The deadlift exercise is a functional, strength-training exercise that keeps muscles toned, stretched and active as you age. Deadlifts help the body stay agile and strong.
With the deadlift workout, your whole body is strengthened. It also helps build power and speed through hard-core exercise. While performing the deadlift, keep your back straight and your abdomen tight and flexed. Avoid arching your back because it may lead to back pain, leaving your back prone to injury. Upon lifting the bar, always keep your head up and your chest out to maintain proper posture, and always straighten your legs out as you pull the bar up high to form a straight line from your hips down to your feet. Keep the bar close to your body as you lift it up from the ground.
This exercise helps to train your spine to gain more stability and endurance as you expose yourself to lifting. A stable spine means a stronger back and less pain.
This exercise primarily works the muscles in your legs, arms, back, buttocks, shoulders and abdomen. The deadlift exercise increases muscle mass and builds core strength. It is an effective way to develop muscles, increase flexibility, create tone and build strength, and is most commonly used by male athletes. It also results in well-defined abdominal muscles due to the motion of lifting the bar.
Start by testing how much weight your body can handle so that your exercise rhythm will not break down. If your hips, knees and spine are not moving in unison, then the bar may be too heavy and you’ll need to lessen the weight until your body is ready. You can start with a 10-pound barbell in your first week and then add five to 10 pounds to the bar in succeeding weeks. Complete four to five sets of three to six repetitions each time.
For conditioned athletes, begin with 10 to 15 pounds and increase the weight to five to 10 pounds every week using the same four to five working sets of three to six repetitions.
Don’t need to exert more than what your body can already handle as it may lead to body strain and further injuries.
Mr. Arnold Strongman achieved a new world record for the deadlift with 1,155 pounds in the year 2014.
The deadlift exercise can be integrated with the following exercise for better and faster results:
• Squat
• Bench press
• Sumo deadlift
Prior to your workout, eat foods that boost energy to fuel up for the physical demand of your workout. The following foods are good options:
• Whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana
• Oatmeal with berries
• Greek yoghurt and nuts
• Boiled yams
Afterward, your body needs to be replenished to recover from the workout. Your muscles are stretched and they need nutrients to be healed. The following foods are suggested:
• Protein bar
• Brown rice or quinoa and chicken
• Sweet potato and salmon
• Omelet with avocados and veggies
The Wolverine that everyone knows from the live action movie X-Men used higher weights in his deadlift routine to achieve his body—reaching 435 lbs. Hugh Jackman has expressed a love for deadlifts and how they affect his physique.
Dead lifts result in weight loss, more muscular mass, increased muscular stability and endurance, and more overall strength. One of the most important changes you may notice is your posture, which is often corrected with the deadlift since it focuses on a good body position. When practiced regularly, shoulders become more aligned and your spine straightens. Your body also becomes more balanced and some people report growing taller.
