# Deadlifts



## kawikid (Apr 28, 2008)

I'd like to thank the people of this forum for introducing me to the world of deadlifts. :thumb:

What a fantastic exercise. I started doing them 20 days ago and already i notice a difference. I was doing 80kg for 8 at the start, and today did 95kg for 8 on my last set. I feel like i can go heavier, but i'm being very carefull to keep good form and not go too heavy too soon. 15KG weight added and i've only done 4 back sessions with them in!!

I can definately feel a difference in my posture. My back feels bulkier and my shoulders feel pulled back in line. I'm lovin it!!!!!

One small question though. Should i be using a belt? I feel good doing them without one. I'd read somewhere it's good to do them without when your new to deadlifts as it strengthens all the tiny muscles, tendons and stabilizers on the lower back.

I feel i should just start wearing one just to get peace to train though. Anytime i deadlift someone always feels the need to come over and tell me "you'll kill you back doing them son, get a belt or you'll regret it in years to come". Then goes back to doing big swinging dumbell curls from their hips with a weight 20kg hevier than they can actually lift.  :lol: It does my nut in!! I've started training with my i pod on so i cant hear anyone trying to talk to me. :thumbup1:


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## recc (Apr 27, 2008)

ive been advised to start doing deadlifts but never tried them I was just wondering if it gives legs a hard workout too? the problem is I dont want to exercise legs twice a week...


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## corbuk (Jan 18, 2008)

Ye I see alot of those ****ing disco stu curls - ****ing ****s do my head in


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

straight leg deadlifts will hit the legs more than bent legs i believe

but yeh i never did deads until i came here

genius compound!


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## fozyspilgrims (Oct 22, 2007)

Today was my first ever deadlift session, i only did 65kg as like was said before i want to progress slowly with good form rather than do my back in on my first session. Really enjoyed them, i didn't feel it in the legs as much as i thought i would hardly at all to be honest. I can feel it now in my lower back and stablisers, feels a little strange as i have never been stiff there before. Are you supposed to place the bar down every time or just hover and start again?


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## TOBE (Mar 9, 2008)

I never done them aswell until i came on here and seen a lot of people talking about them, I love them now! Although i don't really feel it much on my legs, but still, great exercise imo.

Your meant to let the weight sit on the floor for a moment mate, hints why it is called a deadlift.


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

hhhmmm i dont let it touch the floor just be me, but i find i have a better session on the lower back when i dont touch the floor


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## TOBE (Mar 9, 2008)

I may be wrong then mate, i've always thought that it had to be dead on the floor then start again?

anyone?


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

I tried these for the 1st time, and kept scraping my knees on the way up, am I right in thinking I musn't have been lifting my head upright first, as I didn't always catch :confused1:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik30.htm

Lin


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## fozyspilgrims (Oct 22, 2007)

Lin said:


> I tried these for the 1st time, and kept scraping my knees on the way up, am I right in thinking I musn't have been lifting my head upright first, as I didn't always catch :confused1:
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik30.htm
> 
> Lin


I don't know but i was taught to look slightly above my head in the mirror all the way up.


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## kawikid (Apr 28, 2008)

Yep. All the form vids i watched put it down. I put it down, take a second to get my positioning right and back straight before lifting the next rep. I hold it at the top for a second too and lock out and pull my shoulders back. I feel it in my legs. On the 95kgs today i could see my knees starting to bend together a bit mid lift, hence the reason i didn't try heavier.

Also, forgot to add. I got a good bit of advice from a powerlifting site. I take my trainers off and do it in my socks. I found with my trainers on my ankles were firing loads and wobbling to keep me stable. With the trainers off it feels much steadier...... and i put my left hand underhand grip, and right hand overhand.

I do my deads infront of the mirrors so i can watch my form.


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## jjb1 (Jun 28, 2007)

Mrdaveyk said:


> straight leg deadlifts will hit the legs more than bent legs i believe
> 
> but yeh i never did deads until i came here
> 
> genius compound!


think of the movement bro if your legs are moving your hitting your legs more ..... stiff legs are prodomantly hams and lower back:thumb:


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## corbuk (Jan 18, 2008)

its gonna scrap your Shins if your doing it correctly .... I wear shin pads under my trouser


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## kawikid (Apr 28, 2008)

Lin said:


> I tried these for the 1st time, and kept scraping my knees on the way up, am I right in thinking I musn't have been lifting my head upright first, as I didn't always catch :confused1:
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/weik30.htm
> 
> Lin


I did this too. I found if you keep your head back and push a little bit more with your legs at the start it will come by your knees. If you pull with your back too much and dont use your legs enough it scrapes hell out shins/knees.


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

jjb1 said:


> think of the movement bro if your legs are moving your hitting your legs more ..... stiff legs are prodomantly hams and lower back:thumb:


too true, i was abit unsure when i typed it


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

kawikid said:


> I did this too. I found if you keep your head back and push a little bit more with your legs at the start it will come by your knees. If you pull with your back too much and dont use your legs enough it scrapes hell out shins/knees.


kk will have another bash in the morn


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## fozyspilgrims (Oct 22, 2007)

Today i used the plates with straight edges on them thinking that it would be better for placing on the ground, but i was wrong it was a pain and i found i was always having to adjust on the floor. Round plates next time!


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

TOBE said:


> I may be wrong then mate, i've always thought that it had to be dead on the floor then start again?
> 
> anyone?


Correct.

It's called a deadlift because you're lifting a dead weight each time. You return the bar to the floor, brief pause, and lift again (assuming you're doing more than 1 rep).


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## Guest (May 22, 2008)

Not resetting the bar on the floor is far more stressfull on the low back and will hinder development. I have tried it and found it to be both dangerous and a waste of time.

Nothing develops the body better than deadlifts.


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## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

agree. deadlifts great exercise


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## andyboro (Oct 1, 2006)

ive only ever set the bar on the floor if ive been doing 20 reppers.. does it really make much of a difference?

I found using the 1 over - 1 underhand grip it pretty much stopped me ever hitting my knees... they used to end up bruised to buggery before lol.

I use stiff leg deads on leg days for hams too.


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## fozyspilgrims (Oct 22, 2007)

Con said:


> Not resetting the bar on the floor is far more stressfull on the low back and will hinder development. I have tried it and found it to be both dangerous and a waste of time.
> 
> *Nothing develops the body better than deadlifts*.


Can you expand on this con?


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## MrGum (May 2, 2008)

I love the Deadlift.

Until recently I just did SLDL, but this morning I did a 5x5 "regular" Deadlifts - (thanks MrDaveyK for reminding me to do these too!)

I Deadlift twice a week. Currently doing 68.5kg, making progress every time still.

Gum


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## corbuk (Jan 18, 2008)

ye , I fking love DEADLIFTS and SQUAT ... Two faveroute excersise by FAR


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## Guest (May 23, 2008)

fozyspilgrims said:


> Can you expand on this con?


Well think of what muscles are stimulated doing the deadlift.

People state squat to be the best whole body stimulator however on deadlift you are also stressing your arms by holding the bar. When you lock out you even stimulate your chest and other muscles you wouldnt think. I am sure that if some one only did deadlifts in the higher rep range and really worked hard and progressively a decent body could be achieved while this is not true of any other single lift.


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## willsey4 (Apr 21, 2008)

kawikid said:


> Also, forgot to add. I got a good bit of advice from a powerlifting site. I take my trainers off and do it in my socks. I found with my trainers on my ankles were firing loads and wobbling to keep me stable. With the trainers off it feels much steadier...... and i put my left hand underhand grip, and right hand overhand.
> 
> I do my deads infront of the mirrors so i can watch my form.


I do squats and deads with no trainers on. Some might say that squatting with no shoes on is dangerous but Ive done it from day one without a problem.


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## bkotey (Mar 29, 2007)

I found this useful

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-deadlift-with-proper-technique/


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

I don't quite touch the bar on the floor when doing them. I don't put the bar back on the rests after every rep doing bench press or any other exercise come to think of it, so I don't do it with deadlifts.

Also, I cannot stand the 'look at me' idiots who crash the bar to the floor after every rep. Blatantly done for attention.


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## Guest (May 24, 2008)

Did my first deadlift yesterday, a fbb in the gym showed me how to do them because all the trainers were too busy :whistling:

Tried last week but was unsure of my form.

Think I'm addicted 

Lin


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## Lost Soul (Apr 5, 2008)

BB deads for strength for me

DB deads for BBing development

Science behind that? Nope, just experience


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## kawikid (Apr 28, 2008)

So should i be wearing a belt??


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## Guest (May 24, 2008)

Con said:


> Not resetting the bar on the floor is far more stressfull on the low back and will hinder development. I have tried it and found it to be both dangerous and a waste of time.
> 
> Nothing develops the body better than deadlifts.


good job i read all these posts before i did my back yesterday then

plus theres something more accomplishing about slamming a BB on the floor, some weird placebo effect with it, makes you feel like you've done well!


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## iwannagetbig (May 24, 2008)

Never tried these


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## tinheed (May 24, 2008)

love this exercise along with squats ; most important exercises in any routine ! i have to be carefull as i;ve had back problems in the past but i;m back up to 200kgs for 4 reps and aiming to hit the 500lb mark surprising how many or should i say how few trainers in my gym do dead lifts ?? They ask my advice then try them once and don;t do them again ?? probs coz they find it hard !!


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## jjb1 (Jun 28, 2007)

tinheed said:


> love this exercise along with squats ; most important exercises in any routine ! i have to be carefull as i;ve had back problems in the past but i;m back up to 200kgs for 4 reps and aiming to hit the 500lb mark surprising how many or should i say how few trainers in my gym do dead lifts ?? They ask my advice then try them once and don;t do them again ?? probs coz they find it hard !!


oh yea its much more plesent looking in a mirror doing dumbbell rows:lol:

deads = hardcore imo


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## bkotey (Mar 29, 2007)

ba baracuss said:


> I don't quite touch the bar on the floor when doing them. I don't put the bar back on the rests after every rep doing bench press or any other exercise come to think of it, so I don't do it with deadlifts.
> 
> Also, I cannot stand the 'look at me' idiots who crash the bar to the floor after every rep. Blatantly done for attention.


Sorry to be picky but you should be putting it down. Yeah dont crash it down like most muppets but lift, pull and correctly lower it the ground so you dead-lift the weight every time. As said before, too many people do these wrong and put themselves at unnecessary risk. Great exercise, but often performed incorrectly.


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## Guest (May 27, 2008)

So should i be wearing a belt when doing deads?


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## jjb1 (Jun 28, 2007)

you know theres loads of reasons why you should wear a belt

and prob as many why its good to not too, personal choice i dont wear one unless i have to (meaning real heavy)

but i have lower back pains and training lighter with reps without a belt is helping it im sure, if i went heavy yea a belt would be on

you dont see many olympic lifters doing beltless at high weights


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## tommy28 (Dec 17, 2007)

To be honest mate, the use of a belt is a personal choice. If YOU feel you need a little extra support, try one. If you like the way it feels, stick with it. But i would strongly advise you to make your own mind up and not listen to other people's opinions.

Personally, i choose not to. I've been deadlifting pretty consistently for the past couple of years and am currently lifting 5 and a half plates a side for reps. I have built a pretty strong core and place great importance on correct technique. All the belts in the world aint gonna compensate for poor technique!!

I really enjoy deadlifting. I've never had any back problems, and i feel comfortable deadlifting without a belt. Despite this, i still get the odd idiot (who at 10 stone and without ANY deadlifting experience whatsoever) assures me i'm 'gonna fu*k my back up' by not using a belt.

These people are just pure ignorant - and that's putting it politely!


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

bkotey said:


> Sorry to be picky but you should be putting it down. Yeah dont crash it down like most muppets but lift, pull and correctly lower it the ground so you dead-lift the weight every time. As said before, too many people do these wrong and put themselves at unnecessary risk. Great exercise, but often performed incorrectly.


OK, Con knows his stuff too so I'm listening, but I would personally be more worried about injury from relaxing muscles for a second, then contracting again under heavy load, than keeping that muscle contracted for a number of reps.

I don't lift ego massaging weights but rather something I can do 3 sets of 10 with. Maybe that's the reason I don't feel the need to put it down after each rep, as I'm not treating it like a powerlifting move, but a bodybuilding exercise...


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## fozyspilgrims (Oct 22, 2007)

Does everyone find the lowering movement harder than the lifting movement?


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Not hijacking your thread but i have one question to some of the guys.

I seem to get a tender lower back area for a couple of days after deadlifting. Could this be because of bad technique or is it a form of DOMS ?


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Deads are a lift where the whole body gets benefits.....

They are an awesome exercise, if you can do them then you should......

If you cant then you need to work around that................

Deads are the daddy.......

They serve such a purpose it isnt funny......

In the ballance of things, they rock.................


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

shamuk said:


> So should i be wearing a belt when doing deads?


NO!


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## invisiblekid (Jun 18, 2006)

hackskii said:


> NO!


Agreed. Keep they weight at a sensible amount and add weight to the bar SLOWLY. Keep form perfect. Form is far more important then weight or a belt.

This is the best way to avoid injury. Take advice from someone who, unfortunately, found out the hard way that having an ego bigger than himself knackered his back for 2 years.


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## Nathan Wind (Feb 25, 2008)

I love doing deads, but I find them incredibly draining so I tend to do them as a workout on their own. So, for example, a typical week's training for me might be:

Monday - Chest/Bi's

Tuesday - Deadlifts

Wednesday - Shoulders/Tri's

Friday - Back/Legs(without deadlifts, obviously)

Is this going to be detrimental to my training in any way? I just feel that I don't get the most out of them if they come after other excercises, or vice-versa. Also - for stif-legged dead lifts, should the weight be rested on the floor as with normal deads?


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

Neither of these two gentlemen seem to drop the bar when doing deadlifts.

The deadlifts are near the end at 2 mins 45 ish.






Doesn't seem to have done their back development any harm.

Any comments?


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Most people do a split of

chest and tris

back and bis

legs and shoulders

Back and legs make up a large part of your body and would be very hard to train all in just one session.

General back workouts are

deadlifts, DB or BB row, Wide Grip Chinups


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

First guy was doing stiff leg the second probably didnt let the bar touch to keep tention on.


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

hackskii said:


> First guy was doing stiff leg the second probably didnt let the bar touch to keep tention on.


So do you advocate dropping the bar too mate?


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

ba baracuss said:


> So do you advocate dropping the bar too mate?


I pick up the bar, then stand up with it, then set it down but I never let the bar stop moving, I do them till my hands peal off then I am done, how ever many I get.


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

hackskii said:


> I pick up the bar, then stand up with it, then set it down but I never let the bar stop moving, I do them till my hands peal off then I am done, how ever many I get.


Thanks for the input.

It appears that there's no set way it should be done then. Putting the bar down and regripping seems to be treating it as more of a powerlifting move than a bodybuilding exercise.

I treat it as a bodybuilding exercise and do 3 sets of 8 or 10 without dropping the bar, just like I would with a bench press.

People advocating putting the bar down as opposed to me not doing so would certainly explain why I have encountered grip problems after 7 or 8 reps without a re-grip.


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## Charno (Jan 18, 2008)

I find when I up the weight doing deadlifts I tend to round my back which seems to put stress on my lower back, at least my lower back feels stiff the next few days and I'm thinking that this bad form is the reason.

I try to straighten my back and put my shoulders back but it just doesn't feel natural, it feels stiff and robotic.

I suppose i should keep the weight low and focus on keeping a straight back,well, good technique generally. But it's one thing keeping everything in check when I'm lifting no weight, quite another when it's even a slight struggle.


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## ghostdog (May 14, 2008)

This thread inspired me to incorporate deadlifts into my routine. Got the gym worker to show me how it's done (wasn't 100% confident on form) and all I can say is DAMN!

Really really enjoyed them though with all the practice sets he put me through on top of the working sets, I was too KO'd to do much else.

absolutely caned me and I'm still buzzin off the feeling of power it gives you!


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## jw007 (Apr 12, 2007)

ba baracuss said:


> Thanks for the input.
> 
> It appears that there's no set way it should be done then. Putting the bar down and regripping seems to be treating it as more of a powerlifting move than a bodybuilding exercise.
> 
> ...


Mate you dont have to re-grip, just lower bar to floor so tension is completely off... you dont have to drop the bar either, but if weight does not come to a complete standstill before you move it up again then you are NOT doing a Deadlift, that would be your own variation on movement, watch world strongest man, when they do DL they have to lower weight, stop then wait for ref to say "lift"

In videos jay was doing STIFF LEG DL.

Do whatever you want, but if you dont lower weight to floor fully, release tension then what you are doing is NOT DL end off


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

jw007 said:


> Mate you dont have to re-grip, just lower bar to floor so tension is completely off... you dont have to drop the bar either, but if weight does not come to a complete standstill before you move it up again then you are NOT doing a Deadlift, that would be your own variation on movement, watch world strongest man, when they do DL they have to lower weight, stop then wait for ref to say "lift"
> 
> In videos jay was doing STIFF LEG DL.
> 
> Do whatever you want, but if you dont lower weight to floor fully, release tension then what you are doing is NOT DL end off


OK thanks for the input. I've seen your back pictures so I am listening!

In world's strongest man it's about one lift though, right? We're looking at reps and sets, not powerlifting, no?

It's just a strange mindset for me because in no other exercise do you put the weight down after every rep.

I'm also wary of relaxing muscles for a second and then re-contracting them again for the next rep - especially with heavy weights and using the back as there's nothing worse than doing your back in.


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