Deadlifts are one of the cornerstone exercises we’ve all seen or done in the gym, but they could also be said to be a controversial one, with some of the opinion they’re risky or bad for your back.
So the question is…
Do you DO deadlifts?
Or do you think they should be left to DIE?
If you’ve ever seen our workouts, you know where we stand on this
Deadlifts are paramount – they are key in any training program!
Why?
Well…
Do you pick your bags up off the floor?
Do you pick up your kids?
Do you bend over to tie up your shoe laces?
Do you lean forward to clip a lead on your dog?
All these things involve bending forward from the hips, a movement pattern known in the exercise world as a “hip hinge”.
A Deadlift is a hip hinge…
A Kettlebell Swing is a hip hinge…
A Clean is a hip hinge…
A Snatch is a hip hinge!
We hinge every day – many times! So we train the movement to help you do it with safety and strength
We know some of you are saying “but it hurts my back” or “I’ve injured myself doing deadlifts or kettlebell swings before”…
It makes total sense that you’re reluctant – you don’t want to hurt yourself… we get it, and we’ve got your back
The hip hinge is a skill, just like every other movement. It takes practice to perform well. The weight and difficulty should be progressed gradually, with the key priority always being movement quality, not how much you can lift.
So if deadlifts or swings have led to pain for you in the past, don’t hold a grudge against the barbell or kettlebell – these inanimate objects didn’t set out with a mission to hurt you! It just means you have some things to work on when it comes to your technique.
To achieve pain-free movement we may need to boost your mobility, help you gain more control of your hip position and awareness of your spine, or just need to tweak your body position a little – every body is different and requires a different approach.
But we promise, it IS achievable.
We’re not saying you need to move massive weights, but we want you to be able to perform the movement with ease so you can move free in your daily activities.. which will inevitably involve picking things up off the floor