In mass gyms, the deadlift is not as popular as the squat, but the deadlift is the most training-worthy movement of all training movements, so it is also known as the "king of movements". Not only does it improve the fitness of any athlete and help prevent injuries in the general population, but it is also very helpful in bodybuilding. So no matter what your training goals are, the deadlift should be one of those exercises for anyone interested in fitness. So let's take a look today, what muscle groups can be exercised by deadlifting? How to deadlift properly and safely? Some of the most common mistakes? How to arrange it into the training plan?
There are many types of deadlifts: barbell deadlift, dumbbell deadlift, etc., deadlifts are also divided into traditional and sumo styles, straight-leg deadlifts and curled-leg deadlifts, and there is a type called Romanian deadlift. . .But today we will only discuss the most classic and primitive barbell deadlift, which is the "traditional deadlift" (also often referred to as the "bent-leg deadlift"), so today's talk is all about Based on the traditional deadlift. As long as you learn the traditional deadlift, other deadlifts will naturally be understood, because their action principles are basically the same, and they are all based on "bending the waist", or more correctly, "flexing the hips".
How to do deadlifts
Preparation before pulling
Grip the barbell with both hands, slightly wider than shoulder width, and straighten your arms naturally, so that the arm muscles are tense.
The shoulder blades are above the bar and the shoulders are slightly in front of the bar.
Feet hip-width apart, toes abducted, under the bar, heels on the floor.
The barbell is close to the calf. Bend your knees slightly and find the right spot in your body so your hips are high, your chest is high, your lower back is straight, and your core is tight. The knee joint should touch the inside of the arm slightly.
Pull up process
Inhale, hold your breath, start by extending your knees (to let go of the barbell’s trajectory), exert force on your hips and thighs, and straighten your knees. When straightening your torso, keep your arms perpendicular to the ground and keep the bar close to your body, don't try to lift the bar with your hands. During the movement, the knees should not go beyond the toes.
Return to starting position
Exhale when your torso is fully extended and stand with the barbell in your hands; bring your shoulders back, squeeze your back, and hold your hips slightly forward for a second. When lowering from an upright position, the hips and knees are unlocked at the same time, but the hips are first flexed, the hips are moved back, the trunk is leaned forward, the knees are slightly bent when the bar is close to the knees, and the knees are lowered to increase the angle of flexion. The whole process is slow and steady The rhythm falls. Take a small breath at the end of the standing position, then hold the rest until you lower the bar to complete the deadlift and then breathe out.
Common deadlift mistakes
Bending the back
Arching the back is probably the most common and most dangerous mistake to make when deadlifting. If you fail to maintain a neutral position when squatting or deadlifting, and fail to follow the original physiological curve of the lumbar spine, the probability of intervertebral disc injury is greatly increased. So if you want to avoid lumbar spine injuries during deadlifts, be sure to “push your chest out” before you lift the bar.
Bad foot position
Maybe you never thought about this detail, but foot position is extremely important for a good deadlift.
The barbell must be aligned with the midline of the sole of the foot to draw a vertical trajectory.
If the bar is not aligned with the midline of the ball of your foot, not only will you not be able to pull a straight line, but the weight of the deadlift will be shifted to the toes, causing the knees to flex forward and putting more force on the quadriceps.
Therefore, when deadlifting, the midline of the ball of the foot should be under the bar.
As for width: You should put your feet hip-width apart.
Wrong hip position
If the hips are too low before pulling the bar, the bar will not be aligned with the shoulder blades, and when the bar is pulled, the upward trajectory of the bar will not be a straight line, but an arc.
In addition, if the hips are too low, the deadlift becomes a "barbell in hand" squat, and the quadriceps will exert more force, losing the original purpose of practicing the deadlift, which is to train the posterior chain muscles.
Conversely, the hips should not be too high, because if the hips are too high, the movement becomes a straight-leg deadlift instead of a traditional curled-leg deadlift.
Although the straight-leg deadlift is also a very good training exercise, we are going to learn the traditional bent-leg deadlift today, so it is wrong for the hips to be too high in this case.
Conclusion
1. Increase the spread of the feet so that the heels are close to the bottom of the bar, and the center of gravity is on the heels.
2 Take a deep breath, keeping the core tense.
3. Keeping your head up and your chest up and keeping the natural curvature of your spine can help you lift more weight.
4 Starting position with the hips in a high position.
5 Do not pause at the lowest point. If you stop for more than 4 seconds, the stretch reflex is gone.
6 Quickly pull up the weight.
7. The barbell is close to the body all the way. If you move away from the body, not only will the lower back be more stressed, but the weight you will lift will also be less.
8. Using the front and back grip can increase the grip strength by 20%-50%, and you can alternate the front and back grips with both hands to stimulate the back symmetrically.
