Deadlift Variations And Correct Technique

The deadlift is a weight training exercise that is believed to have originated in the mid-1700s and has undergone multiple iterations to become what it is today. It is an exercise that engages all major muscle groups, improves functional strength, increases basal metabolic rate, and improves grip strength.

It is supposedly one of the safest exercises and is known to reduce back pain, provided it’s done correctly. Now, if you’re new to lifting weights, it may be advisable to seek the help of a Personal Trainer as he or she could show you the ropes, and help you learn the right things you need to.

Apart from seeking the guidance from a trainer, you’d want to make sure you follow these two practices diligently – stretching, and rest and recovery. When you move on to any weighted exercise, it is common practice to stretch different muscle groups and joints. Doing so warms up your muscles, loosens up your joints, and reduces the risk of you getting injured.

Next, you’d want to prioritize allowing your body to recover through rest if you’re tired after a workout. And if you’re getting back into your fitness regime after an injury, consider following up with a professional specialized in sports medicine in jacksonville, if that’s where you live. He or she could provide you with some valuable insight, perhaps perform some massages, and tell you some important do’s and don’ts to follow for your workouts. Granting your body the rest it requires helps the muscles and joint to recuperate after the tension it experiences while its being worked.

Back to the exercise of deadlifts, it has many iterations that have been developed by people over time. So, let’s start with the analysis of the execution technique with the classic barbell:

Classic deadlift with a barbell

The technique, of course, will be the same for men and women, but it is this classic option that is traditionally chosen by boys, because they are more interested in the overall development of muscles and strength, rather than the effect on specific muscles.

Deadlift technique:

  • Come close to the bar, put the feet Already on the shoulders and parallel to each other (or put your legs wider than the shoulders – you will get a sumo pull with a greater load on the buttocks).
  • Sit down and grab the bar with a direct grip, the distance is slightly wider than the shoulders. The arms are vertical, the shoulders are under the bar, the gaze is directed strictly forward.
  • Take a deep breath and as you exhale, start lifting the barbell. The gap is smooth and uniform (no jerking from the floor), the bar slides along the legs, make sure that the bar moves along a vertical path, and passes as close as possible to the legs and hips.
  • Keep your back (as in the squat) strictly straight, with a natural deflection in the lower back.
  • After passing the barbell of the knees, you should fully straighten, slightly reduce the shoulder blades, and proudly set the chest forward. An important point: the bar does not need to be pulled by hands, they act as cables.
  • We return to the starting position. Lowering the bar begins with bending the knees, taking the buttocks back, and simultaneously lowering the straight back forward. It is very important to ensure that the back does not round, keep it straight at the expense of the muscles of the press and back straighteners, as well as the reduced shoulder blades.

For beginners, before starting to do a deadline, you need to strengthen the muscles of the back and legs. Do hyperextensions, pull-ups, squats, and lunges.

Stiff legged deadlift features and proper form

What is the difference between classic and Romanian deadlift?

As for the deadlift on straight legs, which, according to the stereotype of movement, is a complete analogue of the good morning slopes with the barbell on the shoulders or the Romanian deadlift, this version of the deadlift will not be a general-strength exercise like a classic or sumo.

This is a highly specialized exercise for the extensors of the back and muscles of the back of the thigh, and secondly for the buttocks. When doing deadlift on straight legs, the effect on the muscles of the extensors of the spine becomes dangerous, so the deadlift on straight legs should be performed very carefully and only under the supervision of a trainer.

And remember that “straight legs” is a conditional definition, the knees should ALWAYS be slightly bent, and the bar weights should be small.

Deadlift with dumbbells features and correct technique

How to perform this type of deadlift? There are no fundamental and important differences in the technique of performing deadlift with dumbbells – the stereotype of movement is the same, attention must be paid to the same points, so there is no point in retelling it.

We are often asked, which is better, a barbell or a dumbbell? With what it will be more effective to carry out deadlift in this case? Well, this is an interesting question. Let’s think:

  • The most obvious difference: limited weight. The bar is more variable in terms of increasing working weight.
  • Asymmetric load. Most of the movements with the bar are performed symmetrically in the lateral plane. This is a deadlift, and squats, and a bench press – in them both arms/legs must perform the same actions. The bar causes the body to “pull up” its weaknesses, so that there are no different visit website distortions and displacements during the execution of movements.
  • On the other hand, dumbbells can give a better balance, especially if you have problems with coordination or in the strength development of the arms/legs. Lifting two loads simultaneously and synchronously will help to distribute the load more safely.
  • In addition, dumbbells give it a wider range of motion, it is especially important for those for whom, due to some features, the technique cannot be canonical – too long arms / short torso / unstretched muscles, etc.

The barbell in this case will be much more uncomfortable and traumatic. Dumbbells can comfortably place the weight around your body and work in a range of motion that is more anatomically convenient for you.

  • Movements with dumbbells are more natural for the body from the point of view of biomechanics, so the option with dumbbells should be initial for beginners – this is technically simpler, since dumbbells can be placed on the sides of the body, thus bringing their center of gravity closer to the center of gravity of their body.

In general, of course, the classic deadlift is deadlift pull. Dumbbells cannot give the necessary working weight, plus for most people, instead of a deadlift with dumbbells, they get something in between Romanian and squats.

It’s difficult and uncomfortable to hold dumbbells just like the barbell or the bar so that the load goes to the same muscles, therefore, when doing deadlifts with dumbbells, you do not need to use a huge working weight. It is better to work in a high range of repetitions (from 12 and above), concentrate on stretching and reducing working muscles, and adhere to the filigree technique of doing the exercise.

When doing strength training and deadlifting, focus on pre- and post-stretching exercises to prepare your muscles for the intense workout session and promote quick recovery afterward. You can also explore fitness blogs and websites like Urbansportsclub & Blackroll to learn more about cooldown exercises as well as recovery tools and gadgets that can help you relieve pain, muscle tension, body aches, and other physical discomforts.

Deadlifting with dumbbells can be perfect for girls and less for men (although he knows something) – it is effective, and the risk of injuries during its implementation is minimal.

And more classically, power training lovers do this: they do deadlift with a bar, and Romanian (dead) with dumbbells for better isolation.

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