REMINDER: DEADLIFT - Three Reasons Why

 There is little argument among the powerlifting community that deadlifts are one of the most exciting exercises to perform. Because deadlifts are usually the strongest lift in an athlete’s arsenal, it’s not unusual to see someone picking up two or three times their body weight, standing tall, and nodding their head like a madman when they lock out, and realize they’ve completed the lift.

However, learning the deadlift can be challenging. It can be a scary exercise for anyone who’s improperly picked up a box and tweaked their back. The idea of picking up such a heavy weight can make someone nervous before they even step onto the platform (and some people pee when they deadlift! How humiliating!).

But it is indisputable that the deadlift might also be one of the most important workouts in any lifters arsenal, whether they’re going for a high total, or just trying to get fit.  Here are three reasons why you should be deadlifting to get the most benefit out of your fitness program.

1. Deadlifts can help improve your posture by strengthening your lower back and core.

Deadlifts are one of the three main compound movements, which means that they work more than one muscle group at a time. The major groups worked by the deadlift are the lower back, glutes and hamstrings, and the core. These muscles are also key to having great posture. In today’s day and age, with more people working desk jobs, they tend to suffer from lower back problems due to improper sitting position and slouching. The deadlift can totally reverse these problems, and prevent future injury from happening by strengthening the muscles that support your spine!

2. Deadlifts help you run faster, jump higher, and build overall strength.

Because they focus particularly on the glutes and hamstrings, muscles that are responsible for running and jumping, deadlifts are essential for anyone who participates in sports that rely on running and jumping. That is why many athletes will cross train with deadlifts to ensure they’re at peak performance. The weight of the deadlift is also taxing to not just your muscles, but your central nervous system. As you get stronger, you will find you can not only lift more, but you’ll be able to perform better, longer.

3. Deadlifts are a truly functional fitness movement, and can help you build strength you can use outside of the gym.

Deadlifts are considered essential as a functional fitness movement, which means that what you do in the gym, directly translates to what you do in the rest of your life. It’s unlikely that you’ll be doing calf raises or bicep curls when you’re moving your friend’s couch - but you’ll definitely be using deadlifts as you lean down, grab the bottom edge of the furniture, and hinge your hips to bring it up, out the door and onto the moving van outside. And as we mentioned before, because the deadlift targets so many different muscles, you’ll also be strengthening the muscles that protect your spine - meaning that moving the couch in the future won’t lay you up on the couch with a bad back in the future.

But overall, one of the best things that deadlifts do - is show you how much you can lift with your own strength. And really, you don’t need more of a reason than that to head to the gym, load up the bar and pull.