Deadlifts are thought of by many as the Grand Poo-Bah of all exercises. Along with
Elvis, they share the title of "The King", and it's a classic
when it comes to mass building!
Unfortunately, the deadlift has gotten an undeserved bad rap as lifters have come
to believe it causes back injuries and lead to thick waists. Well, it's true
that the deadlift HAS caused many a blown disc (mine included!), but when done properly,
the deadlift is no more risky than any other exercise.
The problem is...most guys are using horrible form just when they're
doing simple exercises like barbell curls! So watching non-educated lifters go for
a barbell deadlift, or worse...the STIFF LEGGED deadlift...well, it just
makes my L2 and L3 vertebrae cringe with fear! (If you know what that means, then
you've probably tried an incorrect deadlift at some point in your life as
well, eh? ;-)
But don't worry...there is hope for you to use the power of the deadlift
effectively to build mass without having to make your chiropractor any richer than
he already is.
Here are 2 options that you AND your back are gonna love...but you're
legs are gonna HATE!
DUMBBELL DEADLIFTS
By using dumbbells instead of a barbell, you eliminate the unsafe "lean"
forward that makes traditional deadlifts so tricky.
You simply hold two dumbbells (go heavy!) on each side of your body, letting them
hang naturally at your sides with your arms straight.
Now, keeping your head erect and your back as straight as possible, bend your knees
until your upper legs are at least parallel with the floor. To finish the movement,
push through the heels of your feet, raising your body until your legs are almost
locked out, but do NOT lock out your knees! This will keep the tension on your legs
where it needs to be.
Knock out 8-15 reps with a controlled movement.
SEATED SHRUG MACHINE DEADLIFTS
This is one of my favorites that REALLY lets me go for power!
For this exercise, you'll look around your gym for a machine that is meant
to be used for "seated shoulder shrugs". (It has an adjustable seat
with a handle on the bottom at each side connected to the bar where you would place
the weight plates. If you can't find it, ask an attendant at the gym to guide
you in.)
Now, either remove the seat or adjust it all the way down...you won't
be using it!
However you will be using the backrest as your guide as you bend down and grasp
the bars at the bottom (same placement as you did with the dumbbells) and lift the
weight up almost to full extension. Keep a slow 4-count descent but don't
let the bars reach the point where they're resting again. Keep the tension
on your legs and do 8-15 reps (or until you start to see your quadriceps start to
burst through your skin).
Whatever style you prefer, don't shy away from deadlifts. The classics are
classics for a reason. You just can't go wrong with them.