Almost every professional bodybuilder, when asked about which exercise is the most effective, clearly answers that deadlift. Only professional powerlifters know how to do it correctly, because this is their native basic exercise, without which neither training nor competition can do. But for some inexplicable reason, bodybuilders have appropriated this exercise, which is the hardest from the point of view of execution technique and injury risk. Meanwhile, the implementation of deadlift requires some preparation and a lot of knowledge, but about everything in order.
What is the essence of the exercise?
Deadlift is considered one of the most difficult exercises in bodybuilding, both professional and amateur. Nevertheless, despite the complexity of the implementation, it is not worth ignoring it, since it is one of the most effective for the rapid build-up of muscle mass of almost the entire body, and it is impossible to replace the deadlift with any other exercise, because the similar one simply does not exist. So what is this deadlift, what muscles work and what kind of load do they get? Here are some questions for beginners and amateurs to understand in order to get the expected result from the exercise.
Basic moments
Deadlift is the main exercise for all the muscles of the legs and back. Its implementation provides for the mandatory use of a barbell, dumbbell or track bar. There are several types of this basic exercise , but all of them are performed on the basis of one movement: with a slight bend of the legs at the knees and a slight tilt of the body body forward, holding the bar of the bar and maintaining the natural lumbar deflection (the rest of the back should be absolutely flat), the athlete rises and straightens up.
This exercise is part of the group of basic powerlifting disciplines, simultaneously with the squat and bench press. The anatomy of the deadlift is such that all the involved muscles develop both at the time of weight lifting and when the body returns to its original position.
What should I look for?
Having decided to include deadlift in your training complex, you need to learn a few important points. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of shoes, the ideal option is a tight-fitting model with a flat and maximally wide sole, that is, its thickness in the heel should not exceed 1 cm (absolutely without a heel). It is advisable that these shoes be used exclusively for training, as the sole in the area of the fingers is deformed with constant wear. This can provoke an incorrect foot position during the exercise, the toes will rise and there will be no necessary stability, and this is fraught with trauma in the lower back.
The second point requiring attention is the correct grip, it should be straight. It is advisable to use a grip during competitions, since it is possible to lift and hold much more weight. When using different positions of the hands in bodybuilding, there is always the so-called torque in the spine and the risk of injury increases. With weak brushes, you need to use wrist straps to fix the rod. All this is very important, since the basics of deadlift include not only the right technique, but the choice of equipment that has the same meaning.
Varieties of deadlift and differences
Like most exercises, deadlift has several varieties. There are only four main ones, but in order to have a clear idea of which muscles work during a deadlift of one kind or another, you need to know the subtleties of their performance. The main types of traction include classical, Romanian, sumo and traction using the trap bar.
The classic version and sumo are made of squat, but with different legs. In the first version, the feet are placed in parallel at a distance of no more than the width of the shoulders from each other. In the sumo pull, the position of the legs is slightly different, the feet should be deployed to the sides, and the distance between them is much wider than the shoulders.
Another interesting option is the Romanian deadlift. What muscles work during its execution, know only professionals who are able to bring the technique to automatism. Romanian traction is distinguished from the classical version by two important points - this is a smaller range of motion and absolutely vertical position and immobility of the legs during the entire approach. And the last option - using the trap neck. Its only difference is the use of this very trap neck.
Classic version
The classic type of traction is performed with a narrow setting of the legs, they should practically touch the bar of the bar. The main load falls on the back, and the legs are involved in performing only the initial stage of the exercise - with the "breakdown" of the bar. This type of exercise is more suitable for athletes with short (relative to the whole body) arms and weak thigh muscles.
The anatomical features of the body structure have a direct impact on the technique of execution, weak arms and short fingers are not able to hold a lot of weight. But this problem is solved with the help of a special “lock” grip technique - the phalanx of the thumb should be located strictly under the phalanges of the remaining fingers. If the grip is weak, even with this technique, then it is advisable to use hooks or rods. To prevent the bar from slipping out and to fix it in the hands, athletes use wrist straps, but only during training, as this is unacceptable in competitions.
Sumo Rod
Setting the legs when performing the sumo pull is reminiscent of the main stance of the sumoists - the legs should be spread so wide that the feet, or rather the socks, are as close to the pancakes (a couple of centimeters) and slightly turned to the sides. This position of the legs should be maintained throughout the implementation of all phases of the exercise, the back should maintain a level position. This type of traction is more suitable for those athletes who have poorly developed back muscles and disproportionately long arms. The main load with this technique is on the thigh muscles. It is the execution technique and the anatomical features of the physique that directly affect which muscles work during deadlift.
Trap bar deadlift
From the point of view of the execution technique, this type of exercise is no different from the classical traction, except for a special type of neck, thanks to which it is much easier to lower the bar. It is with this shell that the "lightweight" deadlift is carried out. What muscles work in this version? This is a question for those uninformed in the nuances of sports equipment. The greatest load when performing this type of traction is received by the back muscles (rectifiers of the spine, latissimus dorsi, and all upper muscles), forearms, gluteal muscles, and adductors of the thighs.
Romanian craving
To take the starting position, you need to get as close as possible to the bar of the bar so that it hangs over the lower leg (almost touched the legs). Feet should be placed shoulder width or slightly wider, the feet should be parallel to each other (no need to turn the socks to the sides).
Grasp the bar with the usual grip (the back of the hand is away from you, and the palms should be turned towards the body). The distance between the hands should be slightly larger than the width of the shoulders. The arms at the elbows should be slightly bent, the back straight, as if a bar was fixed along the spine, the shoulder blades are brought together, and throughout the entire lifting (from the lower to the upper point of the exercise) the position of the back and shoulder blades should be unchanged.
When lifting the bar, the back should remain flat without rounding and deflection. Raising the bar, you need to align the back to a vertical position - this is the starting position.
Having risen to the top point, the pelvis must be moved forward so that the back is strictly vertical. This is done every time when lifting, while the whole body must remain tense, and the shoulder blades are reduced. Further, leaving the position of the blades unchanged, we bend the back and simultaneously bend and at the same time we move the pelvis back (the inclination and abduction should be performed synchronously, and in no case sequentially). When tilted, the back should remain deflected. At the lower point, you can not round the back, and in the back of the thighs you should feel the maximum muscle strain.
Raise the barbell due to the efforts of the biceps of the thigh. The maximum projectile lift is slightly above the knees (or mid-thigh). When lifting, the bar should move vertically along the legs (very close to the legs), and the body should move backwards, while it should bend at the knees and hips. The joints of the foot should not bend, and the knees should be extended forward. It is important at the very beginning of the climb to move smoothly without jerking. The secret of the correct technique for performing this exercise is precisely in lifting, it should be done by the effort of the legs, not the back. Feet should seem to grow to the floor, and when rising, you need to push the floor back. In this case, the back does not get tired.
Lowering the bar is performed using the same technique. The hands do not straighten, the knees are slightly bent and remain so in the process of tilting (you no longer need to bend them). That's all that deadlift is all about. What muscles work when performing one of the options? Here's a question that interests novice bodybuilders. And the answer to it is simple, these are the hips, buttocks and back, only in each option the emphasis is slightly shifted.
Health hazard
Performing deadlift requires the strict observance of the technique of each phase and safety, as this exercise is one of the most traumatic. Spondylolisthesis, lumbago, spinal hernia, displacement of the discs - this is not a complete list of possible consequences, any trauma experienced earlier can make itself felt.
Particular attention should be paid to the position of the back: with excessive deflection in the lumbar region and with rounding of the thoracic spine, the load increases, and this, in turn, can lead to all kinds of injuries of the spine itself. To stabilize the lower back, athletes are recommended to use a weightlifting belt, and in the presence of any disease of the spine, generally refuse to perform deadlift.
Exercise is very complex and dangerous, and before doing this you need to carefully familiarize yourself with the technique and bring it to perfection. And only after that you can confidently say to yourself: “I know exactly how and what muscles work during deadlift,” and feel free to include it in your set of exercises.