Even though the deadlift is one of the most important strength exercises, most people avoid it.
The reason is simple: a complex technique and a great load on the body. However, the deadlift is one of the best exercises to work your midsection and back of your legs.
Deadlifts are especially beneficial for men: working with barbells and low reps can increase your sensitivity to testosterone and growth hormone.
Read on to find out which muscles are worked when deadlifting and how often you should do it.
Related: Barbell Deadlift – Correct Technique
What is deadlift and what is it for?
The deadlift is a basic multi-joint exercise , usually performed with a barbell with weights.
Deadlifting works to develop both the muscles of the legs (mainly the buttocks and the back of the thighs) and the muscles of the lower back.
The advantage of this exercise is that doing deadlifts not only trains maximum muscle strength, but also has a positive effect on hormones.
In other words, it provides increased release and sensitivity of hormones important for muscle growth. Ultimately, this helps increase overall lean body mass.
To increase the production of testosterone and growth hormone, it is necessary to perform deadlifts with a high working weight, as well as in a low repetition mode, no more than 5 sets of 5 repetitions each always without neglecting the technique.
// What is the deadlift for:
- Improve muscle strength in the middle and lower zone
- Increase sensitivity to testosterone and other hormones
- Create an athletic posture
Advantages and disadvantages
Although one of the advantages of the deadlift is the improvement of strength indicators and an increase in the effects of testosterone; The deadlift has a number of disadvantages.
First, working with heavy weights requires learning correct technique. Otherwise it can cause a number of injuries or contraindications (for example, problems with the spine, knees, etc.).
Second, the deadlift puts great pressure on the cardiovascular system and is not recommended for people with high blood pressure or heart disease.
Third, exercise requires large stores of muscle glycogen and is not suitable for people on low-carb diets or who have never trained with weights.
// Read more:
What muscles do you work when doing deadlifts?
The main muscles worked when doing barbell deadlifts are the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. At the top of the movement, the spinal extensor muscles are also involved; In addition, exercise is useful to strengthen abdominals.
Deadlifting with your legs straight increases the load on the glutes, especially the gluteus medius. A wider stance (like the sumo deadlift) is helpful for working your inner gluteal muscles.
// Read more:
How to tone the buttocks? – The best exercises
Muscle hypertrophy routine – Example for a gym
How to do barbell squats?
Squats or deadlifts?
The deadlift is not a replacement exercise for barbell squats.
Despite its apparent similarity, the deadlift is a complementary exercise to squats.
In fact, barbell squats work harder on the front leg muscles, while deadlifts work on the rear.
Maximum efficiency in strengthening the leg muscles is achieved by combining both exercises.
Separately, we note that some isolation exercises on machines, such as isquette extensions, are exercises similar to the deadlift. So it is important to intersperse them in the routine.
When and how often to deadlift?
If you train in a routine that divides your training days into different muscle groups, the deadlift should be performed once a week, on leg day.
In this case, you need to do some bodyweight exercises first to warm up your leg muscles and then start this exercise.
If you train with a full-body program (exercising several muscle groups in the same session), it is recommended to do deadlifts up to twice a week, and in a spaced manner.
For example on Mondays and Fridays. The exercise should be done in the first third of the training (and not at the end, when there is almost no strength left).
As mentioned above, the maximum effect of exercise in increasing muscle mass is achieved when working with relatively high weights and in low repetition mode, no more than 5 repetitions per set. The rest between sets should be 60 to 90 seconds.
// Read more:
Firm and strong glutes – The best exercises for volume
Muscle hypertrophy – What is it and how is it achieved?
Hypertrophy and strength hybrid training
ABSTRACT
The deadlift is a basic multi-joint exercise that is typically performed with a barbell.
It is used to work both the muscles of the back of the legs (mainly the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings), as well as the abdominals. In fact, the deadlift is a key exercise in developing an athletic posture.
