How to Do a Deadlift

Overview

Apart from the bench press and the squat, the dumbbell deadlift is an effective standard strength-building exercise you can add to a well-programmed fitness regimen.

While dumbbell deadlift may have a simplistic appearance, it has been lauded for offering an overhaul fitness challenge to all body parts, explains an ACE-certified personal trainer Kells James, P.P.C.

Deadlifting has been linked to several body benefits like supporting the growth of multiple muscle groups, improving everyday function, and making you feel powerful, especially if you are lifting enough amount of weight

However, this is resistance training which beginners may find the techniques and form not so intuitive. So, some tips on how to go about it may go a long way in helping newbies navigate through this exercise successfully.

In this article, you will learn the correct way of doing dumbbell deadlifting including the correct moves, deadlift benefits, common mistakes, and some tips on how you can add to your fitness routine.

How to Do a Deadlift

If you want to get the most out of lifting deadlifts, there are technical moves you need to apply. Some of these moves are as follows as demonstrated by Rachel Mariotti, an NCSF-certified personal trainer in New York City.

1. With toes under the bar, position your feet with your shoulder-width apart. Ensure that your feet are slightly angled out or pointing straight ahead with heels flat on the surface.
2. As you lift the bar, it will travel close to the shins and may sometimes graze them slightly. Always maintain a neutral spine position at this point.
3. Note that it is important that your abdominal muscles remain stable so ensure you brace them.
4. Squat down while bending at the knees. The form for going down to the bar may be similar but not identical to the squat. So, ensure your back is arched slightly or straight and not rounded at the spine or shoulders.
5. With mixed grip or overhand, lift the bar outside the knees’ line then breathe out on exertion. To ensure that the back becomes rounded and the trunk moves forward, do not raise the hips first.
6. Try not to haul the bar up with your arms. Instead, the arms should stay extended under tension as you grip the bar while the legs push up.
7. To create a balancing point, ensure that the upward movement of the shoulders and legs is in unison with the hips.
8. As you reach full weight, ensure that the bar almost grazes the shins and rests at the thigh level. Without bending backward try as much as you can to pull the shoulders back.
9. In reverse motion, lower the bar while ensuring that your back is straight.
10. You can repeat these movements until you achieve your desired rounds

RELATED: Best Back Exercises

Safety and Precautions

Deadlift is one of the advanced weightlifting exercises that you should approach with caution. Before engaging in any weightlifting activity, it is recommended that you first talk about it with your health provider.

He or she will assess or examine to see if deadlifting is an appropriate exercise for you. If you have conditions or injuries affecting your knees, legs, hips, ankles, back, wrist, or shoulder he or she will advise accordingly.

For a safer and more effective deadlift session, consider using the DMoose 10MM Lever Belt to provide crucial support and stability.

Also, ensure that you have access to appropriate coaching to learn the appropriate techniques for deadlift exercises. Start by lifting lighter weights and in case of any ache or pain, stop the lifting right away.

In pregnancy, experts recommend lifting lighter weight or you can go sider sumo stance. For extra support, women are advised to wear a high-neck sports bra.

Major Benefits of Deadlifts

Below are some of the benefits of engaging in deadlifting exercises:

Builds Functional Fitness

Deadlifting is the best functional exercise because it happens to mimic the lifting you engage in throughout the day.

If you practice deadlifting with good form, it will make your daily lifting and carrying of heavy items much easier and less risky.

Supports Everyday Function

Dumbbell deadlift exercise makes movement patterns easier, especially if your daily work involves lifting objects up the floor or moving stuff from the parking lot pavement to the car trunk.

According to Scott Thompson, the director of athletics at F45 Training engaging in dumbbell deadlift exercise either in a home gym or in a weight room can make lifting less achy and much easier.

Builds Muscle Mass

Deadlifts are known for building muscle mass, making deadlifting exercises ideal for bodybuilders and those who may want to reverse or prevent muscle loss because of aging.

Deadlifts can be used to build core strength, stability, and overall strength. The legs are major movers of deadlifts but the core, upper body, and back also play a pivotal role in stabilizing the weight during the lifting exercise, explains Jason Machowsky C.S.C.S, R.D., exercise physiologist.

While resistance training may help boost muscle mass, it can also place a significant load on muscles to help them build up faster, especially if you engage in intensive and regular training, adds Machowsky.

Boosts Metabolism

How many calories your body is able to burn while at rest depends on your body’s metabolism rate.

Lean muscle is known to speed up metabolism. So, by increasing your body’s lean muscles, you will be boosting your metabolism.

Deadlift exercises target the body’s large muscle groups, which are a good choice when it comes to building a larger percentage of the body’s lean muscles.

A publication in the Health and Fitness Journal notes that resistance training such as deadlift lifting can help increase metabolism rate and is an efficient method of increasing calorie burn. It also promotes muscle growth over time which may help the body to more burn calories.

Other Ways of Safely Doing Dead Lifts

Here are other ways of doing deadlifts safely:

Dumbbell Deadlifts

If you are not able to access a barbell or you feel that the bar weight is challenging for you to lift, you can opt for a vertical lightweight dumbbell deadlift.

Just like a barbell deadlift, you will also need to grasp the dumbbell deadlift with both hands as you hinge at the hip in order to lift it.

Workout sandbags can be another alternative if you are looking for a variety of things that can help you engage your full body in exercises because they can still work for you just like deadlifts.

Romanian Deadlift

While regular deadlifts require you to begin the lift from a squat, Romanian deadlifts start from a standing position.

It is a variation that allows you to work on your posterior chain muscles which involve muscles running along your body’s backside like hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

A publication in PLOS ONE Journal by Martin-Fuentes I. et al notes that one can engage in in Romanian deadlift offset feet because it closely mimics real-life situations of moving and picking up heavy objects.

Stiff Leg Deadlift

It is a deadlift version that requires you to remain standing throughout the motion period while you maintain stiff legs and your knees nearly locked.

You also need to maintain a neutral spine and ensure that the bar is close to the body as bend forward and back to standing.

Compared to Romanian deadlifts, stiff leg deadlift activates more gluteus maximus and hamstrings.

Suitcase Deadlift

Suitcase deadlift is a variation where you are required to lift weight by utilizing one side of the body at a time, by the use of one hand.

This movement engages muscles to prevent the body from tilting over to the side because of weight. It is also a great method of strengthening your core.

In a standard deadlift, this movement will require you to bend like you are squatting workout instead of keeping your legs straight.

Mistakes to Avoid

Deadlifts come with plenty of health benefits if done in the right way. But if you happen to sustain injuries in the process you might be left unable to exercise.

So, taking precautions is paramount if you want to achieve your fitness goals. Below are some errors you should avoid if you want to get the most out of deadlift exercise with minimal injury or risk.

Lifting with Your Back or Arms

If you are a beginner, your lifting process should be with your hips and legs and not your shoulders, arms, or back – however, their stabilizing role remains important during this exercise.

Also, remember to keep your arms straight all through the lifting duration. If you bend your arms they may strain your biceps.

Rounding Your Shoulders or Back

Without rounding your spine and shoulder, keep your back straight so that you will be hinging at the hip. All you need to do at this point is to keep the hips down and the butt out. Remember to brace the abs so that you can be able to give support to your straight back.

Using Too Much Weight

If you are a beginner and just starting out, always practice using a lightweight until you have a satisfactory form. Your gym instructor or personal trainer can help you check if your form is correct.

As you increase your fitness you can at this point also increase your weight but you should do it modestly so that you do not put strain on your muscles.

Keeping the Bar Too Far from Body

Positioning the weight far from the body when doing deadlifts is not the right thing to do. Ensure that the bar travels close to your body to ensure optimal lift safety and efficiency. As you do the lifting, it is alright to skim your leg’s front.

Partial Lifts

You can do repetitions with light weight by lowering the bar to the floor or shin and then straightening again without letting go of your grip on the bar.

This may not be a deadlift repetition but is good to exercise a full lift, bring it down to the floor, and then start all over again from a standing position.