Ah, the deadlift.
To the untrained eye, the deadlift might look like the most dangerous activity out there. How
can lifting something heavy off the floor that many times not lead to injuries and aches?
The fact is, deadlifts are one of the most natural movement patterns and, when done
correctly, offer numerous benefits.
Here’s why you should do them.
They Train a Range of Muscles
The deadlift is a whole-body movement and does an incredible job of training our entire
posterior chain - hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back, and traps. It also helps
strengthen our grip, as well as develop our arms, shoulders, quads, and core musculature.
Repetition for repetition, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more productive exercise than the
deadlift.
They Make Us Stronger and More Athletic
One of the greatest benefits of the deadlift is that it builds functional strength and makes us
more athletic.
Not only does it make our everyday lives easier, but it also improves sports performance,
makes us faster and more explosive.
They Improve Our Posture
Thanks to the fact that deadlifts develop our posterior muscles, most folks experience a
drastic improvement in their posture from as little as four to five weeks of regular deadlifting.
This not only builds confidence but also helps prevent injuries and chronic aches in the long
run.
They Burn A Lot Of Calories
Because the deadlift is such a challenging whole-body exercise, it also burns a significant
amount of calories.
This means that you can easily use the deadlift while losing weight. You can even
substitute some of your cardiovascular exercises with deadlifts for the caloric burn, as well as the many other benefits the movement offers.
They Improve Our Grip Strength
Indeed, forcing yourself to hold a heavy barbell in your hands does a great job of
strengthening your grip.
This not only makes you fitter overall but also makes many everyday activities easier to
handle.
Plus, grip strength is tightly correlated with good health, vitality, and physical capability, even as we get older.
Want to try deadlifting?
We recommend reaching out to a trainer for some guidance on critiquing your lift. We are here to help so, do not hesitate giving us a call, email or shoulder tap when we are next in the gym to tee up a time.