How to Deadlift Deadlifting 101

heavy-deadlift

Deadlift 101

Rick Walker, CSCS

The deadlift is as much an art form as it is a lift. It is a combining of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, working as one unit to move a massive weight from a dead stop to lockout. It requires tremendous total body strength, from the traps to the calves. You have to have a back of steel, hands like talons, and a mind of solid granite. It isn’t a lift for everyone. Throw open the doors on any commercial gym and take a look around. See anyone deadlifting? But, one must face the very simple facts about the taboo exercise known as the deadlift: Nothing is better at adding muscle and strength to the entire body!

Take a look at a good deadlifter. They will be as thick as an old oak. They will have huge traps, big lats, and a massive set of spinal erectors. Their hips will be wide and boxy, and they will have legs the size of tree trunks. They didn’t get this way doing pull-downs and leg presses. They got this way slinging around heavy iron!

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Take a look at those physiques, and the massive amount of weight they are capable of deadlifting. Next time you think to yourself, “The deadlift can’t be that hard!” Better think again.

Keep in mind; you won’t develop those kinds of physiques slinging around 200 pounds! You have to pull until your eyes bleed. You have to make a conscious effort to add weight to the bar each and every time you deadlift. Yes, there will be times you will want to vomit. If you tell yourself that right now, and accept it, it will be much easier when you are banging out sets of 10 with 500 pounds and your Fruity Pebbles© spew out onto your t-shirt.

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