Balance Point - How to Perform Deadlifts

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Last time I talked about squatting and how it is probably the best exercise you can do.

Now I want to teach you about another functional exercise that done correctly can strengthen your legs, add bulk to your bones and fix your low back pain, while raising your metabolism also.

It is called the dead lift, and while the name may cause a stir it is famous the world over as a vital part of any good exercise program.

Quite simply dead lifting is lifting a weight from the floor to your waist by bending your knees and your hips.  You begin in a crouched position, and finish in a standing position. We do it all the time during the course of our day.

This exercise uses all the muscles in your hips and legs, your core and low back, upper back and arm muscles (to hold the bar) – nothing really escapes the treatment meaning your get a full body work out. Often when I am short on time I will do a few sets of dead lifts as doing this one exercise gives so many muscles a workout.

Tip – do exercises that athletes and trainers do – they are often the most time efficient and beneficial – just use less weight to begin with.

The reason I love this exercise is because it is so functional – by that I mean it mimics things we do in real life.  Every day we bend over and pick things up from the ground, whether that is a bag of groceries, our laptop case or a heavy planter box that we want to shift.

By practicing dead lifts our body learns how to do this exercise properly, using the correct muscles, and taking the pressure away from our low backs.

Low back injuries are the most common of all injuries, and often caused by poor lifting techniques.  People don’t move very well through their knees or hips, and so move too much through their low backs while not using their tummy muscles to tighten the area – this results in too much force going on to one spot (often the low back discs or facet joints), and injury.

When I have my clients practice dead lifts we emphasize moving correctly through the hips and knees, while keeping the back straight, and tightening the abdominal muscles – we practice this over and over again, and therefore when they are required to lift in everyday situations they do so correctly.

Similarly by strengthening the muscles in this position you safe guard the at risk structures.

Reduced injury risk is just one reason to do dead lifts. The others are the increased muscle tone, bone density, and metabolism from doing this natural movement.

Ensure you get taught by a qualified and highly skilled fitness professional – as many people don’t know how to do this movement correctly. Check out the link here to see the key points.  The major mistake many people make is rounding their shoulders and backs which increases the injury risk.

By focusing on keeping a straight back you use your body how it is designed to work.

Many people don’t do dead lifts because they think they are too difficult.  The truth is that any exercise can be easy or difficult depending on the range of motion you use and the weight that you are trying to shift.  Dead lifts should be taught to almost all people.  It is one of the most efficient exercises you can do.

This is another exercise you can practice in sanctuary of your own home using any straight implement, but if you truly want to get strong you will have to seek out a gym, and use a proper bar.

Weight training is a potent anti aging treatment, and dead lifts done properly will help your back and posture immensely.  Add muscle mass and strength to your frame to help your body deal with the forces of daily life.

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