The deadlift is recognized as one of the best exercises to help build muscle mass. It must be present in the training program of people who want to acquire an attractive relief. Deadlift is performed by athletes of various directions – this is bodybuilding, crossfit, weightlifting, powerlifting, etc. It is she who allows you to achieve really high results.
Deadlift – how to do it right
There are several types of deadlift. The main ones include classic and sumo. They differ in the grip of the neck and the setting of the legs. Classics are most often used by bodybuilders, because they believe that it most optimally pumps and loads the back muscles. Sumo is an exercise loved by powerlifters, it is often used by security officials. It is suitable for people with weaker backs and beginners.
Proper deadlift, regardless of type, is considered a completely safe exercise. But just the right one! Any flaws in its implementation are guaranteed to lead to injury.
When performed incorrectly, traction mainly harms the lower back. In any of its variants, there are mandatory requirements for the starting position – this is a tense back and an absolutely straight spine. In this case, the body straightens due to the muscles of the legs, back and buttocks. Beginners often make one mistake – they round their backs. With this position, most of the muscles are turned off from work, and the main load falls on the lower back.
Deadlift, in principle, is a natural exercise for a person, so it cannot be considered too difficult. His traction is that you pick up some kind of weight and get up. A lot of people do this sort of thing all the time and don’t even notice it. Despite this, before lifting a loaded barbell, it is necessary to master the correct technique. Ideally, it should be taught by an experienced trainer.
The study of wall traction is worth starting with light weights, or even better with raising a mop. Then you can move on to training with an empty bar. It is worth raising it until fifteen clean reps are available to you. Then gradually you can start adding weight (but keep in mind that beginners are not recommended to take weight that will be more than half of their own). In this way, you can progress and almost completely eliminate the risk of injury.
Before to start the deadlift, you must definitely warm up. Do some 10 minutes of cardio to get started. For example, you can work out on the appropriate simulators. Then do some simple exercises that will warm up the main working joints – knee, hip, ankle.
Classical wall traction – execution technique
Get as close to the neck as possible. Place your feet shoulder-width apart (maybe a little narrower). Turn your toes out a little.
Sit down and grab the bar with straightened hands (the grip is allowed different). In this case, the inner part of the forearm should touch the outer thighs. In addition, make sure that the neck lightly touches the lower leg. In general, it is recommended to position it so that it slides over the legs during the exercise.
Pay special attention to your posture. The back should be straight and only slightly arched at the loins and in no case rounded. The pelvis should be laid back, the gaze should be directed forward in front of you, the chest is straightened, the shoulders are deployed and placed exactly above the bar (it is strictly forbidden to round them, like the back).
Inhale deeply, squeeze your buttocks, tighten your shoulders and begin to lift your back while straightening your torso and standing up. At the top point, push your hips and straighten your torso completely. In the course of movement, the weight should be transferred to the heels. After you get through the most difficult part of the lift, exhale.
Lower the bar in the same way as you lifted it. In this case, it should only slightly touch the floor. Pause for a second, then immediately rise up.
The sumo deadlift has many benefits. Unlike all other types of traction, it puts a load on the muscles of the inner thighs. In addition, this exercise forces the semi-transverse and semi-tendinous muscles, as well as the deep muscles of the back of the thighs, to work. Sumo pull is performed as follows:
Place your legs much wider than your shoulders (about 30-40 centimeters from your shoulders), turn your feet slightly to the sides.
Bend your legs and squat as deep as possible.
Grasp the barbell with straight hands shoulder-width apart, preferably with a different grip that will not allow it to turn.
Try to look straight ahead (it will be easier to keep your back arched in the lower back).
Breathe in, hold your breath and, straightening the legs and torso, straining the abdominal muscles, slightly arching your back, stand with the barbell.
At the end of the movement, pull your shoulders back and then exhale.
Finding out that your technique is correct and you are ready to deadlift with a lot of weight is not so difficult. In this case, the buttocks and hips should be the first to get tired, and not the back.
When performing this exercise, the following mistakes are most often made:
there is no deflection in the lower back;
weight falls on socks or shifts towards them;
the neck is located far from the shins.
Since the deadlift puts a lot of stress on the back muscles, it is not recommended to do it more than once every five days. This will not only reduce the risk of injury, but also help improve performance. The exercise program itself might look like this:
2 sets with a weight of 50-65 percent of the maximum (i.e., which you can master only once) for 8-10 repetitions.
2 sets with a weight of 60-75 percent of the maximum for 6-10 repetitions.
1 approach (if strength remains) with a weight of 80-90 percent of the maximum – 5 repetitions.
Deadlift with dumbbells – execution technique
The main advantage of this exercise is that you can place the dumbbells on the sides and align the center of gravity due to this. Thus, the load on the joints is reduced and the range of motion is increased. Wall deadlift with dumbbells is perfect for beginners and for girls, because it is much easier to master than with a barbell.
In fact, the dumbbell deadlift is the same classic deadlift. We described above how to perform this exercise correctly. The only difference here is that the bar is replaced by a pair of dumbbells. The back with such a deadlift also cannot be rounded; when performing the exercise, it should be bent in the lower back.
Deadlifts are often performed with dumbbells and other techniques.
Take dumbbells with a direct grip, bend your legs quite a bit. Holding them with straight arms, place them in front of your hips.
Lean from the reed without changing the angle of the knees, so that the body drops almost parallel to the floor.
Pause and rise to the starting position.
General Tips:
If you find it difficult to bend over without rounding your back, bend less or bend your legs more. When lifting, straighten up completely.
The more the legs bend, the greater the load. will experience the buttocks. The less you bend them, the more your hips will engage.
It is not recommended to keep the legs completely straight during the exercise, as you will give a strong load to the hamstrings. However, you should not bend your legs too much, as the thrust in this case will turn into squats. At the lowest point, the thighs can be parallel to the floor; they do not need to be lowered below this level.