5 Reasons Why The Deadlift Is a MUST

The deadlift in my opinion is KING! The king of all exercises.

Now, some people will argue my point and say it’s the squat thats king, not the dead. I completely respect that statement and understand why they would say that. The squat is such a close second, it could definitely be argued.

But personally, if I had to choose one, the deadlift would rain supreme.

It’s funny, depending on who you speak to these days, this exercise is either loved or hated.

It’s obviously loved by those of you who already know the benefits of deadlifting and hated by those who think, “they are are going to hurt themselves.”

That its to hard for low reps and makes you want to projectile vomit when done for high reps.

The fact of the matter is they must be done. For all rep ranges.

See, the deadlift is one of those exercises that either makes or breaks you. It’s tough on the mind and can punish the body.

It can psych you the hell out or help to build massive amounts of strength and the body you always dreamed of.

Deadlifts are a full body movement incorporating almost every muscle group in the entire body. All the way from the traps to calfs.

And yes, for those of you about to tell me that deadlifts don't work your abs, snap out of it and get with the program. Of course they work your abs!

Now, some people will tell me that it’s not natural to pick up heavy shit off the ground multiple times.

Really?

Cause we all have been doing it since we were first born. Every last one of us.

Shit, as a toddler, I used to deadlift every damn day!

I picked up my toy trucks, race cars, life sized stuffed animals, chairs, boxes and even my brothers doll houses.

Why in hell my brother had doll houses is beyond me, but thats a story for another time.

So if we were picking up heavy stuff when we were babies and our parents never stopped us, why are people so hesitant to do it as they get older?

Lets take it a step further. How about when you became a teenager.

You played in the woods, picked up branches, rocks and carried a fifty pound backpack of books around school all day. That never seemed to hurt you. So why this?

Lets take a second to look at the five most important reasons you MUST be deadlifting.

Number 1

If your goal is get jacked, this is it! Very few exercises will add rock hard muscle to your body by performing only one simple movement. If you are limited on training time, these will need to be incorporated into your program.

Number 2

Deadlifts will make you insanely strong from head-to-toe. In particular they will build round solid glutes, lean muscular hamstrings and a strong posterior chain and core. (If thats not enough, I don't know what is)

Number 3

The deadlift is easy to learn. If you are not ready to pull a straight bar deadlift from the ground, you can progress by using many other variations first. That list could include:

1. Trap Bar Deadlifts

2. Kettlebell or Dumbell Deadlifts

3. Romanian Deadlifts

4. KB Sumo Deadlift

5. KB Swing (Hinging Technique)

6. Rack or Pin position deadlifts

Number 4.

Doing a set of ten to twelve rep deadlifts will dramatically increase your cardiovascular capability. You will receive a cardiovascular hit while simultaneously building strength and putting on muscle.

Number 5.

It simulates real life strength. You would be shocked what you need a strong posterior chain for in daily activities. To pick up you child, a bag of groceries, or even a box at work. How about your sons backpack or to put something heavy in the trunk of your car? The deadlift will help you to build that real world strength that you don't even realize you need.

Closing thoughts

If you are new to deadlifting or have questionable form I’d start with some of the progressions listed above. Stick with these for about three to six months and start slow. Do your best to increase mobility and flexibility while perfecting technique first and foremost.

Before performing any of these exercises be sure to stretch your piriformis, hip flexors, hamstrings and lower back out first.

At the end of the day the deadlift is still one of the most productive exercises you can possibly do. So get to it.