Deadlifts are often a part of weight training. It is important that one knows proper technique of this exercise in order to reap its benefits to the fullest.
One of the effective compound exercises are the deadlifts. They work almost all the muscles located in the lower body. The quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, lower back muscles, etc., are worked, when one performs deadlifts. Some of the muscles in the body help in stabilizing the movements, when one is doing this exercise. The parts of the body that bear the maximum impact of this exercise include hips, thighs, buttocks, lower back, latissimus dorsi, forearms, and the trapezius. There have been a lot of cases wherein, people have injured themselves while doing this exercise. It is often due to this fear, that people choose not to do this exercise. However, if you know the steps to do this exercise, then the chances of injury reduce drastically. One of the most important things to keep in mind before beginning with this exercise is that, if you are new to weight training, you should not be using heavy weights. Start off with lighter weights and once you get used to them, you can increase the weights gradually.
Conventional Technique
Place the barbell in front of you. There should be shoulder width distance between your feet. Slowly, bend forward from the waist. Use alternate grip to hold the bar. Let one palm face you, while the other one faces away from the body. Lift the barbell as you lock your arms and contract the shoulder blades. You should use the hips, glutes, and the legs to lift up the barbell. Lock your knees up to the chest level while lifting the barbell. Ensure that your hips are also locked and pushed forward, when you reach the final position. Slowly bend down, as you lower the barbell.
Sumo Technique
There is a slight variation, when you do the sumo deadlift. In this variation, the legs are placed away from one another. The arms should reach down to the inside of the legs. The stance in this technique should imitate the sumo stance. The emphasis of this technique is on the legs and glutes as opposed to the back. The remaining steps are the same as used in the above technique.
Straight Leg Technique
It is also known as the Stiff-legged or Romanian deadlift. To do this hamstring exercise, stand straight with a barbell in front of you. Since, you are doing the straight leg lift, keep your knees locked. Slowly, bend forward from the waist. When you bend down, your back should be straight, and the face looking forward. Bend only till your torso is parallel to the floor and lift the bar off the floor. Then slowly come back to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
One important tip while doing this exercise is, to continue looking in front of you. One should concentrate on an object placed in the front. A lot of people have knowledge about the correct technique of deadlift, but they rarely follow it while performing the exercise. As far as possible, you should use the strength from your legs, when you are doing the deadlift. This will help in preventing back injuries.
