4 Reasons everyone Should Deadlift

It’s wild that one exercise has been blamed for so many problems and even deemed dangerous by people who have never performed the exercise. 

The truth is, the Deadlift is an essential exercise to any person alive and able to walk. At some point, you will drop something and will need to be able to have the mobility and flexibility to get down to floor level and then the strength stand back up with the item. While some may scoff at this, this is deadlifting in real life. You can either be prepared for it or risk the chance of injury when you need to get something. The truth is, of all exercises I would put the Deadlift high at the top of the list of exercises everyone should be doing in their weekly training regiment. This doesn’t mean performing a 1 rep max barbell deadlift, but simply the action hinging the hips with a load to lift something from the floor or an elevated block. Let’s look at why this one exercise should be high on everyone’s to do list with their fitness. 

1- It’s a full body exercise. 

Growing up, I remember there was a ton of debate if the Deadlift was a leg or a back exercise. Both sides were correct and wrong. The knee doesn’t go into enough flexion to really target the quadriceps like it does on a Squat. The back is statically working to maintain position, but isn’t pulling the weight directly. With that being said both areas are targeted as well as calves, traps, abs, and arms. Few exercises require as much muscle activation as a Deadlift making it a big bang for your buck exercise. 

2- Injury Prevention

The longer you can pick things up from the floor safely, the longer you’ll live a healthy life. By deadlifting, you’re building all the core muscles that keep your spine healthy and building leg and hip muscles that help to keep mobility as you age. There’s a reason why Physical Therapist will often work with people on picking stuff up in a rehab setting. It’s a life skill. 

3- Improves Grip Strength

Grip strength is a great indicator of overall wellness. The deadlift is a great way to challenge your grip. I always recommend non strength athletes use a double over grip until they feel they need to switch to an over/under grip. A stronger grip can also help decrease the risk of elbow and shoulder pain. 

4- Mentally Rewarding

The Deadlift can be a pretty slow and grueling exercise. But the feeling of picking something heavy up from the floor and feeling the strain leads to a reward at completion that trumps other exercises. I’ve seen more pumped up clients after a heavy deadlift than any other exercise. 

Bonus

It’s a low risk exercise. Missing a Squat can pin you to the ground. A bench bar can end up on your face. A missed deadlift usually results in lack of movement. If you miss the consequence is fairly low. This can aid in your ability to pusher closer to your true max