The Deadlift

     I see many people in the gym boasting about their legendary bench press max, their epic curls, or even a few that talk about how many pull-ups they can do.  Unfortunately, I see very few who regularly deadlift, and fewer still who do it with proper form.

     Since the deadlift is one of the best exercises for developing overall strength, power, and size, it is an essential part of any serious training program.  Whether you are just starting out as a young teenager, or you are already a septagenarian, the deadlift should become one of the basic building blocks of your routine.

     What's that?  It's a dangerous lift you say?  No- it isn't.  If anything, it is one of the most beneficial lifts for people of all ages.  It trains your back, legs, arms, shoulders, and glutes, and will keep you healthy throughout your life.  (Check out this video of a 70 year old deadlifting 328 pounds!)  However, it is true that the deadlift can be dangerous.... if you use incorrect form that is.  I have yet to see anyone I workout with get injured doing deadlifts so long as they use strict form throughout the motion.

     So, with that in mind, please review these examples.  This is not a max lift for me, but even sub-maximal lifts can be hazardous if your technique is flawed.  Check it out:

At the beginning of the lift, keep your butt low, back straight, and look up.  The angle between your ankles, knees, and hips should be the same as the angle between your shoulders, hips, and knees.  You should open both angles simultaneously, hinging with your hips.  (I am using a "standard" or "Romanian" stance with my feet shoulder width apart and my hands on the outside of my legs.  One hand over, one under the bar.)

When you end, you should lock your shoulders back, and be able to stand completely erect for 1-3 counts before descending with the bar.  However, don't bend over from the waist to set the bar down, you should maintain strict form, closing the two angles described above in a controlled motion.

And here is the video of how one rep should look.  If you are doing a set of multiple reps, this form should be maintained throughout the set, with a pause at the bottom of the lift as well as the top.

I also wanted to share a few of my favorite deadlift routines with you- so here you go:

Traditional 5x5:
     Use a moderate weight (after warm ups) and perform 5 sets of 5 reps.  If you complete all 5 sets, increase the weight by 10-20 pounds for each set next time.  Maybe you will only get 5,5,3,2,2 or something else, but stick with the new weight until you hit 5 reps on all sets.  (Do not perform more than 5 reps on any set)

Pyramid 5x5
     The goal is the same as the traditional 5x5- get 5 reps on all 5 sets.  But you are using a pyramid style weight regimen like this example:
                              5x225
                              5x275
                              5x350
                              5x275
                              5x225

Inclining 5x5
    Same goal, but with increasing weight on each set like this:
                           5x225
                           5x275
                           5x350
                           5x375
                           5x400


Mega pyramid:
      The goal here is to pyramid both weight load and reps.  It is a program I used before one of my High School powerlifting meets in 2002, and it did well.

                 12x135
                  10x225
                  8x275
                  6x350
                  4x375
                  6x325
                  8x275
                 10x225
                 15x135

You can also do 3 straight sets, or any other combination, so long as your form is good ;)  The above examples are just routines I have used in the past and had great success with.  Happy lifting!