand on the core musculature and it’s strengthening on the posterior chain.

**Side note, this is not medical advice, if you have lower back pain make sure you see a Physiotherapist / professional before using any exercise to complement your routine.

Bonus: Improved mental clarity, confidence and all-around feeling of being superhuman.

NOTHING, and I repeat NOTHING makes you feel as bad-ass as lifting a heavy weight off the ground that you were previously afraid it. Putting in the work week after week to conquer that big heavy barbell is extremely satisfying and provides you with a certain ‘spiritual’ experience I would say.

When you lift 100kg after being afraid of 100kg, it does something to you.  You feel confident, you feel like you can do anything and you take that into how you live and how you approach other people. It’s amazing.

Heavy Deadlifting is one of the best mood lifters I’ve ever seen.

If you want help learning to deadlift is a safe environment in a system that builds you up slowly, under the guidance of professional coaches..
Click the button below to book a Consult today 🙂

TRAIN WITH INTENT
LIVE WITH PURPOSE