How to PROPERLY Deadlift for Growth (5 Easy Steps)

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide to performing deadlifts safely and effectively. It outlines five key steps: establishing a strong foundation with proper foot and hip alignment, maintaining a 'pillar' posture to prevent back injury, gripping the bar with the hips pushed back, creating a 'wedge' with knees out and core braced, and executing a controlled ascent and descent. The script emphasizes the importance of technique over brute strength, aiming to maximize muscle growth and minimize the risk of injury.

Takeaways

• 🏋️ Deadlifts can be intimidating, but with proper technique, they don't have to be.
• 🦶 Start by positioning the bar over the middle of your foot and aligning your feet hip-width apart, toes forward.
• 🦴 Keep your hips and ribs aligned to avoid back injury by imagining your hips as a bowl of water that should stay flat.
• 💪 Engage your glutes, core, inner thighs, and lats to create tension before grabbing the bar.
• 🛠️ To grab the bar, push your hips back and keep your spine neutral while bending your knees to bring your shins to the bar.
• 🌟 Create a 'wedge' by driving your knees out, taking a deep breath, bracing your core, and squeezing your lats.
• ⚡ Instead of pulling the bar, push the ground away with your feet, ensuring your hips and chest rise together.
• 💥 At the top of the lift, thrust your hips forward but avoid overextending your back.
• 📉 Control the descent by sliding the bar down close to your thighs and shins, keeping tension in your muscles.
• ✅ Avoid bouncing the weight off the ground between reps to maintain muscle engagement and prevent injury.

Q & A

What is the first step in performing a proper deadlift?

The first step in performing a proper deadlift is creating the pillar. This involves aligning your feet hip-width apart with the bar over your shoelaces, fixing your hips and ribs into the correct position, and engaging your core to maintain a flat back.

How should one position their feet and hips during the setup for a deadlift?

For the feet, they should be hip-width apart with the toes facing forward, and the bar aligned over the shoelaces. For the hips, one should avoid an anterior pelvic tilt and instead tilt the pelvis back to keep the hips level, as if trying to bring the belt buckle up to the chin.

Why is it important to engage the core and glutes during the deadlift setup?

Engaging the core and glutes is important to maintain a stable and strong foundation, which helps to prevent back injuries and ensures that the weight is lifted with the correct muscle groups.

What is the 'grabbing the bar' step in a deadlift and how should it be done?

The 'grabbing the bar' step involves pushing the hips back while keeping the fists pushing straight down under the shoulders, ensuring the tightness created in the previous step is maintained. The bar should be grasped just outside the knees with the shins touching the bar.

How does one create the 'wedge' position before lifting in a deadlift?

To create the 'wedge' position, one should drive the knees out against the arms, take a deep 360-degree breath, brace the core, extend the chest, and activate the lats by squeezing the armpits as if making orange juice.

What is the correct way to lift the weight during a deadlift?

The correct way to lift the weight is to imagine the arms as ropes with hooks, pushing the floor away with the feet until the bar lifts off the ground, maintaining the tightness from the previous steps, and thrusting the hips forward to meet the bar at the top of the lift.

Why should one avoid thinking of the deadlift as a 'pull' exercise?

Thinking of the deadlift as a 'pull' can lead to improper form, such as jerking the weight off the floor and breaking the setup, which can compromise the lower back and lead to injuries.

How should one control the descent of the bar during the deadlift?

To control the descent, one should push the hips back and slide the bar down as close as possible along the thighs, bending the knees only after the bar passes the kneecaps, and avoiding bouncing the weight off the floor.

What is the significance of maintaining a neutral spine during a deadlift?

Maintaining a neutral spine is crucial for preventing back injuries and ensuring that the weight is lifted with the correct form. It involves drawing the head back and keeping the head, neck, and back in a straight line.

Why is it important to avoid doing too many lower back demanding exercises in one workout?

Too many lower back demanding exercises in one workout can be too much for the muscles to handle, leading to overuse and potential injuries. It's important to balance the workout with other exercises to allow for proper recovery.

What is the role of a well-written program in minimizing injury and maximizing growth during deadlifts?

A well-written program provides a step-by-step plan that shows how to work out every week and how to perform each exercise correctly, which helps to minimize the risk of injury and maximize muscle growth.