Powerlifting – The Dead Lift

If the squat is lauded as the King of exercises then surely the deadlift is the Crown Prince. With many varients in its portfolio the deadlift can offer an all over body work out as well as being a linchpin in the sport of Powerlifting.

 

Start position of the athlete and indeed start position the bar can all be adjusted to change the influence and percentage input of various muscle groups. Start with high hips i.e. more of a stiff legged deadlift then we get a reduction in the input from the anterior chain, in this instance the quads.

 

However, we’ll be smashing the posterior chain i.e. hamstrings and glutes whilst forcing the trunk to handle much larger sheer forces. Get down low and put you arse to grass and knees by your ears and the quads and going to get blasted

 

The debate on what constitutes a deadlift or what constitutes a ‘good’ deadlift will always be contentious. This is further muddled by the various schools of lifting; do you sit with Louis Simmonds and the West Side Barbell gang or are you a purist from the clinical Olympic lifting school.

 

Where ever you sit on the spectrum we would suggest that some basics and definitives apply to all styles of lifting;

1. Lats engaged and shoulders down with trunk braced is going to ensure a strong spinal position and give the entire back a solid hit, especially if your lifting heavy

 

2. Keeping the bar as close to your body as possible is going to help decrease unnecessary lumbar sheer forces

 

3. whether you start high or low if you follow 1 and 2 on the way up and on the way down you’ll have executed a good lift.

 

You may just have increased and decreased the percentage input form various muscle groups in the legs.

 

Finally, no one with half a sports science mind is going to deny that the deadlift can provide a very powerful stimulus.

If I only had the choice of one exercise to do for the rest of my life….you guessed it I’d deadlift…….what would you do?.