There are three main disciplines in powerlifting, among which the deadlift occupies a special place. This basic exercise Designed to develop and strengthen the back. Its implementation allows you to use absolutely all muscle groups, and not just the back ones. This exercise is good for powerlifters, but there is a lot of controversy regarding whether it should be included in the training program of bodybuilders. Some believe that deadlifts are necessary for bodybuilders. Other athletes do not share this point of view.

Many professional famous athletes refuse to perform deadlifts due to the increased risk of injury. Beginners who do not yet know how to properly do this basic powerlifting exercise often get injured. Excessive perseverance of novice athletes can lead to this. Some people believe that it is necessary to start immediately by lifting heavy weights, taking, instead of fifty, one hundred kilograms or even more. Of course, when we're talking about about something like this high load it is simply impossible for a beginner to comply correct technique. This is especially true for those who are doing deadlifts for the first time.

Perfect knowledge of technology also does not guarantee a complete absence of injury hazard. There are many professional athletes with broken backs. Lifting heavy objects always carries risks. This is also true for those who follow precise deadlift technique and use an athletic belt.

The exercise requires an incredible amount of strength and energy. It literally drains nervous system athlete Performing a deadlift becomes a real challenge for many. Some people are unable to exercise after this exercise, while others cannot even walk normally for the next few days. Overtraining becomes a real problem because it disrupts your workout schedule and leads to a sharp decline in progress.

Many gym goers decide to include deadlifts in their back workout routine. This is, of course, good, but with some reservations. Lifting heavy leads to the fact that further training after performing this exercise becomes impossible. The hands simply stop obeying, which leads to the fact that it is no longer possible to hold the barbell even in an inclined row. In order not to disrupt the usual training schedule, deadlifting is given a separate lesson. This approach allows you to work the latissimus dorsi muscles, which many amateurs do not do.

Deadlift leads to the fact that the waist expands, and this is a negative effect for the bodybuilder. Most bodybuilders, on the contrary, strive to make it narrower. Among professional bodybuilders with thin waist Of those who compete, there are few who do deadlifts on a regular basis.

Exercise has a positive effect on strength indicators. It gives a powerful impetus to the overall growth of muscle mass and leads to an increase in the release of anabolic hormones. These advantages of deadlift, when compared with the disadvantages, are not so noticeable for a bodybuilder. The only option for performing this exercise that will benefit the bodybuilder is considered to be a deadlift, that is, with straight legs, which allows you to work the hamstrings.

Summarizing

Both the deadlift and any other basic strength exercise should be performed only when the technique has been fully mastered. You can't lift heavy weights. In addition, it is important to consider which part of the body the exercise is pumping and how much recovery time it requires. If all the nuances are fully studied, the risks of injury are reduced, and the body acquires the desired relief and volume in the areas where it should be.

Which is better, deadlift or squat - basics and relationship

Before we talk about which exercise is better - the basic deadlift or the squat, a little detail about each of them. Let's start with the deadlift.

What you need to know about the deadlift?

I’ll say right away that deadlifts are my favorite. favorite exercise, at the same time, I do not deny that it is one of the most risky and may well cause injury, for example, a hernia of the spine. However, if you dream of building a new and strong body, then after some preparation it is the deadlift that will help you achieve your goal.

Not everyone can afford to do deadlifts, and this is the main feature of the exercise. Only athletes with a truly strong muscle corset can treat themselves to such luxury. If there are problems with the corset, then even perfectly correct technique and relatively light weights will lead to injury. Having a strong muscle corset, even athletes who do not observe the subtleties of technical performance, working with exorbitant weights, will not get injured, and this says a lot. Before you start working on deadlifts, you need to take care of pumping up your back and not vice versa.

Safe, correct deadlift technique involves squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling your head back. With a competitive opposite squat, you need to release your shoulders and shoulder blades, but do not slouch or hunch your back, which is much more difficult than with retracted shoulder blades, but your arms become longer and you can pull more weights. It’s really better to start working on the exercise this way, with your shoulder blades retracted - following a proven algorithm, but if over time you try to repeat the exercise the way representatives of the world elite do, even with a slightly non-classical technique, it won’t be wrong. Moreover, perhaps new execution options will help you feel more comfortable.

Of course, I don’t encourage you to forget about technique and do deadlifts the way bodybuilding gurus do. I just want to say that technology is relative, but only if you can afford to experiment without fear for your health, that is, having powerful base. Beginners in the first few years will need to follow step by step instructions and do not violate the algorithm for performing the exercises and only after the body is prepared to try to introduce something new into the exercise.

Many people believe that regularly performing deadlifts leads to a larger waist. As a person who personal experience I checked this, I hasten to answer you - it is not true. In due time when my best indicator performing a sumo-style deadlift was 225 kilograms, I decided to check whether the deadlift would really affect the width of my waist. For six months I did the exercise, as a result I was able to increase the figure to 250 kilograms. As for the waist, after measurements it turned out that it had not increased.

Summarizing all of the above about deadlifts, we note the following:

1. Beginning athletes need to do the exercise only with light weights and only after six months or a year of active work. gym on exercises aimed at strengthening the muscle corset.
2. At first, you need to work only following the traditional technique of performing the deadlift, and only after a year has passed, experiments are allowed.
3. Sumo-style deadlifts help you lift heavier weights, but you'll need to try them out in practice to understand how well this option works for you.
4. Deadlifts do not promote a wider waist.
5. Deadlifts cannot be performed by thin guys with weak backs and novice athletes due to the high risk of injury.

To start working on their core, skinny guys will need to gain mass without farming, sticking to proper nutrition and following a training regimen. Effective program can be considered only if it brings results - it will contribute to the growth of muscle mass.

Barbell Squats - Basics

Squats with a barbell in strength sports considered a basic exercise. It can be found in the training program for athletes in almost any sport. Skiers, sprinters, wrestlers and even track and field athletes do squats with a barbell. In every sport where you need to be fast, jumping and strong, barbell squats are truly a necessity.

Squats are considered one of the most suitable exercises to gain mass and strength throughout the body. Naturally, the main load falls on bottom part body - legs and back.

During squats, several muscle groups and joints work at once, so the exercise is considered multi-joint. The work involves the knee, hip, ankle joints, acting in concert. Different variations of the exercise help shift the load on certain muscles in the lower body, but each of them in one way or another involves the quadriceps. The hamstrings and calf muscles act as stabilizers during barbell squats; the abdominal muscles and back extensors also work.

The benefits of squats include the following:

• exercise promotes enhanced functioning of the endocrine system, which leads to the release of testosterone;
• correct squats create a general strengthening effect;
• the exercise is available in different variations;
• Squats are easy to perform and do not require years of experience.

Now that you know what a deadlift is and why squats are performed, you can return to the question of what is better - a squat or a deadlift.

Relationship between exercises

I would like to note right away that it is impossible to single out the best of these two exercises. They are interconnected and inseparable, except that in some cases they can be replaced by alternative ones. So, to understand the similarities between the exercises, let’s start with the biomechanical essence. Deadlifts and squats turn out to be identical from a biomechanical point of view. In both versions, the basis of the exercise is bending and straightening the knees. The only difference is that when performing squats, the barbell is mostly held on the back, and during deadlifts, it is held in the hands. This is the fundamental factor regarding the involvement of the leg and back muscles in work.

When performing a deadlift, the result depends 60% on the back and the remaining 40% on the legs, while in squats the opposite is true. From this it is worth concluding that both legs and back play a decisive role in both exercises to one degree or another. Thus, by working on your legs, you can increase your deadlift performance, and vice versa, by training your back during the deadlift, you can increase your performance during squats.

It is very important to understand this relationship and accept that without squats with a barbell you will not be able to pull much and, conversely, without a deadlift, you are unlikely to handle serious weights during squats, since your back simply will not be ready for this.

Traditionally, the difference between squats and deadlifts should be 15% in favor of the latter. That is, if you can deadlift 200 kilograms, then you can squat 170 kilograms. But these are averages.

For athletes whose leg or back muscles are behind in development, the imbalance can be corrected by varying the percentage difference between the deadlift and squat weights. So, for example, if you deadlift 200 kilograms, and can squat 140 kilograms, then it is clear that your legs are lagging behind and in order to improve your deadlift you need to focus on your legs, actively working on your squats.

The same is true for squats. If you can squat with the same weight as you can pull, then the back in this case is lagging behind. It will be possible to increase your performance only by working on your deadlift, strengthening your back, and reducing the emphasis on squats. The larger and more noticeable the imbalance, the more attention will need to be focused on developing the lagging muscles through squats or deadlifts.

In conclusion, we note that the deadlift and squat are interrelated exercises that will help develop strength and power and make the body harmonious. Beginning athletes tend to have weaker legs than their backs, so they need to focus on squats.

Experienced athletes are allowed to work on increasing the performance of their legs and back by performing exercises one at a time. Remember one thing - if there are no serious contraindications, then you cannot ignore the deadlift while working on squats and vice versa. This will only lead to worse results and injuries. Do the exercises together or don’t do any of them, since they are one whole and choosing which is better, deadlifting or squatting, in this case is incorrect.

I went nuts;) it was 39cm, now it’s 40cm. I had a training session on Monday and my arms still hurt. Well, maybe it was also due to the fact that I gave a week of complete rest. Or something else;) But in general French press rules!

Click to expand...

Nothing surprising, this is a temporary effect. Sometimes the next day my bicep inflates 1cm, but then deflates back.
Why do muscles hurt:

After an athlete starts training after a break of more than 50 days, muscle pain often occurs. What does it mean? Contrary to the generally accepted point of view, this has nothing to do with the formation of lactic acid in the muscles. This has been well demonstrated over the past 10 years. They deliberately forced people to do eccentric exercises, that is, to stretch their muscles. For example, they forced people to run down the mountain. A person runs down a mountain 800 meters long 5-6 times, quite steep. Then he comes to the laboratory, where they take a biopsy and see what happens to the muscles. Immediately after training, the muscles do not hurt very much, but under a microscope you can see that there are burst myofibrils, that they are simply torn. In the following days, biopsies continue to be taken. It is observed that what has burst begins to gradually lose its shape, lysosomes form nearby and begin to destroy these remnants. And fragments of molecules have many charges, radicals. Water joins the radicals, it is also polarized, and as a result the water turns out to be bound, and there is not enough water in the cell. Additional water enters, as a result the cell begins to grow in size, and turgor appears. The muscle seems to be full. What do athletes call this? Muscle congestion and some other words they say... In short, the cell membranes are very stretched, and pain receptors sit on the membranes, a person feels pain. And then, within 3-4 days, what is destroyed is finally destroyed, only amino acids remain. Free radicals gradually disappear and the pain begins to go away. The negative effect of this only manifests itself in the fact that what is destroyed must be created anew.

The reason for this phenomenon is as follows. In an untrained person, the muscle fibers contain myofibrils of different lengths. There are short ones and there are long ones. Therefore, during eccentric exercises, the short ones tear. And if you exercise regularly, the myofibrils inside the CF become all the same length. Of course, new myofibrils are formed, all different, both short and long. But with regular training, the short ones are torn all the time, so there are few of them, and severe pain no longer occurs, it stops altogether. Whether there is lactic acid or not, it doesn’t matter. Pain is always destruction muscle fibers or more terrible: injuries, for example, muscle fiber ruptures.

Experienced coaches and athletes unanimously repeat the need for implementation - they say that only the “base” significantly increases strength and muscle mass. However, for many beginners, the deadlift is not only a difficult exercise, but also a very dangerous one. Especially if you use a large one from the very beginning.

Yes, deadlifts are very effective, I don’t argue with that. However, as effective as it is, it is also dangerous. However, perfect adherence to technique does not guarantee protection from possible injuries. The fact is that as a result of deadlifting, a large compression load is placed on the spine. The magnitude of this load is directly proportional to the working weight of the bar. That is, the greater the working weight, the greater the compression load on the spine. Therefore, the vast majority of powerlifters suffer from pain in the joints and back (a considerable part of them have hernias and protrusions of intervertebral discs). Even despite perfect adherence to technique.

For beginners, the situation is aggravated by violation of the execution technique and the use of excessive working weight. Therefore, I do not recommend that novice athletes start deadlifting from the first day of training and generally perform this exercise in low-repetition power (1-3 repetitions) mode in the future.

How to replace deadlifts?

I recommend building with an emphasis on a specific area. For example, if you want to pump up your upper back (and), use pull-ups with additional weights + a couple of heavy auxiliary exercises (for example, straight-grip barbell rows and barbell rows reverse grip). If your target is the mid-back and lower back, start your workout with deadlifts

Hello friends! Vitakha Okhrimenko is on the line with another analysis of bodybuilding exercises. Anyone who has been reading this blog for longer than they have been sexually active for a long time is probably aware that I somehow prefer it more than the classic one. I don’t even know why this is so, perhaps because the Romanian deadlift uses lighter weights, and I’m a lazy person.

But for some time now, there has been a place in my training program for classic deadlifts. And you know, at the very least in 2 months I added 3 kilograms. It’s clear that this show-off is negligible, but now I didn’t even have a goal to gain weight. Accordingly, no enhanced nutrition, no sports nutrition, and I train negligibly rarely, only about 8 times a month. Well, are you convinced?

If yes, then you can skip the first two points. Well, if not, then let's go in order.

Why do you need a deadlift?

Often among both beginners and experienced athletes, you can notice an interesting phenomenon: most of them do not deadlift at all. Some (like me before) replace it Romanian craving, but most ignore it completely.

Why is this happening? The whole point is (I don’t want to scare you, but still) that the classic deadlift, despite the fact that it seems simple, is a technically quite complex exercise. And physically, this exercise is quite difficult and dangerous. Therefore, in order to competently perform classic deadlifts, it is advisable to know all the theoretical points + not be afraid of the severity of this exercise.

You shouldn’t be afraid of it, if only because the classic deadlift somehow uses more than 80% of the muscle mass of the human body. And such an impact will certainly impact sports results.

Classic deadlift - who, why and why

The classic deadlift is one of the golden three exercises of bodybuilding and, as I wrote just above, it is one of the heaviest and, as a result, the most effective.

Deadlift came into bodybuilding from powerlifting, which in turn came from weightlifting.

The classic deadlift is a very, very energy-intensive exercise.. It's hard to say which of the two basic exercises includes more muscles into work - or deadlift. We can say with confidence that both of these exercises load the muscles in a fairly high proportion, thereby increasing both strength and muscle mass. In addition to the classic deadlift, there are also sumo-style deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts and straight-legged deadlifts (deadlifts). The classic one appeared first in bodybuilding, having managed over the years not to lose either its popularity or effectiveness. Compared to Romanian classic deadlift lets take more weight. It is clear that this significant factor, like it or not, will affect the overall strength indicators. Of course, sooner or later this will give results in relation to mass.

But for beginners who are just adapting to gym I would not recommend doing the classic version of the deadlift. You should first stretch your legs with squats and prepare your lower back with hyperextension, and then only think about deadlifting. I would recommend reducing the time required to prepare the muscle corset for deadlifting to 2–6 months of hard training.

The deadlift is a complex compound exercise that uses almost every muscle in the human body, some to lift the weight and others to stabilize the core. This exercise, in addition to targeting the muscles of the back and legs, also helps strengthen muscle mass in general.

What muscles work when deadlifting?

Basic:

• Back extensors (lumbar);
• Gluteal muscles;
• Biceps femoris (femoral biceps);
• Quadriceps femoris (quadriceps);
• Latissimus dorsi muscles (wings);
• Forearms;

Auxiliary:

• Trapezius muscles;
• Calf muscles;
• Biceps muscles (biceps);
• Abdominal muscles.

The Dangers of the Classic Deadlift

Along with its coolness, this exercise carries a fairly high potential for threat to one’s own health.

The deadlift, more than any other exercise, requires the athlete to have the correct technique and well-chosen equipment. If you allow yourself to cheat and distort, then without any special difficulties you can develop radiculitis with osteochondrosis. And these things are extremely unpleasant, take the author’s word for it (I have both).

By the way, the first time I tore my back was while doing a deadlift back in 2012 (I added it later in the mine). The mistake was the most classic one possible: pulling with a round back without an athletic belt. The weight, by the way, was quite childish - only 100 kg including the bar. Now my deadlift is close to perfection and today my personal record is 180 kg per lift.

I ask you, friends: do not repeat my mistakes. Carefully study today's article and follow all the recommendations from it.

After all, the list of diseases that deadlift can lead to is quite extensive: lumbago, Schmorl’s hernia, intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis, spondylolisthesis and others.

Logically, of course, it should be like this: the heavier the weight, the higher the risk. However, this is a slightly incorrect judgment. How incorrect technique, the higher the risk of injuring your back.

Well, okay, perhaps enough of the horror stories and warnings, it’s time to get down to business.

Preparing for the Deadlift

I think it would be quite logical to say that with such a high danger that the deadlift entails, you need to be well prepared for it.

Muscle preparation

If you have been training in the gym for a total of about two weeks, then it would be better not to do deadlifts at all for now. It is necessary to prepare your muscles for this cool, but at the same time treacherous exercise. As I already mentioned above, the stanova needs to be prepared not only physically, but also mentally.

To prepare the muscles, you need to do hyperextension through training, pump your back legs, etc. When you feel that all these muscles are ready, then proceed.

Strength sports cannot be rushed.

Equipment for deadlifting

As long as the weight of the bar does not exceed 80 kg, you don’t have to worry about equipment. But when the projectile weighs 100-150-200-300 kg (God willing, of course), then it would be necessary to use equipment.

Shoes for deadlifting

The issue of choosing shoes for deadlifts becomes relevant after the weight of the projectile crosses the 150 kg mark. But I mean specialized shoes. Regarding comfortable “ordinary” shoes, one should think about it from the first days of performing this complex and dangerous exercise.

Sneakers with foam soles are not entirely suitable for lifting because the foot will wander and will not be clearly fixed. Just like sneakers, sneakers, moccasins or slippers are not suitable for this exercise - too thin a sole will put excessive stress on the foot (especially the heels). At a minimum, this can cause flat feet. I hope it goes without saying that when performing deadlifts barefoot, we don’t even speak out loud.

Well, what kind of shoes should be used for deadlifting? - you ask. I will be happy to answer:

1. Convenient.
2. Closed.
3. Tough.
4. With a flat sole.

Small heels are allowed (no more than 1 cm). The sole of the deadlift shoe should not bend or spring, only a clear fixation ensuring maximum contact with the floor.

There are special boots for deadlifting. I'm planning to do it soon comparative review shoes for deadlifts and squats. I advise you to subscribe to updates so as not to miss out.

Athletic belt for deadlifts

When working with heavy weights, having an athletic belt is not advisable, it is MANDATORY! The purpose of the athletic belt is to protect our spine from injuries, injuries, sprains, pinching, etc.

But you shouldn’t wear a belt everywhere and always when doing deadlifts. Let's put it this way: up to 70% of the maximum, a belt is not needed, and everything that is close to the maximum is done in a belt.

If we always wear a belt when working with heavy weights, then we will allow the muscles lumbar region relax and atrophy. And hyperextension alone will not keep them in normal working mode.

In addition to increasing safety for the lower back muscles athletic belt also serves to stabilize internal organs. The use of an athletic belt creates additional compression in abdominal cavity, due to which the internal organs and spine are fixed.

Several times I saw guys putting an athletic belt almost on their hips. It is clear that the protection of the spine with this approach will be questionable. You need to wear the belt in such a way that the clasp is somewhere in the navel area.

You should not use rag belts for deadlifts, only genuine leather. Thickness 1–1.5 cm, width 15–25 cm.

Webbing and magnesia

Magnesia is the chalk that weightlifters smear on their hands before deadlifting. It should always be used when pulling without straps.

Magnesia provides better hand grip on the bar, and also neutralizes hand grease.

But athletes argue a lot about the use of straps. On one side, the straps help you pull the weight without being distracted by your grip. Sometimes you seem to be pulling normally, but your fingers can’t stand it and unbend. Like it or not, you are forced to suddenly return the bar to the floor, often to the detriment of technique. These troubles do not occur with straps, but there is a downside to the coin.

Using straps interferes with the development of forearm strength and grip strength.

Of course, there is a universal solution: use straps only when they are really needed. Up to 60% of the maximum is done without straps, over 60% is done with straps. I do this and I'm happy with everything.

At the time of writing this article I am pulling 160 for 2 reps. I lift 90 kg without straps, and over 90 kg I already pull with straps.

The straps really help you to concentrate on the pull and not be distracted by your grip.

Warm-up before deadlift

Run on a treadmill, do a hula hoop, be sure to rotate your lower back clockwise and counterclockwise. After this, you need to stretch your knee joints, the exercise for this is described.

To master the correct technique you need to be quite flexible. To do this, after doing the deadlift warm-up, it would be good to also warm up your back and legs. See the article for what exercises to use. Before the deadlift itself, we do 1 hyperextension exercise with the maximum number of repetitions, and now we are almost ready!

All that's left is to learn the correct technique.

How to deadlift correctly

Please forgive me if I am wrong and this is where I should have started. I just wanted to create the most detailed analysis of the exercise on the Internet, so I simply have no moral right to miss any nuance.

Master the classic deadlift technique from the basics. Our task is to learn how to perform this exercise correctly and not get into trouble. I will try to describe the technique in order.

It is advisable to master the deadlift technique under the guidance of an educated coach, or at least under the supervision of a more experienced athlete.

1. We stand over a barbell lying on the floor. You need to stand so that your toes extend about a third behind the bar (if viewed strictly from above), and the bar of the bar almost touches your shins.
   This position will allow you not to lose your center of gravity and fly forward during execution.
2. The width of the legs is approximately at shoulder level. The feet are parallel, the toes can be slightly spread to the sides. At the lowest point, the back is straight, the lower back is arched, and the thighs are parallel to the floor.
3. To lower down synchronously, you need to move your pelvis back and at the same time bend your knees at the knee joint. In general, when performing deadlifts, it is very important to do everything synchronously.
4. At the lowest point of the ass, the pelvis should be significantly lower than the shoulders. In general, you need to correctly catch your pelvic position. If the pelvis is slightly higher, the load will shift to the back and lower back. If you lower it lower, your legs and knee joints will receive unnecessary stress. And we need to maintain the golden mean.
5. The angle of knee flexion depends on the type of skeletal structure, or more precisely on the length of the limbs. To make the exercise easier, a person with short limbs bends his legs more than a lanky athlete.
6. At the lowest point, we take the fingerboard pronated (four fingers on top, thumb on the bottom) symmetrically. Both hands should be equally on top. No different grips from powerlifting competitions. A different grip creates a dangerous torque in the spine, and this can lead to a whole series of negative consequences. An asymmetrical load will, firstly, load the muscles asymmetrically, and secondly, it can lead to pinching and even injuries to the spine.
   The distance between the hands is 5–10 centimeters wider than the distance between the legs. Speaking easier hands located with outside thighs legs.
7. All the above points have been taken into account. Hold your breath, tense your lower back, and perform the first repetition slowly and under control. This movement can be divided into 3 parts:
   • lower third of exercise:
     Let's stretch our imagination and imagine that we are not pulling the barbell up, but pushing the floor down while holding the barbell in our hands. The lower third of the amplitude of movement is carried out only due to the strength of the legs, by pressing the heels into the floor.
   • 2/3 exercises:
     When the bar reaches the level knee joints The spin comes into play. Simultaneously with the extension of the legs, we pull the barbell using the efforts of the back.
   • finishing movement:
     It is important to understand one key moment: at the top point, many athletes end the movement by bending the body back. It is not right. It is necessary to finish the exercise by pushing the pelvis forward.
8. You fix yourself at the top point. There is no need to pull the body back - these are the jokes of powerlifters at competitions, they are of no use to us. It is enough to slightly move your shoulders back at the top point and try to bring your shoulder blades together.
9. The top point is approximately one vertical line on which the head, shoulders, hips and feet are located. By leaning your body back, you can force yourself into a hospital bed.
10. Lowering the barbell down should be directly proportional to the upward movement of the barbell.
    Lowering the projectile occurs mainly by moving the pelvis back and bending the knees. By tilting the body, we control the downward trajectory of the barbell.
    the main task launches - correctly move the bar around your knees. We get around them by moving the lower back back (not by rounding the back, as some people do).
    If we allow the barbell to go too far forward at this point, then we will certainly lose our balance. If we continue to move the barbell along our legs, then we will lose the technique at the moment of bypassing the knees. It is better to understand the trajectory of your movement with small weights!
    After the bar has passed your knees, you need to continue bending them until the pancakes touch the floor.
11. As soon as the bar touches the floor, you need to perform the second repetition without relaxation. No jerking or relaxation at the bottom, smoothly and confidently.

All subsequent approaches and repetitions are performed in accordance with the described scheme.

• A straight back throughout the entire exercise is the key to health.
• While performing a deadlift, your gaze should be fixed in front of you, or even better above the horizon. This will help keep your back straight. As soon as you lower your chin, your back will round.
• Pulling the chest forward (chest wheel) helps keep the thoracic spine straight.
• It is better to perform deadlifts at a slow pace: this allows you to concentrate as much as possible on the exercise and not overload your lower back.
• Quality is more important than quantity. You must add weight as a result of progress in this exercise very, very slowly. If you can’t perform deadlifts flawlessly with a certain weight, then you need to lose the weight.
• Before starting working or even record-breaking weights, you should do a special warm-up consisting of two approaches. Do the approach with an empty bar 20–25 times, the second approach with half the working weight. And only with the 3rd approach do the deadlifts as expected.
• The body position should be stable and stable. The weight should fall on the heel and not shift to the toes. Such strictness in technique allows you to maintain balance at all stages of the exercise.
• If at the beginning of the movement you stand from the bar even at a short distance between the bar and the shins, then during the start you can lose your balance.
• During the exercise, the hands are two connecting ropes connecting the torso and the barbell. Only straight arms, no bending at the elbows.
• The position of the head, shoulders and pelvis throughout the exercise should remain unchanged in relation to each other.
• When lowering the barbell, you need to control every centimeter of movement.
• You need to touch the floor with the barbell smoothly and carefully.
• When the barbell touches the floor, you must keep all muscles tense.
• Always put locks on the barbell (if you have them, of course). When the bar comes into contact with the floor, a rebound occurs; weight plates without locks may shift and the load will be asymmetrical.
• The negative phase (lowering) in this exercise is somewhat more difficult than the positive phase (raising the barbell). Therefore, the negative one needs to be done more slowly and carefully monitor the balance.
• Proper breathing is also key to deadlift success. Below we take a breath. We hold our breath for the first half of the positive phase, the second half (when the bar passes the knees) is accompanied by a powerful exhalation. As you inhale, lower the projectile until it touches the floor, hold your breath and perform the next repetition using the same pattern.
• The main key to success in performing deadlifts is synchronization of movements. Synchronized knee extension and pelvic abduction is a trick that will allow you not to overload any muscle or joint at any stage of the exercise. In addition, synchronization of movements will help maintain the center of gravity in the heels.
• It is best to perform deadlifts on the day of your back workout. Of course, perform it as the first exercise in training (after warming up, of course).
• Record, inhuman weights in the deadlift are the lot of powerlifting. Bodybuilders (and especially natural ones) should not chase the scales. For us, quality and quantity are much more important.
• For mass you need 6–8 repetitions per set, for relief 8–12.
• Both the positive phase and the negative phase should be performed at approximately the same pace. The movement is not so slow, but rather smooth.
• The position of the feet is also important point when performing a deadlift. The position of the feet should be approximately shoulder width apart. Too wide or narrow position of the feet will certainly make the exercise more difficult and interfere with balance.
• The bar should slide along the surface of the legs throughout the entire exercise.

Deadlift mistakes

• Placing your feet too far from the barbell.
• A sharp jerk of the barbell from the floor.
• Slouched back during deadlifts. Especially relevant for the lumbar region.
• Deflection of the upper body back after lifting the barbell. As I wrote just above, the top position should be completed by bringing the pelvis forward with a straight back and slightly abducting the shoulders.
• Attempts to overstrain. Many people, out of their own stupidity, believe that the more they stretch, the stronger and healthier they will become. Quite the opposite.
• It is important to understand that technically performed, say, 3 sets of 10 repetitions are better than clumsily performed 3 sets of 3 repetitions with a cheating element with 150 kg.
• Bouncing off the floor is a fairly common mistake that often leads to injury.
• Perform to failure. The deadlift is an exercise in which you can’t go all out. After each approach, you should still have strength for at least 1 repetition.
• Asynchronous thrusts can lead to errors. If you pull the weight solely through the strength of your legs, then unnecessary stress falls on the knee joints. And if you pull only using the strength of your back, then the critical load falls on the lumbar region.
• A very deep starting position is also one of the common deadlift mistakes. I mean the option when the deadlift is performed almost from a squatting position. This starting position risks rounding the back during the pull.
• Deadlift with biceps strength. The first time I saw this error was when I went to the gym with one walker. I don’t know what causes this, but sometimes athletes perform deadlifts using the strength of their biceps. Their arms are bent in elbow joint(slightly), which threatens a minimum of damage to the biceps, and a maximum of its rupture. Our biceps are in no way adapted to the weights that we pull when performing deadlifts.
• L-shaped starting position. It happens that an athlete begins to deadlift from an L-shaped position. In this situation, almost all the leg muscles calmly smoke to the side and are switched off from work and most of the load falls on the lower back. I hope there is no need to explain what this entails.
• Throwing the barbell after completion can also cause injury. You should not suddenly throw the barbell when you think that the exercise is already finished. It must also be placed on the floor smoothly and under control, otherwise there is too great a risk of injury due to sudden relaxation of tense muscles or incorrect technique for lowering the apparatus.

Relief deadlift

Sets of 12–20 repetitions while cutting will help you get the desired figure.

Deadlift in bodybuilding video

Conclusions:

Of course, the classic deadlift is one of the most effective exercises bodybuilding. But at the same time, deadlift in bodybuilding is one of the most technically difficult exercises. So you won’t be able to cheat!

To get the maximum response from the deadlift, you must first master the technique to perfection, and then correctly fit the deadlift into your training program.

Good luck in the deadlift!

Sincerely, Vitaly Okhrimenko.