In the last article, we introduced the squat as one of the basic movements for the development of the lower limbs in particular. Since the squat represents the pressure force (“PUSH” – the force in which we try to push something/someone away from us), in our second article we will focus on the pulling force (“PULL” – the force in which we try to pull something/someone towards the axis of the body). The basic exercise for the pulling force of the lower limbs is the deadlift.

The deadlift is one of the most complex exercises, in which we develop mainly the muscles of the posterior chain such as the back thigh muscles, gluteal muscles, as well as the muscles that perform spinal extension and many other muscle groups that create tension throughout the body during movement. In short, this exercise puts a strain on almost the entire body and should definitely not be missing from your training program.

As with the squat, technique is extremely important here. It can be argued that which of these two exercises is technically more demanding, but I personally think that it is the deadlift that requires greater maturity of the practitioner in terms of body perception in space and at the same time sufficient stability and mobility in the right places.

The basic variants of the deadlift include the classic conventional deadlift, the “sumo” and the Romanian deadlift with its various variants on one leg. A special exercise is the trap bar deadlift variation , which is classified as a deadlift, but is classified as a push-pull exercise. We will definitely cover this variation more sometime in future articles, because it is probably the best choice for beginners, especially because of the more natural grip and gentleness of the lumbar spine.

Description of the technique of movement of the classic deadlift:

In the basic execution of the classic deadlift, we stand at the barbell with a pelvic-width stance, squat down and pull ourselves to the barbell axis with a straight back. Grasp the barbell axis from the outside next to the tibia with an overhand grip (thumbs together; for larger weights, an “alternating grip” is recommended – one hand with an overhand and one with an undergrip, for greater grip strength). The depth of the squat will differ from the anatomy of a person, where the ratio of the length of the femur to the length of the torso will play a role. This means that someone will feel more comfortable in a deeper squat and someone in a higher one. In general, however, the starting position should be the hips below shoulder level with the correct back alignment and the head in torso extension.

When we are properly adjusted, in the lower position, we pull the barbell axis as close as possible to the tibia, gently pull the shoulders downwards and slightly turn the elbows outwards to activate the wide back muscle. We create a slight preload into the barbell to make sure that the whole body is toned and then we push our legs into the ground (imagine pushing the ground downwards), stand up (without bending back!) and exhale in the upper position. This is followed by the “negative phase” of the movement, when we lower the dumbbell in the same way (as close to the body as possible) downwards until it touches the ground and repeat the movement. For higher weights or in the early stages of learning an exercise, I would recommend a reset in the lower position after each repetition and not perform them immediately one after the other.

The most common mistakes and advice when performing movement:

• Spine and head position

It is at this point that we see probably the most common mistake, when exercisers tend to have a rounded back in the lower position and also like to look at themselves in the mirror with their head tilted. Here, too, we can experience an unpleasant injury, such as a bulging of the intervertebral disc or “slashing” if the back is not in the correct position. The position of the torso and head should not change throughout the movement. In addition to a stable core of the body, proper breathing will also help us, where, as with squats, we want to fill our imaginary cylinder (torso) with air and stretch it in all directions and only then perform the movement of the dumbbell upwards.

• Unsynchronized motion

For proper execution, we should perform the extension in both the knee and hip joints almost synchronized. The error occurs if the knees are extended earlier and the entire weight of the dumbbell is shifted to the lumbar spine. Many exercisers feel extremely stiff the muscles of their lower back the next day after exercise and think that this is how it should be. Yes, deadlifts also strengthen the muscles of this area, but these muscles do not serve as primary – main muscles of movement (prime movers) but as secondary – auxiliary. The main initiators of movement should be especially the posterior thigh and buttock muscles.

• Pulling the movement with the wrong muscles

This point is a follow-up to the previous one . Most people who exercise want to grab a dumbbell and literally jerk it off the ground and then throw it on the ground, without using the right muscles to move the dumbbell. However, in the classic deadlift, it is not only about the tensile force , but also about the compressive force. In order to lift the dumbbell from the squat above the level of the knees in the first phase of the “lift”, we also need PRESSURE force, in which, as mentioned above, we try to push the ground away from us. Here, we will use, among other things, the strength of the anterior thigh muscles, because the knee joint primarily works in this phase. However, you need to be careful about the so-called valgus of the knees – the collapse of the knees inside . Above the level of the knees until the end of the movement, the TENSILE force is already needed, where we work more with the hip joint. At this stage, we simply want to stand (with a firm torso, of course) in the final position with the barbell axis at pelvic level.

Finally, I would recommend focusing on the “negative” (eccentric) phase of the exercise, or controlled lowering of the dumbbell to the ground and not just throwing the dumbbell to the ground after the repetition has been performed. In this phase, the main muscles stretch under tension and it is here that they become stronger the most of the entire movement. The eccentric force in the body is the strongest in our entire body and can help to significantly increase muscle and strength.