Performing Deadlifts: More Than Just Picking Things Up By: Dr. Goldberg
Whether it’s taking your dog on a long walk, or lifting a heavy pot out of a cabinet, functional fitness allows us to do the activities in our daily lives that bring us joy. In CrossFit, we perform lots of functional movements, but in my mind, I’m hard pressed to think of many exercises that are as functional as deadlifts. Let’s learn more about performing deadlifts below.
It’s easy to think about deadlifts as simply “picking something heavy up and putting it down”, and while this movement is rather basic, there’s so much more to it than that! Understanding the complexities of performing deadlifts and why it reigns supreme will give you a newfound appreciation for this foundational strength movement . So, let’s dive in.
At its core, the conventional deadlift is a compound hip hinge movement, meaning more than one major muscle group is being used to bend at the hip. There are multiple variations of deadlifts – think single-leg, Romanian, sumo – each of which targets or emphasizes the use of different muscle groups. Deadlifts are often touted as being the “king of the compound lifts” and is a good measure of an athletes’ strength and power.
A deadlift, no matter what variant, consists of two phases: lifting and lowering. The steps for performing a conventional deadlift, which is likely the version you’re most familiar with, are briefly outlined below:
What muscles do deadlifts work?
When you think about what muscles are being used during a deadlift, your first thoughts likely include your lower back and hamstrings and you’d be correct! Though, if we’re honest, just about any muscle you could think of would be correct as the deadlift can be considered a full body exercise.
The primary muscle groups recruited in a deadlift include the erector spinae (lower back), hamstrings, glutes and quads. Muscles such as your lats, traps, and abs are also active during the deadlift and help with spine and core stabilization, and maintenance of a neutral spine.
Below you can find a quick summary of what muscles are engaged during both phases of the deadlift across the ankle, knee, and hip joints (these are the joints where changes in joint angles occur). And just for a bit of exercise-biomechanic fun, I’ve included what type of movement is occurring across each joint!
Something you’ll notice is that the same muscle groups are recruited across our joints during both phases – and while this may seem counterintuitive at first, it does make sense! The same muscle groups should be active during both movement phases, what changes is whether the muscles are lengthening (eccentric motion) or shortening (concentric). More to come on that in a future post!
Beyond crushing your own PRs, deadlifting is associated with lots of other physiologic benefits:
Although performing deadlifts is a simple movement, there are some important and common cues that can help take your deadlift up a notch.
Performing deadlifts is a remarkably versatile and customizable movement. As such, there’s almost no end to deadlift variations!
Many of the above variations can be useful for athletes with varying abilities or who are coming back from injuries, or who need modifications for altered abilities. Remember that you should always consult with a healthcare professional to decide whether incorporating different styles of deadlifting is beneficial and safe for you,
How functional is performing deadlifts really?
The short answer to this is very. Think about how many times during the day you bend over to pick something up, or how often you carry a heavy load into or out of your home! From picking up groceries, to lifting your gym bag – deadlifting helps prepare us to be strong throughout our days. It doesn’t stop there, though: deadlifting can help us become better athletes in other sporting arenas that we enjoy, too!. Deadlift-associated increases in explosiveness and power can translate to better tackles in footballs, or more powerful spikes and blocks in volleyball.
We’re 8 weeks through our current deadlift cycle and the weights are continuing to get heavy. So the next time you step up to a heavy barbell, keep all of the incredible benefits of the deadlift in mind and they might just be the motivation you need to hit that new PR!
Looking to learn more about weightlifting? Check out more about Invictus Weightlifting here.