When it comes to an exercise variation that works on all your muscle groups, there is no better answer than doing a deadlift. They improve your posture, give you strength, and make your body more fit and healthy. Doing a deadlift also increases your endurance which in result helps to gain more muscle mass.
Deadlifts come with many variations and styles which work to target many of your muscle groups. Mastering deadlifts can make your life easy and your workout sessions more productive. It is advisable to have a health coach by your side who can help get this super effective exercise right.
Deadlifts have many health benefits; you need to learn the right one to experience their effects. Doing a perfect deadlift requires your attention, focus, and hard work. Apart from these major areas, there are some little things that you will surely not want to miss out on.
You can do this exercise more effectively and experience a more challenging touch if you learn some basics. Testing your body with different strategies and learning how to do it correctly is key to performing perfect deadlifts.
This article will give you a brief insight into deadlift and the form you need to select. You will also find some handy and practical tips to help you make your deadlift a lot easier.
What Are Deadlifts?
Deadlifts are categorized as compound exercises that simultaneously work on many muscle groups. They work in the improvement of power in muscles and give immense strength to the body. There is also a better distribution of lean body mass by performing deadlifts.
Deadlifts effectively involve nearly all muscle groups and are considered an excellent exercise. Not only do they work on the lower body, but they have an improved effect on the upper body as well. You will need a strong barbell to perform a perfect deadlift.
Deadlifts work on Gluteus Maximus, which targets your glutes and makes them stronger. Deadlifts have various variations, each targeting the posterior muscles of the back, hamstrings, core muscles, and upper body muscles.
Deadlifts burn more fat and improve your grip strength which enables you to build more weight safely. Doing maximum reps of deadlifts increases your cardiac activity and plays a key role in improving heart health.
Which Technique to Adopt According to Your Type
While performing deadlifts, you should make sure to adopt a variation according to your body type. The weight that you have to lift can be anything, and you should be free to make any choice that you like. The different variations of deadlift work on different muscles, yet they have one thing in common: big burn.
Some of the standard deadlifts variations are:
- Sumo deadlift
- Conventional deadlift
- Romanian deadlift
- Single leg deadlift
- Resistance band deadlift
All of these variations are useful and promise to bring many health benefits. It is important to consider the strength of your body before jumping to perform deadlifts. Experiment with lighter weights and then gradually increase the speed for effective and visible results.
Related Article: 5 Reasons Why Wrist Training is Important for Bodybuilders
How to Perform Deadlifts Properly?
There are some important points to keep in mind to master the art of deadlift. According to research, before expecting any result from deadlifts, you must understand the techniques to lift and the style that suits you. By practicing, you can learn to perform it better, which will be useful in maximizing its effects on the body.
Deadlifts work on your entire body if done correctly. You will need a resilient and strong barbell to perform deadlifts. After selecting a weight, it is time to get on the floor and induce an extreme burn to your muscles. The following are some of the simple steps that will give you an idea to perform the perfect deadlift:
- Select a perfect barbell first and experiment with different weights.
- Choose a weight that fits the strength of your body.
- Now stand straight with your feet in the middle of the barbell.
- Give a slight bend to your knees to lift the bar.
- Keep your glutes and core engaged and your back straight.
- Lift the barbell to the level of the hips and pause for a second.
- Hold a barbell with your hands slightly far from your thighs.
- Your back should not have any arch to avoid any risk of injury.
To understand deadlifts, you can get a quick look at this video.
How You Can Make It Easier & Safe
Deadlifts work on all muscle groups and make you strong internally. Give enough time to yourself to learn the move and master the form to the best. Some simple tips can help you to perform them with much ease and safety. Following are some of the practical and doable things that you can follow while doing a deadlift:
1. Strengthen Your Grip
A strong grip is key to perform a perfect deadlift. No matter how much burn you want on your legs and core, you cannot do a deadlift if your hands lack strength and power. Strengthening your grips enable you to lift more weight and perform better exercises.
When it comes to strengthening your grip, thick bars are one of the safest and most reliable options. They wrap around barbells and add a challenging touch to your routine. The benefit of using thick bars on barbells is that they also strengthen your arm and forearm muscles and give you a perfect grip.
2. Eliminate the Sweat
Excess sweat in hands can become a severe threat while performing deadlifts. Due to sweat, you might experience slipping of hands, and in return, a lost grip on the barbell. The result of this situation is not very pleasant such as enhanced chances of injury or risk of damage due to sudden slipping, and should be avoided altogether.
Gym chalks are a safe and affordable way to combat this problem. Apart from removing sweat, they also protect your hands from any tears or injuries. They dry up your hands which helps you to lift the barbell without any risk of injury.
3. Engage Your Core and Glutes
A practical thing that also promises many good benefits is engaging your core and glutes while doing deadlifts. Engaging these key areas to derive greater exertion and force works on your body to provide better and improved results. Deadlifts should engage your cores and glutes even before the exercise starts.
Engaging core and glutes make you stronger and enable you to perform other exercises in the best way. Your deadlift can become easier and more effective if you engage your core and glutes throughout the exercise. Make sure that your spine and neck are free of tension to avoid any injury or risk.
Related Article: How To Fix The Issue Of Losing Your Grip During Lifting
4. Use Wrist Wraps to Avoid Strain
Deadlifts are not easy and add a challenging touch to your exercise routine. They cause a lot of strain on your wrist and forearm muscles, leading to some injury if not managed accordingly. You need to pay special attention to your wrist muscles to perform this exercise perfectly.
Using wrist wraps will help reduce wrist pain and push you to perform a deadlift without any incidence of pain. The writs wraps can also help lift more weight and increase your endurance to lift the maximum weight without stress on your wrists.
5. Use Belts to Reduce Injury Chances
Deadlifts can cause some stress on your back muscles. Because of this, you might experience some pain in your lower back which makes you uncomfortable and interrupts your performance. Apart from that, the chances of injury on the back also increase if proper precautions are not taken.
Powerlifting belts are a perfect solution for this problem. If you have some back issues, then it is safer to use a belt. Using this belt will also optimize your performance and will make you stronger and healthy. These belts will also help you gain more muscle mass and lift more weight with ease.
6. Practice Your Balance
Achieving balance and having a sound mind-body connection are very important in deadlifts. Without adequate focus and distracting your attention everywhere, you cannot perform a secure and effective deadlift. Practicing exercise with more focus and attention will make it easier for you to perform a deadlift.
Gradually doing a bigger squat, increasing your reps, and changing the techniques will maximize the benefits of deadlifts on your body. However, this is not possible if you do not focus on technique and mindlessly perform exercises.
7. Focus on Your Nutrition
Exercise and nutrition work hand in hand. Nutrition is the major area of concern that will make your deadlifts a lot easier. Without proper and balanced nutrition, you cannot expect good results solely from exercise. After you are done with a deadlift session, make sure to pay attention to your nutrition for better performance in the next round.
Having sufficient protein in the diet or using a supplement such as whey protein will provide you with all the basic amino acids needed for developing muscle fibers. The remodeling of muscle fibers will help you to lift more weight without any difficulty.
Final Words
Deadlifts are effective and safest exercises that can help you gain more muscle mass without spending enough time. The key to performing them with safety is to have a perfect grip on barbells with the help of thick bar grips, fixing your posture, and engaging body muscles to the maximum.
Article Sources
- Hales, M. (2010). Improving the deadlift: Understanding biomechanical constraints and physiological adaptations to resistance exercise. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 32(4), 44-51.