Sport is not only life, but also a toned and slender body. There are so many different exercises for different muscle groups and for different purposes. For example, girls tend to emphasize and make more appetizing the sexiest parts of their bodies. Surprisingly, strength exercises such as deadlifts can help.

What is this exercise?

The deadlift is one of the basic exercises that is multi-joint, that is, involving several joints at once. Deadlift is always performed with an additional load, the role of which can be played by dumbbells, a kettlebell or a barbell.

Popular exercise

This exercise is the most common for sports such as powerlifting and bodybuilding, but is often included in the complex of basic physical training. In fact, the exercise is a power exercise, but since the weight can be adjusted and changed, muscle building may not be observed.

Who is the exercise for?

Although several muscle groups are involved in the process of performing the exercise, many deadlifts are still used to strengthen the buttocks and legs, as well as to give the muscles of these zones of relief.

The benefits of exercise

What are the benefits of deadlift?

Firstly, this exercise allows you to maximize the use of the main muscle groups, which means that the body becomes embossed and toned.
Secondly, the deadlift increases endurance.
Thirdly, the exercise has the most beneficial effect on the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. And if they work without interruption and smoothly, then all organs will receive a sufficient amount of nutrients from the blood and oxygen from the air, due to which the functioning of all body systems will significantly improve.
Fourth, deadlift strengthens not only muscles, but also joints. Many people think that it is dangerous and harmful to the back, but in fact it is not. If you perform the exercise correctly, then the muscular corset of the back will be strengthened and provide full and proper support to the spine.
Muscle work

Lots of muscles

What muscles work during the deadlift? Surprisingly, most (about 75%) of all muscle mass is involved:

gluteal muscles;
back muscles: trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and extensors and flexors;
arm muscles (especially biceps and forearms);
pectoral muscles;
abdominal muscles;
leg muscles: calf, thigh and lower leg muscles, tibia.
And although the exercise itself seems extremely simple, the load is quite intense, even with a small weight.

Contraindications

The exercise is quite difficult and involves an intense load, so it has some contraindications:

Any injury, including bruises, muscle strains, and so on.
Diseases of the spine (intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis).
Diseases of the heart or blood vessels: thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, ischemia, heart failure, hypertension.
Exacerbations of serious chronic diseases.
Any condition accompanied by fever, weakness and other symptoms.
How to perform?

Effective exercise

How to do deadlift exercise correctly? There are several basic execution techniques: classical, Sumo and straight-legged. Each of them is worth talking about in more detail.

Classic variant

How to perform a classic deadlift? Important points:

The back should remain straight throughout the exercise. But the natural deflection of the lower back is allowed and even required.
The starting position depends on what goals you are pursuing. So, if the back is parallel to the floor, then the greatest load will fall on the back muscles. In this case, the exercise will begin with setting the back in a vertical position. Then the straightening of the legs should follow.
Also, in the initial position, the hips can be parallel to the floor, which will allow you to fully and maximally work out the muscles of the legs, as well as the buttocks. In this case, the exercise begins with leg extension, which is carried out by pushing the hips. This is followed by bringing the back to a vertical position.
In the final position, the shoulder blades are brought together, and the chest in the correct version moves forward.
Remember that you should not pull the bar with your hands, your hands should just support it.
Start lowering the bar by bending your knees. Further, the buttocks are retracted, and the straight back simultaneously falls forward. The bar should be as close to the legs as possible, as if sliding along them and moving almost strictly vertically.
Straight Leg Pull

Deadlift on straight legs (it is also called Romanian traction) is performed as follows:

The barbell is taken with a grip at a distance slightly greater than the width of the shoulders.
Straighten your back and connect your shoulder blades.
Now start the exercise. At the same time, tilt your back (necessarily straight) forward, and also take your buttocks back.
If stretching allows, then try to keep your legs straight; if not, bend them slightly.
The bar of the bar begins to slide along the hips and along the front of the shins.
The bar should reach approximately the middle of the lower leg, the barbell will not touch the floor. At this point, you should feel a stretch and tension in your thigh muscles.
You should try to concentrate on the tension of the buttocks. All movements must be slow and controlled so that the bar does not rise or fall too abruptly. This version of the exercise allows you to work out the back of the thighs, as well as the gluteal muscles. In addition, the back muscles are also involved.

Deadlift “Sumo”

The technique for performing the Sumo deadlift is as follows:

The legs should be placed at a great distance from each other (more than shoulder width apart). At the same time, the socks are bred at an angle of 45 degrees.
The grip is slightly wider than the shoulders and straight.
At the lowest point, the thighs are parallel to the floor and perpendicular to the lower leg. And the back moves forward a little, but remains straight.
The shoulder blades are brought together, the chest moves forward, the back also remains straight.
Lifting the bar off the floor should begin with a push with the hips.
The weight

It is important to choose the right weight. It should be noted right away that it is best to perform the exercise with a barbell, in this case, the traction will be effective. But if there is no bar, then you can do traction with dumbbells, this option is most preferable for beginners, since the bar can pull down and force you to bend your back. Kettlebell – an option for professionals, not the most convenient.

As for the exact weight, the coach will help determine it. But it is better to start with the minimum (5-7 kilograms) in order to hone the technique and correct all mistakes. Then you can increase the weight. The maximum mass should be lifted with a straight back. If this is not possible, then the weight should be reduced. You need to increase the mass gradually. Too much weight can cause errors in execution and, as a result, injuries.

Helpful Hints

Some useful tips:

If you understand that the weight is too is large, and you do not lift the barbell, do not drop it, but gently and slowly lower it.
Do not lift the bar with a jerk, this is fraught with consequences.
Never round your back, this can lead to injury. The back should always remain straight.
The natural bend of the lower back, as already noted, is acceptable. But the lower back should not bend outward (that is, back), but inward (forward).
Remember that your hands must be dry, otherwise the barbell will slip out of them and injure the legs or other parts of the body.
Choose comfortable clothes and shoes. Clothing should not interfere and hinder movement, and shoes should not slip.
Do not exercise if you feel unwell or have joint or muscle pain.
An elastic bandage can be wrapped around the head to prevent pressure buildup.
The feet should be placed under the bar and go behind the bar by about a third or half.