World Fitness Blog : Leading Global Bloggers

March 28, 2023

7 Tips to Perfect Your Deadlift Form

Filed under: Fitness,Training — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 8:48 pm

There aren’t too many “one-lift wonders” that can make you epic by delivering a ton of benefits in a single set, but the deadlift is one of them. The conventional deadlift gives you the potential to lift a lot of weight, get jacked, and brag about your massive deadlift PRs (if that’s something you’re in to).

Muscular person in gym doing barbell deadlift

Credit: Drazen Zigic / Shutterstock

However, if done improperly, the deadlift can lead to frustration or even injury. Neither of those results are good for your long-term performance, let alone your spinal health, so it’s time to go over the key components of proper deadlift form. Here’s what to do and when to do it for a stronger, safer deadlift.

Perfect Your Deadlift Form

Deadlift Setup Tips

A strong and efficient deadlift begins before the weight even leaves the ground. Here’s how to make the most from each individual repetition.

Take Time to Set Your Stance

The first step in perfecting your deadlift form is to approach the bar and set your stance. For a typical conventional deadlift stance, you want your feet relatively close together, about shoulder-width. You can make slight adjustments to be able to reach the bar and pull upright while keeping good positions at your shoulders, through your back, and into your hips.

Position the barbell directly over the middle of your feet, roughly where your arches are. Your shins should be close to the bar, but not touching it. You shouldn’t need to roll the bar toward you or away from you before beginning the repetition, it should be in a good spot from the start.

long-haired person in gym lifting barbell

Credit: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock

If the bar is in front of your toes, it will be too far from your centerline and you’ll have poor leverage to pull the weight. If it’s too close to your ankles, the bar won’t be able to follow a powerful, vertical path because your shins and knees will be in the way.

Point your toes straight ahead and keep your feet flat on the ground as you bend down to grip the bar.

Choose the Right Grip

Your grip is a crucial part of the deadlift as it helps control the weight and generate the force you need. Without a stable grip, you can say bye-bye to most of your motor unit recruitment because your grip is the place where power transfers from your body to the weight.

There are four grip variations you can potentially use, depending on your experience and goals: the double-overhand grip, the mixed grip, the hook grip, and the double-overhand with lifting straps.

Long-haired person sweating in gym holding barbell

Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock

The double-overhand grip involves both hands gripping the barbell with your palms facing down. This is a good grip for beginners, as it allows for even distribution of weight across your body and it helps to build grip strength.

This is also the most common grip for most lifters. If you can use the double-overhand grip, use it. It doesn’t have any significant injury risks and it keeps the weight of the bar evenly distributed. However, some people might “outgrow” the double-overhand grip as they progress in strength. Then it might be time to use a mixed grip.

The mixed grip involves gripping the barbell with one palm facing down and the other palm facing up. These mechanics allow you to hang on to more load. This grip is commonly used by experienced lifters in the gym and competitive powerlifters, as it allows for a more secure overall grip and better control of heavier weights.

However, the mixed position is inherently unbalanced and you do put yourself at risk for a biceps tear with the supinated (palm up) side because your elbow joint is more directly exposed to stress and the biceps muscle is put into a significant stretch. (1) It also gives the bar the potential to “spin” or rotate away from your body because the force isn’t evenly distributed across the bar.

If you’re deadlifting for multiple reps per set, switch your mixed grip hand position every set or even pausing briefly to flip your grip with each repetition. If you’re maxing out, listen to your body to avoid a potentially serious biceps injury.

The next alternative is the hook grip. This is a variation of the double-overhand grip where your thumb is on the inside of your fingers as opposed to the outside. If done right, it can be one of the strongest grips compared to either a double-overhand or mixed grip.

Because the hook grip uses a double-overhand position, it allows you to keep the weight evenly distributed and not have to worry about mixed-grip related injuries. However, one big drawback to the hook grip is that it is unavoidably painful because the barbell is bearing down on the side of your thumb. In fact, if your thumbs or hands are too small, it might not even be possible to hook grip because your fingers need to reach fully around the bar and your thumb.

But hook grippers swear by it, even though their thumbs are often taped for support. Nonetheless, it’s an option and the consensus among avid hook grip fans is that the pain does decrease as you adapt to using this specialized grip.

Finally, you can use a double-overhand grip with lifting straps. Straps offer maximum support and allow you to use the heaviest load, but they take your grip strength out of the equation. This is great for people with smaller hands, when their grip is limiting the performance of their glutes and hamstrings.

If you’re not concerned with building grip strength, or if you’re a competitive strength athlete who can compete with lifting straps (for example, strongman and strongwoman athletes), using straps is a great option without having the potential injury risk of a mixed grip or the required pain tolerance for a hook grip.

Get Your Body in Position

Once you’ve established your grip and stance, it’s time to focus on your overall body position. Start by bending your knees slightly and “wedging” your hips into the bar, as if you were getting ready to sit down in a chair. Keep your arms straight and get your shoulder blades back and down to keep your chest up, rather than caving forward.

You should start to feel your body naturally get tighter due to tension building from your grip, up your arms, across your shoulders and upper back, through your torso, and down your glutes and hamstrings.

muscular bodybuilder in gym doing barbell deadlift

Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

If you’re unsure about your position, or if something feels off, record a brief video or take a picture from the side for some immediate feedback. The top of your lats (back muscles) should be over the bar. Your shoulders slightly in front of the bar and higher than your hips. The bar should be close to your shins with your leg slightly bent (not in a deep squat position).

If you don’t feel tight, imagine squeezing oranges underneath your armpits. That messy but accurate visualization should help you to cue upper body tightness where it’s most needed — your upper back, shoulder blades, and shoulders.

Consider Switching to Sumo

If you notice your lower back is rounding despite setting up in an otherwise ideal position, or if you experience discomfort in your hips or spine with conventional deadlifts no matter how you adjust your setup, consider switching to a sumo stance.

No, sumo deadlifts are not “cheating.” That joke is getting old and was never that funny to begin with. There’s actually hard research showing deadlift stance comes down to your structure. (2)

Person in gym doing sumo deadlift

Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Based on your torso, femur, and tibia ratios, a sumo stance might be better suited for you. You’ll be able to build more strength with less joint strain by changing your stance. This might mean being weaker at it when you first start, though. Don’t let a short-term learning curve turn you away from a decision that’ll yield long-term results.

With sumo deadlifts, your grip should be about shoulder-width, instead of being outside of shoulder-width with conventional deadlifts. Furthermore, your stance is wider — with your feet well-outside your shoulders — with your toes slightly pointed out. How wide you go is based on your comfort, leg length, and hip mobility.

If you need to take a very wide stance, which may compromise your range of motion, you can put a weight plate under each foot to add a deficit. Other than the grip and stance being slightly different, every other lifting cue is the same as the conventional movement.

Deadlift Performance Tips

Once you’re in a good position, from your hands to your feet and everything in between, it’s time to finally get the weight off the ground. Here are some cues for the concentric (lifting) phase and the eccentric (lowering phase) of the deadlift.

Lifting the Weight

When it comes to actually lifting the weight, there are several cues you can use to ensure proper form to maximize strength and safety. Keeping you back in a neutral position should go without saying, since that’s a fundamental form tip to reduce your risk of a lower back injury.

Focus on driving through your feet and pushing your hips forward. This will help activate your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. This two-tiered approach, using your feet and hips, will let you focus on the most efficient way to produce force with good form.

Person in gym deadlifting heavy barbell

Credit: UfaBizPhoto / Shutterstock

If you know your way around the gym, a strong deadlift is like leg pressing the bar off the floor — you want to use a powerful, flat-footed leg drive to break the plates off the ground — followed by a hip thrust into the bar once the barbell crosses above your knees. This lets you fully recruit your glutes to finish with a strong lockout.

Exhale at the top of the rep when you’ve locked the weight, and take an all too brief moment to shift focus onto the next phase of the repetition — returning the weight to the ground.

Lowering the Weight

Most people slam the weights down quickly on the eccentric portion of the rep. This can be fine under certain conditions, but it comes from the world of powerlifting. If you are not planning to deadlift in a powerlifting competition, there is no need to do this.

Generally, you want to lower with control, not because it’s necessarily that much safer but, like any exercise, there’s still some training stimulus during the repetition when you lower with control. (3) Dropping the weight reduces the amount of work your muscles are doing and could cut into your potential results.

Bald person in gym doing barbell deadlift

Credit: UfaBiaPhoto / Shutterstock

Lower the bar as if you were doing a Romanian deadlift, keeping the bar close to your body with your knees slightly bent. Feeling your muscles stretch as the weight approaches the ground could even contribute to some extra gains. (4) It should also keep the bar in the perfect position at the bottom for an easy transition into the next rep.

Once the weight is on the ground, let it settle for at least a split-second. Do not bounce into your next rep. It will not stimulate much tension for your muscles and, worse, could lead to injury by allowing creating momentum which prevents you from properly bracing for each repetition.

Brace, Brace, Brace

Due to it’s generally heavy nature, deadlifting performance and safety hinges on your ability to brace. (5) Pun intended. It’s important to keep your core braced from the moment you set up, hold it into lockout, and maintain a good brace as you lower the weight.

Fortunately, bracing, or keeping your core tight and stable while manipulating the weight, is relatively simple. It comes down to breathing air into your stomach rather than breathing deeply into your chest. As you take a breath in, think about expanding your abs, obliques, and lower back in 360-degrees.

Muscular woman with tattoos holding heavy barbell

Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock

If you’re wearing a lifting belt, you should feel your body expand “into” the belt. Once you feel tightness and pressure around your entire midsection, maintain that tightness as if you are expecting to get punched in the stomach. This keeps your spine in a stable position and helps to prevent your low back from rounding, which can be injurious.

There’s a subtle but crucial difference between bracing your core and simply “flexing your abs.” A braced core is solid from front to back and side to side, and promotes a safe, strong, and stable upper body. Flexed abs are simply contracted ab muscles on your midsection and can sometimes encourage a rounded torso position, which is the last thing you want during a heavy deadlift, since the abs are responsible for spinal flexion (bending your torso forward).

How to Deadlift

Here’s a concise review of how to display maximum strength and efficiency with crisp technique during the conventional deadlift.

Step One — Find Your Stance

The conventional deadlift needs your feet roughly shoulder-width apart for a stable and efficient platform. If the sumo deadlift feels more comfortable, take a stance much wider than shoulder-width. In either case, get the barbell over the middle of your feet, not in front of your toes and not touching your ankles.

Step Two — Pick Your Grip

Unless you’re a competitive strength athlete, use a double-overhand grip (both palms down), with or without lifting straps depending on your need to develop grip strength. Squeeze the bar hard even if you are using straps. Keep your arms straight throughout the entire exercise.

Step Three — Brace Your Core

Start your brace before the weight leaves the ground. Maintain a 360-degree braced core throughout the entire rep, during the lifting and lowering phases. A strong brace will reinforce power transfer from your lower to upper body and help to keep your back in a neutral position.

Step Four — Lift the Barbell

Get tight before the weight even leaves the ground and stay tight throughout the entire repetition. Keep your feet flat and think about performing a leg press to drive the weight up. As the bar passes your knees, imaging doing a hip thrust to activate your glutes and lock out the weight in a standing position.

Step Five — Lower with Control

After you’ve locked out the weight, quickly refocus and lower the weight at a deliberate, not excessively slow, pace. Avoid dropping the weight without tension. The bar should end up where it began, above your midfoot. Pause briefly in the bottom to settle the weight and minimize momentum. Reset your brace and repeat the process for additional repetitions.

As They Say: Grip It and Rip It 

The deadlift can initially feel awkward, especially if you don’t really know what you’re doing. Even after reading this deadlift technique lesson, it might still feel like there are so many cues to think about. But like any exercise, learn it right instead of having to learn it twice. With some practice, it will become second nature. Eventually, getting a good setup will take just a few seconds and resetting between reps will take even less than that. From there, you can build a massive deadlift and dominate the world (or just hit a PR. That’d be good, too).

References

  1. Kapicioglu, M., Bilgin, E., Guven, N., Pulatkan, A., & Bilsel, K. (2021). The Role of Deadlifts in Distal Biceps Brachii Tendon Ruptures: An Alternative Mechanism Described With YouTube Videos. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine9(3), 2325967121991811. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967121991811
  2. Cholewa, Jason M, et al. “Anthropometrical Determinants of Deadlift Variant Performance.” Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Aug. 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683626/.
  3. Roig, M., O’Brien, K., Kirk, G., Murray, R., McKinnon, P., Shadgan, B., & Reid, W. D. (2009). The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine43(8), 556–568. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.051417
  4. Nunes, J. P., Schoenfeld, B. J., Nakamura, M., Ribeiro, A. S., Cunha, P. M., & Cyrino, E. S. (2020). Does stretch training induce muscle hypertrophy in humans? A review of the literature. Clinical physiology and functional imaging40(3), 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpf.12622
  5. Tayashiki, K., Maeo, S., Usui, S., Miyamoto, N., & Kanehisa, H. (2016). Effect of abdominal bracing training on strength and power of trunk and lower limb muscles. European journal of applied physiology116(9), 1703–1713. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3424-9

Featured Image: Rocksweeper / Shutterstock

Source

November 12, 2022

6 Deadlift Benefits Everyone Should Know About

Filed under: Fitness,Training — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 3:55 am

You might know the deadlift as a member of the “big three” powerlifting movements, along with the squat and bench press. As the least complex of the competition exercises, the deadlift typically allows lifters to move the heaviest weight. This hip-dominant pull from the floor is arguably the purest expression of lower body strength and total body loading capacity.

person in tank top deadlifting barbell

Credit: UfaBizPhoto / Shutterstock

But deadlifts aren’t just for powerlifters. They provide opportunities for all lifters to improve their strength, resiliency, physique, and overall toughness. Read on for six lesser-known benefits of the deadlift. Also included is a no-nonsense deadlift demo, several common variations, helpful tips, and programming recommendations.

Deadlift Details

Six Benefits of the Deadlift

In case no one told you, if you’re not training to be a competitive powerlifter, you don’t have to deadlift. But, you probably should anyway. Here are six benefits of deadlifting even if you’re not planning to get onto a competition platform. 

Shoulder Stability

The ability to generate tension around your shoulders is essential for lifting and day-to-day endeavors. The deadlift is an under-appreciated method of training shoulder stability.

Performed properly, the deadlift requires “packed shoulders” — a state of muscular tension around the shoulders and upper back. In fact, many common deadlift cues, such as “squeeze your armpits,” “crush oranges,” and “bend the bar,” are intended to reinforce co-contraction of the muscles around the shoulders. These muscles include the lats, teres major, deltoids, rotator cuff, and others.

person in gym bending forward with barbell in hands

Credit: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

Because the force of muscular co-contraction is directed toward the shoulder’s “socket,” it counteracts dislocating forces, such those imposed by holding a barbell during the deadlift. (1) Ultimately, this muscle action is thought to shield structures of the shoulder from excessive stress and stain by maintaining or restoring mechanical congruency of the shoulder. (1

Training the shoulder muscles to effectively co-contract is not only important for lifting heavy weights — it may be related to better shoulder health. For example, increased co-contraction of the teres major and latissimus dorsi has been associated with improved shoulder pain and function among those with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain. (2) Due to its high potential for loading, the deadlift may be among the best exercises for training shoulder stability with heavy loads.

“Forced” Flexibility

Tight hamstrings are common. Fortunately, there’s a more efficient way to increase flexibility than spending your time stretching, and it involves eccentric training at long muscle lengths. (3) The deadlift provides the hamstrings with both stimuli. 

During the lowering (eccentric) phase of the deadlift, the hamstrings experience progressive lengthening across the hip while actively generating muscle tension. The greatest total tension in the hamstrings occurs toward the bottom of the movement, just before the plates reach the floor. These features impose a massive stimulus for improved hamstring flexibility. 

long-haired person in gym lifting barbell

Credit: antoniondiaz / Shutterstock

Substitute your classic “sit-and-reach” stretch with full range of motion deadlifts to reap flexibility and strength benefits. Not to mention, the deadlift is likely to stimulate appreciable hamstring size gains. The hamstrings are an underappreciated contributor to lower body aesthetics, which brings us to the next benefit. 

Nails Neglected Aesthetic Muscles

The deadlift is commonly thought of as a “shotgun” exercise. It hits many muscles, while isolating none. Closer analysis reveals the deadlift robustly trains multiple muscle groups more intensely than other common exercises. (4) Fortunately for aesthetics-oriented lifters — those who train to look like they lift — the deadlift excels at developing key areas of the physique.

When it comes to leg size, the quadriceps get most of the attention. They’re the most visible thigh muscle when the legs are viewed head-on, while the hamstrings are much more impressive when the legs are viewed from the side. Anyone can develop a decent set of quads with enough leg extensions, but well-developed hamstrings are truly earned. The deadlift is a great place to start.

A muscle modeling study showed that deadlifts train the hamstrings with greater force and across a greater range of motion than good mornings and split squats. (4) These features are likely to result in superior hamstrings hypertrophy. (5)(6)

The muscles of the forearm, which primarily act on the wrist and hand, are visible in a wider variety of settings than other “glamor muscles.” Well-developed forearm muscles project power and capability. Fortunately, the deadlift is a grip-intensive exercise. Regular high-intensity deadlift sessions are certain to thicken and sculpt your forearms to ultimately impress your fellow business-casual colleagues.

Teaches You To “Grind”

Barbell speed slows dramatically when you’re moving heavy weights and as you approach the end of high-effort sets. This is a normal and expected phenomenon. Barbell speed slows and, if the set is continued, failure ultimately occurs. However, the ability to “grind through” very slow repetitions, at bar speeds where others would fail or quit, is seen almost exclusively in experienced lifters. (7)  Grinding is a skill, and you can build it with the deadlift.

When approaching muscular failure or using one-repetition maximum loads, the deadlift is among the slowest barbell exercises. (8)(9) As a relatively low-complexity lift, the deadlift is ideally suited to training yourself to push through grinding reps while maintaining viable form.

Unlike exercises that place the lifter under the bar, like the squat or overhead press, the deadlift does not require a spotter. If you happen to lose form or push too far, you can simply set the bar back on the ground. 

Do not think of these hard deadlifts as “training for toughness” but rather as targeted skill training at the edge of your physical capacity — Keep bracing, keep tension, keep composure, and keep pulling. The skill of “grinding” will pay dividends during your next one-repetition maximum attempt and during any high-effort training sessions.

Bone Density

Like muscle, bone responds to mechanical stimulation — It gets stronger in response to loading. (10) Progressive bouts of loading promote the activity of osteoblasts, the “bone building” cells, resulting in a net increase in bone mineral density.

The deadlift places compressive loads through much of the spine and lower body. Because it can be incrementally loaded with gradually heavier weights, it is ideally suited to build bone mineral density.

grey-haired lifter in gym performing barbell deadlift

Credit: Anatoliy Karlyuk / Shutterstock

Increased bone mineral density is likely to occur alongside muscular adaptations (i.e. strength and hypertrophy), so healthy lifters do not need a special protocol to reap this benefit. Just remember, bone requires progressive loading and adequate recovery. Gradual increases in deadlift weight and/or volume is needed to promote ongoing adaptation. Cycling between moderate and heavy loads (e.g. 67-95% of one-repetition maximum) and deadlifting on non-consecutive days are also recommended. (10)  

Betters Your Back

In some circles, deadlifts carry the erroneous reputation of being “bad for your back.” I struggled to recruit a sample of college students for a deadlift exercise study for this reason. Research from rehabilitation literature should prompt re-examination of the preconceived notions some hold about the deadlift. 

Evidence suggests that deadlifts may be beneficial for individuals suffering from low back pain. (11)(12) Deadlifts performed comparably to more traditional low back rehabilitation exercises (i.e. low load core exercises) for improving pain and function. (11) Moreover, individuals with higher baseline hip and trunk strength may experience greater benefits from deadlifts compared to those with lower baseline strength. (13)

Ask your doctor if deadlifting is right for you. All back injuries are unique — If you are currently injured, you should check with a qualified sports medicine provider to determine whether your specific injury is likely to benefit from deadlifts. For healthy lifters, this information should cast the deadlift in a new light. If deadlifts are shown to help to address low back pain, they might be good for our backs. 

How to Deadlift

To perform the conventional deadlift, you need a barbell and some plates. Incidental items, such as lifting straps, chalk, and a belt, are optional and may be used based on personal preferences and goals. Acceptable form, however, is non-negotiable.

  • Place your feet under the bar at hip-width. The bar should be over the midfoot or arch of the foot. 
  • Push your hips back allowing only a small amount of knee bend. Grasp the bar at shoulder-width using a double-overhand or over-under (“mixed”) grip. 
  • Keep your elbows straight and your midsection braced as you lift your chest to pull the “slack” out of the bar. Create tension in your shoulders by squeezing your arms into your sides. 
  • Keep the bar close to your body and drive your heels into the ground to stand up. 
  • Once you achieve a fully upright position, reverse the movement to lower the bar to the floor. Push your hips back, allowing only slight knee bend. Once again, keep the bar close to your body. 

Deadlift Variations

The conventional deadlift, despite all its benefits, is not mandatory. If the conventional deadlift no longer serves your goals, or if it feels like you’re pulling a square peg out of a round hole, it’s time to consider one of these common deadlift variations.

Romanian Deadlift

Training to build bigger, stronger, or more resilient hamstrings? If so, go with the Romanian deadlift (RDL). This variation is characterized by less knee bend. The RDL tends to keep the hamstrings at longer muscle lengths — a feature associated with flexibility gains, as previously discussed, and likely superior muscle growth. (2)(14)

Briefly, the repetition begins from the top with the barbell held at shoulder-width in front of your thighs. Fix your knees in a slight bend and perform the repetition by moving exclusively from the hips. Flex forward, lowering the bar toward the ground until you achieve a strong sensation of stretch in the hamstrings, or cannot go any lower without overtly rounding your back. Return to standing. 

Trap Bar Deadlift  

The trap bar deadlift is performed with a unique barbell — a trap bar or “hex bar.” While the conventional deadlift is performed with the weight held slightly in front of the body, the trap bar deadlift allows the lifter to stand between weight plates.

To perform the trap bar deadlift, the lifter grasps the handles, which are located alongside the body and oriented front-to-back. These handles may sit higher than the weight plates, which ultimately reduces the overall range of motion. (9)

The body position and handle design of the trap bar deadlift typically allows lifters to handle more weight and demonstrate higher peak power outputs. (9)(15) These features may be desirable if your goal is developing maximum strength or sport performance.

Moreover, the trap bar deadlift tends to place more demand on the quadriceps than the conventional deadlift. (15) Therefore, the trap bar deadlift may be a good “one stop” exercise for lifters who do not have the time or inclination to hit additional quadriceps exercises, such as leg extensions or squats, along with deadlifts on “leg day.” 

Sumo Deadlift

Compared to the conventional deadlift, the sumo deadlift is performed with a wider stance and more hip external rotation. Rather than gripping the barbell outside of the knees, as in the conventional deadlift, grip is well-within the knees for sumo. These features change the relative contribution of lower body joints to the lift and may reduce demand on the low back. 

The sumo deadlift requires greater knee extensor (quadriceps) contribution than the conventional deadlift, while requiring similar hip extension contribution. (16) Also, note the sumo deadlift requires substantial hip mobility and strength in multiple planes. Therefore, it has been suggested for lifters who possess substantial hip mobility and adductor strength. (17)

However, lifters who wish to develop these attributes may also benefit from the sumo deadlift, provided they scale the lift to their current abilities. This might be accomplished by elevating the barbell on small blocks and/or reducing the weight and building up gradually. 

Deadlift Form Tips

The deadlift appears simple: Pick the bar up and lower it to the floor. But developing consistent and acceptable deadlift technique requires practice. Keep these simple tips in mind to flatten your deadlift learning curve and promote optimal performance. 

Methodically Reset Before Each Repetition

Often, a lifter demonstrates clean technique on the first repetition of a set and then, form deteriorates during subsequent repetitions. To prevent this, take a moment to reset  before each repetition. 

The process of setting your grip, generating tension in your shoulder muscles, wedging in, bracing, and lifting the “slack” out of the bar should be dutifully repeated before the first repetition and before each additional repetition. 

Don’t Fear the Mixed Grip

A “mixed grip” describes holding the barbell with an overhand grip with one hand and an underhand grip with the other. Although this grip typically allows lifters to handle more weight, some coaches dissuade mixed grip deadlifting for fear of biceps injury. Despite the possible risk, mixed grip deadlifts are extremely common in powerlifting competitions and in training. 

While very rare, biceps brachii tendon injuries can occur during lifting. The common mechanism is during eccentric phase of resisted elbow flexion. (18) However, distal biceps tendon tears have occurred during the deadlift, which suggests deadlifting as another distinct injury mechanism. (19)

muscular bodybuilder in gym doing barbell deadlift

Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

Researchers scoured YouTube for distal biceps injuries during the deadlift and a team of sports medicine physicians analyzed the videos. The team found twenty-five unique videos of probable distal biceps ruptures, and twenty-four of these occurred on the underhand side of a mixed grip deadlift. (19)

As the saying goes, you “could” drown in a bowl of soup. You “could” also tear your biceps during a deadlift. Does the presence of risk mean we should avoid mixed grip deadlifts, and chunky chicken noodle, for the rest of our lives? 

Nearly all actions in lifting (and life) require risk/reward analysis. Resistance training is extremely unlikely to be injurious to healthy lifters. (18) Currently, little epidemiological evidence directly informs the risk of biceps injuries during deadlifts. But considering a dedicated research team was only able to find two dozen unique videos of mixed grip deadlift biceps injuries on YouTube, in an era where nearly all lifters film their lifts, suggests a very low rate of injury. 

If you want to move big weights, you could use a double overhand grip on the bar with lifting straps to avoid the mixed grip altogether, but you might miss out on some forearm- and grip-building benefits. Regardless of your grip choice, using appropriate weight, gradually progressing, and ensuring controlled lifting technique are likely to reduce risk. And, let’s face it, these are things you should be doing anyway. 

Programming the Deadlift

Getting the most out of your training requires attention to programming. Work toward your primary training goal while reaping bonus benefits of the deadlift with these programming parameters:

  • For Strength: Prioritize heavy working sets of two to six repetitions at 85% or greater of one-repetition maximum. 
  • For Muscle Gain: Prioritize high-effort sets taken within three or four repetitions of failure. Although a wide range of repetitions and loads are effective for hypertrophy, moderate loads and set volumes are practical. (20) Prioritize sets of six to 14 reps using between 65-85% of one-repetition maximum. 
  • For Core and Lower Body Muscular Endurance: Albeit physically taxing, use 65% of one-repetition maximum or less, and aim for 15 or more repetitions per set.

Keep in mind the deadlift is a systemically-demanding lift. In most cases, it should be your primary lift of the session and completed toward the beginning of your workout. To organize and optimize your training, consider a workout split with intermittent deloads

Deadlifts Done Purposefully

The deadlift is a classic barbell exercise with applications beyond the sport of powerlifting. From flexibility to physique development, the ancillary benefits of this classic lift support the role of the deadlift in nearly every lifter’s routine. 

References

  1. Veeger, H. E. J., & Van Der Helm, F. C. T. (2007). Shoulder function: the perfect compromise between mobility and stability. Journal of Biomechanics40(10), 2119-2129.
  2. Overbeek, C. L., et al. (2018). Increased co-contraction of arm adductors is associated with a favorable course in subacromial pain syndrome. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery27(11), 1925-1931.
  3. O’Sullivan, K., McAuliffe, S., & DeBurca, N. (2012). The effects of eccentric training on lower limb flexibility: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine46(12), 838-845.
  4. Schellenberg, F., Taylor, W. R., & Lorenzetti, S. (2017). Towards evidence based strength training: a comparison of muscle forces during deadlifts, good mornings and split squats. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation9(1), 1-10.
  5. Schoenfeld, B. J., & Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE Open Medicine8, 2050312120901559.
  6. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology. 126, 30-43.
  7. Zourdos, M. C., et al. (2016). Novel resistance training–specific rating of perceived exertion scale measuring repetitions in reserve. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research30(1), 267-275.
  8. Lake, J., et al. (2017). Comparison of different minimal velocity thresholds to establish deadlift one repetition maximum. Sports5(3), 70.
  9. Lockie, R. G., et al. (2018). The 1 repetition maximum mechanics of a high-handle hexagonal bar deadlift compared with a conventional deadlift as measured by a linear position transducer. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research32(1), 150-161.
  10. Almstedt, H. C., et al. (2011). Changes in bone mineral density in response to 24 weeks of resistance training in college-age men and women. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research25(4), 1098-1103.
  11. Aasa, B., et al. (2015). Individualized low-load motor control exercises and education versus a high-load lifting exercise and education to improve activity, pain intensity, and physical performance in patients with low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy45(2), 77-85.
  12. Welch, N., et al. (2015). The effects of a free-weight-based resistance training intervention on pain, squat biomechanics and MRI-defined lumbar fat infiltration and functional cross-sectional area in those with chronic low back. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine1(1), e000050.
  13. Berglund, L., et al. (2015). Which patients with low back pain benefit from deadlift training?. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research29(7), 1803-1811.
  14. Maeo, S., et al. (2021). Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Medicine and science in sports and exercise53(4), 825. 
  15. Swinton, P. A., et al. (2011). A biomechanical analysis of straight and hexagonal barbell deadlifts using submaximal loads. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research25(7), 2000-2009.
  16. Belcher, D. (2017). The sumo deadlift. Strength & Conditioning Journal39(4), 97-104.
  17. Hales, M. (2010). Improving the deadlift: Understanding biomechanical constraints and physiological adaptations to resistance exercise. Strength & Conditioning Journal32(4), 44-51.
  18. Golshani, K., et al. (2018). Upper extremity weightlifting injuries: Diagnosis and management. Journal of Orthopaedics15(1), 24-27.
  19. Kapicioglu, M., et al. (2021). The role of deadlifts in distal biceps brachii tendon ruptures: An alternative mechanism described with YouTube videos. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine9(3), 2325967121991811.
  20. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning1(1), 1-30.

Featured Image: Roman Chazov / Shutterstock

Source

Powered by WordPress