Performing a Deadlift
Now we’re going to talk about one of the requirements that you need to fulfil when you are performing a deadlift. The first one is mobility. Now, I don’t mean just being able to touch your toes, because that isn’t good enough. You need to have good hip mobility before you can actually perform a deadlift with good technique. And this normally is because the majority of the people that can touch their toes are just bending their back, and that does not actually show how good your hip mobility is at full capacity. You want to actually see if you are able to grab the bar and lift it off the ground without bending your lower back. Normally, you can do this with very light weight, for example, just five kg plates on each side just to get the bar on the same level as normally you would if you perform a deadlift with heavy weight.
What you can do is let a friend take a video to see if your back is perfectly flat while you are performing the exercise. And that is the one tip that I would recommend that you do do. Every now and then letting someone take a video to see if you are performing the exercise correctly is a great way to make sure that your technique is on point. Now, the other thing that I would like to talk about is different grips that you have with the deadlift.
Mixed grip and the neutral grip: I would recommend that you do use a neutral grip, since it lowers the risk of injury to your biceps. The majority of people that get a bicep tear while they’re performing a deadlift have used a mixed grip. The reason why this happens is because while you are performing a deadlift, you are actually tensing up. And with the mixed grip, what happens is the one arm that the palm’s facing away from you tenses up, making a slight bicep curl. This puts a lot of tension on the bicep itself and this can cause the bicep to tear. While using a neutral grip, you don’t have that option of contracting your biceps. Yes, they’ll still a little bit tensed but you can’t actually do a bicep curl in the slightest. This avoids the injury from happening and that is why performing a neutral grip might be the better option between the two.
The deadlift is one of the greatest compounded exercises that you can perform and also something that you need to put into your workout routine. We’re going to go over the basic instructions for three different variations of the deadlift. And we’re also going to go over a few points of what is important about the deadlift, and also things that you need to avoid when you’re performing the deadlift.
The benefit of performing a deadlift: The first benefit is that it will help increase your strength, not only just in your lower back, but also in your grip and your legs. The second benefit is that it will help increase your bone density or the strength of your bones. And the third benefit is it will help improve your posture.
Barbell Deadlift
Before you lift the bar off the ground make sure that your feet is under the bar, you just want to see the tips of your shoes sticking out on the other side of the bar. Grab the bar with both hands, about shoulder width apart, and make sure that your hip is between your knees and your shoulders. Start the exercise by pushing with your feet on the ground as if you were trying to push away the floor and once the bar is at the same level as your knees, then start driving your hips forward. After you have completed the lift you should be in a position that you are standing up perfectly straight. Start lowering the bar in a controlled motion by pushing back with your hips until the bar is at the same level as your knees. While you are performing this exercise you want to maintain a perfectly flat back and you want the bar to stay close to your legs.
Sumo Deadlift
Starting position – put your feet wider than shoulder width apart and go down and grab the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart. Do not bend your knees more than 90 degrees and before you start lifting the bar of the ground make sure that your shoulders are in line with the bar. Start the exercise by pushing down on the ground with your legs and after the bar has gone past your knees then bring your hip forward. Then lower the bar back down to the ground in a controlled motion by first letting your hip go back and when the bar is about the same height as your knees start bending your knees. While performing this exercise make sure that you maintain a neutral spine.
Kettlebell Deadlift
Before you start this exercise take a stance with your feet about shoulder width apart or slightly more.
Start the exercise by pushing your hips backwards and bending your knees. Try not to bend your knees more than 90 degrees. Grab the kettlebell with both hands and maintain a neutral spine. Lift the kettlebell off the ground by straightening your legs and undo the hinge in your hip. While performing this exercise try to maintain a neutral spine.
As Bonus The Fourth Kind Of Deadlift:
Trap Bar Deadlift
Starting position – make sure that your feet Is shoulder-width apart. Start the exercise by lifting the Trap bar of the ground until you are standing up right and then lower the Trap bar until the weights touch the ground.
Key factor to take into consideration is that you do not want your spine to bent over forward, you want to maintain a neutral spine.
