Deadlift Exercise

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Original Editor - User:Matt Huey Top Contributors - Sam Fears, Matt Huey, Wade Pennington, Tony Varela, Logan Kabance, Kim Jackson, Lucinda hampton and Rishika Babburu

Welcome to Arkansas Colleges of Health Education School of Physical Therapy Musculoskeletal 1 Project. This space was created by and for the students at Arkansas Colleges of Health Education School in the United States. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Introduction

The Deadlift is one of the most functional and basic exercises there is. The goal of the exercise is to bend down, grab an object on the floor, and lift it off the floor. Improvements to strength and speed can be attained from the deadlift which translate to an increase in overall power.

To pick something up off the ground has been a basic movement since the dawn of mankind. If something is dropped, you bend down and pick it up. Boxes, grocery bags, and your children all represent things that require bending over and picking up at some point or another. Being proficient in this movement will translate to a better quality of life for yourself and those around you.

The mechanics of the deadlift are relatively simple but extremely crucial to the effectiveness and safety of the movement. Provided below is an instructional video and detailed information regarding proper and improper mechanics for the deadlift.

Mechanics

Mechanics of the deadlift:

1. Place both feet under the bar, roughly shoulder width apart (foot distance may vary depending on variation). The bar should be just over the mid foot, a few inches from the shins.
2. Hinge at the hip and bend at the knee to lower the torso to the bar. Grasp the bar just outside of the shins.
3. Attempt to "wrap the bar around the shins" to engage the lats to assist with keeping the spine in a neutral position. An additional cue would be to "squeeze oranges under your armpits" for similar lat engagement.
4. Once the lats are engaged, perform the Valsalva maneuver by taking a large breath and forcefully exhaling against a closed glottis. This causes an increase in intrathoracic pressure which helps stabilize the truck and spine during the movement.
5. Push through the feet by "pushing the world away" and begin to lift the bar from the ground. Continue maintaining a neutral spine position for the entirety of the movement.
6. Knee and hip extension will occur simultaneously as the weight is lifted.
7. Once full knee and hip extension are achieved, the weight is then lower to the floor in the reverse manner, and the movement is complete.

Muscles Used

The deadlift exercise can be considered a full body exercise since it utilizes many muscles in both the upper and lower body.

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Adductor Magnus
• Hamstrings
• Spinal Erectors
• Latissimus Dorsi
• Trapezius
• Rhomboids
• Obliques and Abdominals

A systematic review did look at the muscle activation during a deadlift. It was found that the erector spinae and quadriceps muscles were more active than the gluteus maximus and biceps femoris. In the hamstrings, the semitendinosus has slightly greater muscle activation than the biceps femoris.

Variations

The deadlift exercise can be modified in a number of ways depending upon the desired goals, sport, or limitations of the person performing the deadlift. Each variation will allow the person to focus on specific muscle groups or mimic a desired activity.

• Conventional Deadlift

Sumo Deadlift

The conventional deadlift is often the most commonly thought of. The person stands with their feet approximately shoulder width with the arms outside their thighs. There is increased emphasize on the lower back due to the trunk having more of a forward lean.

• Sumo Deadlift

The person sets up with a wider stance with the arms inside the thighs. The trunk stays in a more upright stance utilizing the hips more than the back.

• Straight/Stiff Leg Deadlift

The person stands with the feet about shoulder width and the knees stay extended (not fully locked out). The trunk says in a neutral position and the downward motion comes from the hips flexing and moving posteriorly. The focus is on the lower back and hamstrings.

• Romanian Deadlift

The person stands with the feet about shoulder width but now the knees are flex approximately 15 degrees. The trunk says in a neutral position and the downward motion comes from the hips flexing and moving posteriorly. The focus is on the lower back, gluteals, and hamstrings.

• Rack Deadlifts

The person can utilize whatever stance they prefer, but the difference is the bar starts at a higher height using a rack. The height of the bar can be adjusted to whatever height the person would like. This allows the person to either focus on lifting heavier weights, training weak points, or mimicking a similar activity.

• Deficit Deadlifts

The person utilizes whatever stance they prefer but they typically are on an elevated surface so the bar is lower than it would typically be. This allows the person to focus on the initial pull of the deadlift, training a weak point, or mimicking a similar activity.

• Snatch Grip Deadlift

The person uses a conventional set up but instead of gripping the bar just outside the thighs, the person uses a much wider grip. Using this wider grip puts more emphasis on the stabilization of the scapula and upper back musculature.

Additional Variations

The variations to deadlifts are not limited to the type of deadlift itself. Additional modifications can be made to change the exercise.

• Bars

Changing the type of bar used can add variety. Stiff bars, hex bar, or fatter diameter bars changes the forces and demands.

• Resistance

The use of resistance bands and chains can add increasing or even decreasing resistance throughout the range of motion of the deadlift.

• Grips

Most people use 1 of 2 grip variation, double overhand (both hands around the bar with palms facing them), or opposing grip (one palm facing in and the other out). To challenge the grip, a larger diameter bar could be used or having something wrapped around it. Another grip could be a fingertip grip, which the bar is held more in the fingers, rather than the palm "digging into" the bar.

• Speed

The speed at which the lift is performed can be changed. A person could perform a repetition as quickly as possible or at a slower than normal rate.

Research

Deadlifts and low back pain:

One study found that a 8-10 week deadlift training program did improve pain and function at a 15 month follow up with people with discogenic low back pain.

A systematic review found there is Level B evidence that deadlifts are a clinically effective option for the treatment of mechanical low back pain, with improvements in pain and functional outcomes.