Over the past few years I have come to love the deadlift, and here is one of the reasons I love them so much…
Me holding my wife for multiple shots for our pictures, and not throwing out my back
As a personal trainer I see all sorts of crazy looking deadlifts, and while I give credit to them for trying, it can just be painful to watch.
Check out ways on how not to deadlift…
That video may have been a bit extreme, but you get the point, a bad deadlift can hurt your spine. However, when performed correctly, a deadlift can be one of the best exercises for your overall health.
Why may you ask? Because a deadlift requires you to master the hip hinge, a fundamental movement that carries over into many aspects of everyday life.
Have you ever thought twice about picking up a heavy object from the ground? What about grabbing your kids quickly from the ground? These two fundamental movements are what a good hip hinge can translate to.
Want to learn how to start deadlifting?
Hip Hinge Pattering
If you are relatively new to exercise and want to learn how to hip hinge, this is a great drill for you. Just make sure you maintain three points of contact with the stick on the back of your head, upper back and the lower back. If any point of the stick comes off your body while you move, you need to adjust your position to maintain the integrity of the hinge.
Once you mastered the patterning drill, try the cable pull-through.
Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift
After you master the hip hinge patterning, you can then move on to a kettlebell deadlift. This is a great tool for those with limited mobility and restrictions as you can easily modify the height of the bell. A wider stance makes it a lot easier for people to maintain a neutral spine.
Key Coaching Points
- Push Hips back and think of keeping the dowel on your back
- Keep Chest up, show your logo on your t-shirt to people in front of you
- Keep your heels grounded and stand up
Trap Bar Deadlift
The Trap Bar is a great way to teach beginners to deadlift as it is easier to sit back into the hips as the elevated handles can help with those who have limited mobility in the hips and ankles, It is a lot easier to maintain a neutral spine (flat back) due to the shape of the bar.
Key Coaching Points
- Push your hips back, as if you wanted to touch your butt to the wall behind you.
- Keep your chest up and proud, think that you want to show the logo on your chest to someone
- Squeeze oranges between your armpits to create a nice flat back
- Make a double chin
- Finish through with your hips
Hopefully, this article has helped you get over your deadlift worries, and the next time you see a trap bar or kettlebell you will have more confidence to a better version of yourself.
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