5 Benefits of The Deadlift
Deadlifts are one of my favorite exercises, and a key part of almost all strength building routines. Deadlifts are one of the best total body exercises you can do, and have a huge range of benefits. Here we’ll look at 5 key ones, and hopefully by the end you’ll add deadlifts to your workout routine if they weren’t a part of it already.
Note: Before you jump into deadlifts it’s important to get your form down correctly. Deadlifts are perfectly safe when performed with proper form. As you go up in weight it’s important to make sure you maintain that form, so start building good habits early.
1. It’s Full Body Workout
There’s no denying that deadlifts hit a ton of different muscles. Many people see deadlift as a leg workout, and while it does work your hamstrings and glutes it does so much more than that.
Deadlifts also hit your back, shoulders, and arms, making it a true total body workout. It’s not unusual to be sore all over, not just your legs, after a good deadlift workout.
This benefit carries over to your other lifts as well. Deadlift has been shown to have a positive effect on your other compound lifts like bench press and squat. By doing deadlifts you’re getting stronger, and that means you’ll be putting up more weight on every lift you do. Adding deadlifts to your workout routines is going to pay off on every workout you do.
2. It Helps Build Core Muscles
If you’re using good form on your deadlifts your core is activated during the whole lift. Your core is used to help brace your spine and keep it straight, and is stressed during the entire movement. This naturally leads to a stronger core.
A strong core is key to a lot of other movements like overhead press or bench press. Building a strong core is going to help in performing these and many other exercises. It’s also important for movement and general athleticism. Having a strong core is going to be useful in nearly every athletic activity you undertake. Think of all the times you need to brace your core, deadlifting is going to help in all those situations.
3. Burns Fat
Deadlifts are also a great exercise for fat burn and weight loss. To start, deadlifts work the full body and really get that heart rate up. Getting your heart rate into the “fat burn zone” is one of the best ways to burn calories and get leaner.
Deadlifts also encourage the growth of lean muscle all over your body. Lean muscle helps increase your metabolic rate, or the amount of calories your metabolism burns at rest. That means that building lean muscle is going to help you burn more calories everyday, even when you’re not actively working out.
If your goal is weight loss or burning fat then deadlifting can help you reach that goal.
4. Improves Your Athleticism
Studies have shown a direct link between core strength and athletic performance. Deadlifts are great core trainers, and therefore can directly improve your athletic performance. No matter what your fitness goals are, deadlifts are a great addition to your workouts.
Adding deadlifts to your routine is a great way to improve a wide range of athletic indicators. If you’re working on speed, strength, power, or endurance, deadlifts can help. Being a full body workout, it makes sense that deadlifts have such a huge range of athletic benefits. If you’re looking to be more athletic overall try adding deadlifts to your workout. If you’re an athlete that’s active in sports deadlifts likely have some benefits that can help you get a competitive edge.
5. Lowers Your Chance of Back Injury
Deadlifts also help to reduce your chance of injuring your back, that’s when performed correctly of course. Deadlifts help strengthen your posterior chain, which runs from the base of your neck down to your ankles. In particular, deadlifts work the lower back muscles and help correct any imbalances you might have. Imbalances in muscle development can often lead to injuries, deadlifting can help strengthen these lagging muscle groups.
It also teaches good form for lifting in the real world. Having experience deadlifting will make lifting heavy boxes for example safer and easier and lead to a reduced risk of injury. Not to mention it will look impressive when you can carry that heavy box with ease.
There’s even been some studies that show deadlift can help alleviate existing pain when done correctly. Deadlifts are great for long term health and injury prevention.
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