Is Deadlift The King of Basic Exercises?
Lift or ‘deadlift’ is a basic exercise that trains your entire body. The following muscle groups are particularly strong:
- The back extensor (musculus erector spinae)
- The large buttock muscle (musculus gluteus maximus)
- The thigh muscles (musculus biceps femoris and musculus quadriceps femoris)
Is the deadlift the king of compound movements?
At first glance, the odds are not bad:
- A barbell makes a good scepter.
- The squat already has the title “Queen,” and the two make a good pair.
In my opinion, there is no better exercise to build a foundation of lower back strength – for sports and everyday life.
Unchallenged.
Once you’ve learned to deadlift a barbell cleanly, hauling that next bulky moving box becomes a walk in the park.
The deadlift with the barbell
A strong lower back is not only fascinating but also an important prerequisite for good performance and safety in many sports.
The back muscle is one of the largest in our body, so attention to it should be correspondingly large. There are countless exercises for the back, from lat pulldowns to barbell rows, rack chins, pullovers, and pull-ups.
No wonder many of us ask which is the best of all back exercises. Which brings me the most success, making me a big and strong athlete?
My answer is always the same: One of the best back exercises is missing from an estimated 90% of gym-goers’ routines – the deadlift.
Deadlift: “Hate Exercise” or Favorite Exercise?
In my experience, deadlifts are a “hate exercise” for many athletes.
The reason: Deadlifts are very demanding.
With this exercise, you go to your limits, and with the right execution and the right weight, you make your muscles burn when deadlifting AND let your circulation run at full speed.
But it is precisely this feeling that brings you the desired success!
And here we are at the favorite exercise. Deadlifts are now one of my all-time favorite exercises, followed by pull-ups.
It was only when I worked intensively on the right technique that I achieved excellent results with this exercise.
The deadlift stabilized my whole body. My neck got bigger, my legs got stronger, and my back got a properly defined shape.
What muscles do I train with deadlifts?
This basic exercise trains the whole body, but the following muscle groups are particularly stressed:
- the back stretcher,
- the lower back muscles,
- the gluteus maximus (buttocks),
- the thigh muscles,
- calves,
- the neck muscles and
- the grip strength.
Why deadlift?
With this great exercise, you train many muscle groups, which is why deadlifts should not be missing in any training plan!
The time saving alone makes it worth doing this exercise. Because neck training – or the explicit training of the lower back – is no longer necessary after a hard workout with deadlifts.
Perfect technique: the be-all and end-all when deadlifting!
Deadlifts have a reputation among some athletes for damaging their backs. But that is wrong!
If done correctly and the right weight is selected, deadlifts are a healthy exercise also used in rehabilitation.
However, the correct execution can also be a science in itself.
This video clearly shows what the perfect technique should look like.
Checklist: Proper deadlift technique
This is how you achieve optimal results when deadlifting and avoid mistakes:
- Always keep your back straight in any position. This is very important to avoid serious injuries.
- Make sure you have the right footwear. They should be athletic shoes with a straight soles.
- Only use lifting aids and belts when the weight is higher – unsuitable for beginners.
- From the squat, make sure that you always straighten your legs before straightening your upper body.
- The shoulders should be stretched back in the last third of the exercise.
- Maintain body tension throughout the exercise.
- In the end position, the body is straight – the back is not arched backward.
- Choose weights so that at least 4 – 6 repetitions are possible.
- The double grip can increase grip strength, which means that one hand encloses the bar in the instep grip and the other in the comb grip.
Deadlift – Conclusion
Deadlifts are a genius exercise and a must for anyone serious about building muscle.
From my own experience, I know that no other back exercise can achieve such results as a deadlift in such a short time.
