Squats and deadlifts are two exercises most effective for stimulating muscle growth. Squats can be found in the program of almost any athlete, deadlifts are less common. Why is it unclear? Maybe because people are scared by the sight of screaming lifters pulling barbells with contorted purple faces. If you are one of those people, you better read something else.
Both movements, the squat and deadlift, involve the use of heavy weights, are movements with complex internal mechanics, and require a lot of effort to perform. Both movements involve the muscles of the upper and lower sections of the back, buttocks, and the muscles of the front and back of the thigh. All of these are areas with large, voluminous muscles. Thanks to them, it is much easier to achieve an increase in overall muscle mass than through, for example, arms or legs. So any athlete should have a vested interest in achieving maximum results in both of these exercises.
Since the deadlift is overlooked by many people, it is important to discuss proper technique for performing this exercise. Many people thoughtlessly say: “deadlifts can be harmful to the back.” In fact, it’s much more dangerous for your back if you don’t deadlift. A well-developed lower back will at least give a person correct posture and good tone, and for an athlete it can be a good help in improving results. As for the danger to the back… any exercise performed incorrectly can lead to injury. So don’t bother yourself with all sorts of nonsense. People who talk about the dangers associated with deadlifting are usually frequent visitors to the offices of massage therapists and various chiropractors.
The deadlift is a natural and simple movement. To put it simply, you pick up something heavy from the floor and stand up. We do this constantly all our lives, no matter what you pick up – a new TV, a string bag of potatoes or a drunk friend. However, before lifting a fairly heavily loaded barbell, you need to learn proper deadlift technique. Take some time to warm up and warm up, do this movement with a light weight, and focus on proper technique. And get used to thinking that you will have to work with very heavy weights, because that is how you will get the maximum effect from the deadlift. Keep your lower back slightly rounded (in a natural position) throughout the movement. The spine is naturally S-shaped, so keep it that way. Don’t round it forward or bend too much. Just try to keep your back flat where it needs to be, and rounded where it needs to be.
Choose the correct position of your feet. Stand very close to the bar, your shins should touch it. The further you move away from the bar, the less leverage you have to handle the weight and the more difficult and dangerous the exercise will be. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower, parallel to each other. The angle of rotation of the foot is important because it determines the operating conditions of the knee joint. The foot, of course, is under the bar. As for the width of the stand, it is better to choose the one that is most beneficial for yourself. For some, a wider one is suitable, for others – a narrower one.
The next step to deadlifting is proper grip. Here, again, everything largely depends on personal characteristics. Some find it convenient to pull with a shoulder-width grip, while others may find it more convenient to grab a little wider or narrower. To grip the bar, it is better to use what is called a “mixed grip” – one hand clasps the bar from above, the other from below. Don’t use straps – there’s nothing better than knowing you’re holding the weight with your own hands. Magnesium is very useful and should be used.
So, we have placed our feet correctly and grabbed the bar correctly. They raised their heads, pulled their shoulders back, and lowered their butts. Now is the time to do something like that. Pay attention – the lower your butt is lowered, the more load the quadriceps and buttocks will take on at the start. The higher your butt, the more stress will be placed on your lower back and hip flexors. What usually happens is that if you start with your butt low and then let it rise a little, you get a more powerful launch. Choose for yourself what suits you best, and only avoid the position in which the deadlift turns into a straight-legged deadlift. Do not bend your back while moving, and constantly monitor the position of your lower back.
When performing the movement, this thing may well help – try to push the floor with your heels while lifting the weight. Well, you won’t really push it, but instead of concentrating on driving the weight up, concentrate on driving your heels down through the platform. This helps you deadlift with proper form and develop the most power in your hips and glutes. Many people visualize the deadlift in this way – they imagine that the bar is nailed to the floor and try to tear it off.
As you begin the movement, move the bar close to your legs – along your shins, past your knees and up your thighs. The closer the projectile is to you, the better, since the lever system in this case will be most beneficial and the load on the small muscles of the lower back will be the least. Scraped knees are the best indicator of proper deadlift performance. When the bar reaches your knees during the upward movement, try to move your pelvis forward, thereby ending the movement. It is not necessary to move it too far forward, to the point of arching in the back. Just stand up straight. Leaning back with an arch in your back will do nothing but overload your lower back. You need to lower the weight slowly, in reverse order.
When lowering the weight, do not let it bounce off the floor. It’s so easy to get injured. Be sure that you are in constant control of the movement of the barbell, lightly touch the floor with the plates and begin to pull the weight up again. This is all fairly easy to do, you just need to follow the basic rules. When working with heavy weights, a belt is absolutely necessary. In addition, do not forget about warming up, do two warm-up approaches before serious weights – one to warm up the lower back, the second to prepare yourself mentally for work. And always remember the correct technique.
