I'll be honest, I used to hate deadlifting. Maybe I hated it because I just didn't have much practice with it and it kind of scared me. Once I got over that fear and saw what an awesome exercise it is it quickly surpassed squats as my very favorite thing to do in the gym. I deadlift 1-2 times a week; I have a day once a week where it is my main lift and sometimes on my squat day I'll add in some sumo pulls or band pulls just for a little extra practice. I've been getting serious about deadlifting for about a year now and I've seen fantastic results. The improvement that my posterior chain has seen is just tremendous. My glutes are infinitely stronger and my butt has taken on a shape that I did not even know it was capable of. So do you think the deadlift is something you might want to try? Here are a few tips that have helped me to be successful at this essential lift:
1. Don't be afraid to scrape your shins: This was a tough one for me. When deadlifting, you want to stand close to the bar and that means the bar might drag across your shins from time to time. It's really not painful, I promise. You might have some battle wounds or bruises left behind, but hey, that just means you're probably doing it right!
2. It's not a squat: Make sure your hips are low, but not too low. You don't want to squat the weight off the floor. Keep your hips close to the bar and shoulders behind the bar. By keeping your hips too close to the floor, you're only wasting energy because your hips will have to move several inches before the weight even leaves the floor. You just have to find the place that is your happy medium.
3. Breathe: This is the biggest thing I'm still working on. Of course we all know not to hold our breath during exercise but those big deep breaths can sometimes be the difference between whether or not you're able to get that PR. As you pull the weight off the floor, let out small bursts of air. You'll be amazed at how much this will help you complete the pull. The small bursts of air will help you keep your form as well. Note: Make sure your air is in your stomach. When you first breath in, you should be able to see the air entering your stomach.
4. Be mindful of your back: About six months ago I started experiencing a little low back pain. I didn't really think much of it. Then one day I was warming up my deadlift with 95 pounds on the bar and I felt the low back just give out. I had to take a few weeks of rest but once I was better I focused on strengthening the low back and making sure it never rounded during the deadlift. Rounding the low back will make the bar go away from the legs-something that you never want to happen due to the position it puts your body in throughout the lift. Every time I pull, I still tell myself to tighten my low back; that along with the strengthening exercises and I have had zero back pain since!
5. Don't take too long between the set up and the actual pull: This is something I've been very guilty of. I would always fidget around and make sure everything was just so. By the time I was actually ready to lift I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. Instead, think of everything you need to do before you actually step up to the bar. Once you have your head straight, set up to the bar and get going. This will keep you from losing all your energy and bearrings before the pull.
The list of deadlift tips could go on and on. Hopefully those five will help get you on the right track. If you feel like you're guilty of #4, try out some reverse hypers or good mornings (also great for the hammies). So don't be afraid to deadlift. It won't make you bulky, I promise. Give it a shot and follow these tips and I know in no time it'll be your number one exercise too!
Be sure to stay tuned for the rest of the things I love. Since it's snowing today I'll leave you with the workout snowman :)
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