Back at it again this week talking about deadlifts. If you missed last week’s post about finding the right squat variation for you (you know, the one without all the knee pain), make sure to check it out. CLICK HERE
As briefly touched on last week, it is common for people to say that the deadlift is bad for your back. That is a silly statement. The way you are performing your deadlift may be bad for your back, but a deadlift performed well shouldn’t lead to any back pain whatsoever.
The deadlift is an exercise with maximum hip flexion and minimal knee flexion. In a good deadlift the load is placed in the glutes and hamstrings with the lats engaged tight to create tension, taking the load off the lower back.
Finding the deadlifts that is right for you is important. The right one will allow you to keep a neutral spine while engaging the glutes, hamstrings, lats, and abdominals.
Here are the three steps to finding your deadlift.
Mobility/Depth
When it comes to the deadlift, some people can pull from the ground while keeping a neutral spine, and other people will immediately round over at such a low position.
What to Do
There are three kinds of deadlifts: Trap Bar, Sumo, and Conventional.
The Trap Bar Deadlift is great for people who have had lower back weakness because it puts the least amount of strain on the lower back and is easiest to maintain a neutral spine. This variation also requires less mobility than the other deadlifts. I recommend this deadlift to any athletes, people looking to lose weight and stay in shape, and taller human beings.
The Sumo deadlift is good for people with short arms and strong quads. This version of the deadlift puts less force on the lower back than the Conventional Deadlift, but more than the Trap Bar Deadlift.
Conventional Deadlifts are the most difficult deadlift; they require the most mobility and put the greatest amount of strain on the lower back. This type of deadlift is preferred by people with strong lower backs and long arms, as well as any badass individuals.
If your goal is to lose weight and stay healthy, you should stick to the Trap Bar Deadlift. If you are looking to compete or earn bragging rights, then pick the Sumo or Conventional Deadlift variations.
If you can’t keep a neutral spine with a Trap Bar or Sumo/Conventional Deadlift, you need to address one of two problems (most likely both):
- Increase stability (see below)
- Increase mobility (in the meantime, decrease your range of motion by increasing the height of the bar: add mats or do Rack Pulls)
Mobility Drills
The first thing to address with deadlifts is to make sure you have enough range of motion in your ankles. Try this quick test to see what your ankles can do:
place your foot three inches from the wall with your heel firmly planted into the ground. Keeping your foot planted, bend your knee as you lean forward. If you can touch your knee to the wall, you have good ankle mobility. If you can’t get your knee to the wall, try these mobility drills to improve your ankle mobility.
Wall Ankle Mobility
Ankle Break Mobility
Stability
Creating tension is the name of the game when it comes to pain-free deadlifts.
In the previous post, I covered core stability and ab exercises to help create core engagement. CLICK HERE to read up on that under the stability section.
Snatch Grip RDL
Snatch Grip RDLs engage your upper back and lats, which in turn will create tension and take stress off of your lower back. If you don’t feel your lats engage, try to focus on squeezing your armpits.
Safety Squat Bar Good Mornings
This is a great exercise for people who want to use the Sumo and Conventional Deadlift. It is a great lower back, glute, and hamstring exercise. I like the safety bar over the barbell because it forces you to use more glutes and hamstrings as stabilizers, whereas the barbell lets you use your upper back to help stabilize, which makes it a little less effective for engaging the glutes, hams, and lower back.
Fat Grip Anything
Fat Grip Curls, Rows, Farmers Walks, RDLs, and the list goes on. Literally, fat grip anything will help create tension. Weak hands create shoulders that are less engaged which leads to the lats and upper back not creating that tension we are after, which leads to back rounding and finally, leads to you wondering why your lower back feels like shit.
So the moral to the story is grip the ever living life out of the bar. Grip it like you’re going to give the firmest, bestest handshake you ever have given in your life. As I grip the bar, I treat it as an introduction with two firm handshakes from my meat mitts. Almost as to say, “Good morning Mr. Barbell, it is going to be a pleasure doing business with you today, now let’s slay that dragon.”
Risk to Reward
Everything in life comes down to risk vs reward. Was investing in Twitter stock a good idea? How about saying I love you for the first time, or eating Mexican food before a big event (or doing anything in public, really)? The Deadlift is no exception to this. Every one of you should and can deadlift safely; you just have to choose the one that allows you to create optimal tension while maintaining good spinal alignment.
Safest For Back
Trap Bar Deadlift Sumo Deadlift Conventional Deadlift
←———————————————————————————→
Safest Moderate Risk
Mobility Needed
Trap Bar Deadlift Sumo Deadlift Conventional Deadlift
←———————————————————————————→
Least Moderate Most
Badassness
Trap Bar Deadlift Sumo Deadlift Conventional Deadlift
←———————————————————————————→
Least Moderate Most
The big question is are deadlifts good or bad for your back?
When you are working in a range of motion where you can stabilize and keep the spine neutral, the deadlift is a great exercise to not only strengthen your posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings), which will help prevent back pain but also strengthen the lower.
Need help with exercise correction? Check out my online coaching page Let's Do This, Josh
Much love,
JW
