Week in Review 1-26-18
January 26, 2018Week in Review 2-2-18
February 2, 2018
Welcome to Part II of our strength training series. In Part 1 we covered the ins and outs of squatting. Today, we’ll be covering its close relative, the deadlift, another important compound movement.
Of all the exercises in my programming playbook, the deadlift is probably my favorite. For starters, it’s yet another fundamental movement pattern that we benefit from reinforcing. Whether you realize it or not, you deadlift every time you pick something up from the floor. In a gym setting, there’s something about picking up a heavy object that gets people fired up – this goes for both men and women!
Why should we deadlift?
As I mentioned above, the deadlifting pattern is one that we repeat nearly every day. Like the squat, the deadlift is a multi-joint exercise that facilitates stimulation of the muscle groups that control the hip, knee and ankle. The challenge for most is grooving that pattern consistently to ensure that we pick things up correctly. From a heavy item like a bag of dog food to something innocuous like a sock, I’ve heard countless tales of back injuries because someone incorrectly picked something up.
Flexion + Rotation = OUCH!
Typically, an injury occurs because the individual has placed their lumbar spine in a high degree of flexion, then attempted to lift an object. With lighter objects, we may also add some rotation (think bending over and reaching across your body), which our lumbar spine also dislikes. We want the force to translate primarily through the hips, with the glutes and hamstrings being the prime actors, and the spinal stabilizing muscles assisting. When it doesn’t, we create shear force, which is translated into the spine and passive tissues like intervertebral discs. The end result is some form of disc issue, be it a crack or herniation.
This just looks painful no matter the object or amount of weight being lifted.
Deadlift – Keys to Success
We reduce our injury risk by performing deadlifts with excellent technique, especially before adding lots of external loading. Here are some tips to help you ensure that you are performing a deadlift with proper technique:
1. 
Foot alignment can be as narrow as hip width and as wide as outside the frame of the body, depending upon the variant we’re using. Toes can be straight ahead or slightly turned out, depending upon your preference.
2. With the bar against your shins or the implement between your toes, stand tall, place both arms in front of you and squat down. As you squat, find the bar or implement with your hands. I’ve found this technique to be very effective at putting the person in correct thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) spinal alignment.
3. 
Make a double chin. Doing so correctly aligns the cervical spine. We should not look up or down excessively.
4. Pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets by squeezing your armpits hard.
5. As you pick the object up, your spine should stay in alignment – avoid excessive flexion or extension.
6. As you stand up, your hips will fully extend to meet the bar or object. The lift is over here – DO NOT rock back, as this places unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine.
7. Return to the floor the same way you moved from the floor. Do not round your back on the way down!
Deadlift Variations
As with many exercises, we have a variety of ways in which we can progress or regress the deadlift. For this article we’re going to focus solely on the bi-lateral (2-legged) variations. We’ll save the single leg stuff for another day. Below are the options I consider when designing a program:
Dumbbell – I will often start novice clients here, as we’re able to reinforce the correct pattern and provide feedback with weight in a safe manner. It’s also most translatable to everyday life.
Trap Bar –The trap (hex) bar deadlift uses a special bar that you step inside of, moving the weight from the front of the body to in-line with the hips and center of gravity. This helps to reduce the amount of potential stress on the lower back. Taller lifters benefit from this difference, as well as the higher starting position of the bar itself. It’s great for novice lifters as the setup is less technical and the position of the weight is inherently safer.
Sumo Stance – Since many gyms don’t have a trap bar, the sumo stance deadlift is a good programming choice. I like the sumo stance deadlift because our leverage reduces the amount of potential stress on the lower back. The wider foot position reduces the range of motion, so the bar doesn’t have to travel as far. However, this foot position may cause stress for those who struggle keeping their knees out. Typically, it’s a preferred choice for people with longer torsos over a conventional deadlift because stress to the spine is reduced.
Conventional – As with the sumo stance, the bar is in front of your body, increasing the potential to create shear force. As mentioned above, it often comes down to preference, with the conventional deadlift being a good programming choice for lifters with shorter torsos. This variation is often considered the most technical.
We all have to pick up heavy things!!
Incorporating deadlifts into your daily routine can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out. At Vitalifit, we incorporate deadlifts into all of our programs, but recognize that everyone may need something a little different. Whether you’re a novice who’s just learning to strength train or a more seasoned lifter who’s in search of new challenge, contact us today to join the Vitalifit Coaching Program that is right for you.
Welcome to Part II of our strength training series. In Part 1 we covered the ins and outs of squatting. Today, we’ll be covering its close relative, the deadlift, another important compound movement.
Of all the exercises in my programming playbook, the deadlift is probably my favorite. For starters, it’s yet another fundamental movement pattern that we benefit from reinforcing. Whether you realize it or not, you deadlift every time you pick something up from the floor. In a gym setting, there’s something about picking up a heavy object that gets people fired up – this goes for both men and women!
Why should we deadlift?
As I mentioned above, the deadlifting pattern is one that we repeat nearly every day. Like the squat, the deadlift is a multi-joint exercise that facilitates stimulation of the muscle groups that control the hip, knee and ankle. The challenge for most is grooving that pattern consistently to ensure that we pick things up correctly. From a heavy item like a bag of dog food to something innocuous like a sock, I’ve heard countless tales of back injuries because someone incorrectly picked something up.
Flexion + Rotation = OUCH!
Typically, an injury occurs because the individual has placed their lumbar spine in a high degree of flexion, then attempted to lift an object. With lighter objects, we may also add some rotation (think bending over and reaching across your body), which our lumbar spine also dislikes. We want the force to translate primarily through the hips, with the glutes and hamstrings being the prime actors, and the spinal stabilizing muscles assisting. When it doesn’t, we create shear force, which is translated into the spine and passive tissues like intervertebral discs. The end result is some form of disc issue, be it a crack or herniation.
This just looks painful no matter the object or amount of weight being lifted.
Deadlift – Keys to Success
We reduce our injury risk by performing deadlifts with excellent technique, especially before adding lots of external loading. Here are some tips to help you ensure that you are performing a deadlift with proper technique:
1. Foot alignment can be as narrow as hip width and as wide as outside the frame of the body, depending upon the variant we’re using. Toes can be straight ahead or slightly turned out, depending upon your preference.
2. With the bar against your shins or the implement between your toes, stand tall, place both arms in front of you and squat down. As you squat, find the bar or implement with your hands. I’ve found this technique to be very effective at putting the person in correct thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) spinal alignment.
3. Make a double chin. Doing so correctly aligns the cervical spine. We should not look up or down excessively.
4. Pull your shoulder blades into your back pockets by squeezing your armpits hard.
5. As you pick the object up, your spine should stay in alignment – avoid excessive flexion or extension.
6. As you stand up, your hips will fully extend to meet the bar or object. The lift is over here – DO NOT rock back, as this places unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine.
7. Return to the floor the same way you moved from the floor. Do not round your back on the way down!
Deadlift Variations
As with many exercises, we have a variety of ways in which we can progress or regress the deadlift. For this article we’re going to focus solely on the bi-lateral (2-legged) variations. We’ll save the single leg stuff for another day. Below are the options I consider when designing a program:
Dumbbell – I will often start novice clients here, as we’re able to reinforce the correct pattern and provide feedback with weight in a safe manner. It’s also most translatable to everyday life.
Trap Bar –The trap (hex) bar deadlift uses a special bar that you step inside of, moving the weight from the front of the body to in-line with the hips and center of gravity. This helps to reduce the amount of potential stress on the lower back. Taller lifters benefit from this difference, as well as the higher starting position of the bar itself. It’s great for novice lifters as the setup is less technical and the position of the weight is inherently safer.
Sumo Stance – Since many gyms don’t have a trap bar, the sumo stance deadlift is a good programming choice. I like the sumo stance deadlift because our leverage reduces the amount of potential stress on the lower back. The wider foot position reduces the range of motion, so the bar doesn’t have to travel as far. However, this foot position may cause stress for those who struggle keeping their knees out. Typically, it’s a preferred choice for people with longer torsos over a conventional deadlift because stress to the spine is reduced.
Conventional – As with the sumo stance, the bar is in front of your body, increasing the potential to create shear force. As mentioned above, it often comes down to preference, with the conventional deadlift being a good programming choice for lifters with shorter torsos. This variation is often considered the most technical.
We all have to pick up heavy things!!
Incorporating deadlifts into your daily routine can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out. At Vitalifit, we incorporate deadlifts into all of our programs, but recognize that everyone may need something a little different. Whether you’re a novice who’s just learning to strength train or a more seasoned lifter who’s in search of new challenge, contact us today to join the Vitalifit Coaching Program that is right for you.
