Real men deadlift

One of the most common excuses people give for not going to the gym is that they don’t have enough time. With the right exercise selection, you can whittle your program down to just a few exercises that will provide you with the added efficiency you need to fit a workout in when time is crunched. The deadlift is one of the few exercises that will allow you to accomplish just that.

The deadlift has long been a staple exercise of many programs and is one third of traditional powerlifting competitions (along with the squat and bench press). When conventionally performed, the weight to be lifted is resting on the ground (hence the term “dead”), thereby providing no momentum or bouncing to initiate the movement, compared to many other exercises.

The deadlift targets virtually every major muscle group of the body including the muscles of the hips, thighs, back and shoulders, along with the muscles of the hands and forearms provide the necessary grip strength. The reason it is such a valuable addition to anyone’s exercise program is precisely because it targets so many muscles in one movement, even trumping the squat in providing the most results in the least amount of time.

Some of the variations that you will often see performed are the Romanian deadlift (where the weight is taken from a rack as opposed to from the floor), the sumo deadlift (where the feet are spread far apart as in a “sumo” stance), or the Jefferson deadlift (where the athlete straddles a barbell and lifts the weight with one hand in front of the body and one behind).

You can perform this exercise using no resistance (body weight), dumbbells, a barbell, or anything that increases the weight that you have to move through the full range of motion. Before you move on to using resistance, make sure you can perform the exercise in a pain-free range of motion with excellent technique with just your bodyweight. Once mastered, add weight slowly and always perform the exercise slowly and in control.

Proper execution of a Romanian deadlift:

1. Take a weight (or no weight if just starting out) and hold it in front of your body. Alternatively, you can take a “suitcase” grip by holding dumbbells at the sides of your body. Your feet can be slightly wider than shoulder width apart, keeping your shoulders back and core slightly contracted to support your spine. See image 1.
2. Inhale as you lower into a squat position, maintaining a neutral spine and keeping the shoulders back. The knees should track in line with the toes and your bodyweight should be evenly distributed through both feet. See image 2.
3. Without bouncing, transition from lowering to standing up as you exhale, straightening the knees and hips at the same time.
4. At the top of the movement contract all the muscles of the thighs, core, and shoulders as you finish your exhalation and prepare for the next repetition.

Whether you have little time or just want an effective exercise in your program, the deadlift is an excellent, if often overlooked, option. When combined with the bench press, a bent over row, and a twisting cable crunch, you will challenge every major muscle group of the body in as little as 8-24 minutes for 1-3 sets of the these exercises.