Deadlifts are some of the most fundamental exercises to build into workouts, but they can be intimidating and are often performed incorrectly. Lee Burton shares five tips to get novice deadlifters comfortable with weight and experienced deadlifters focused on proper form. In general, think single-arm/single-leg deadlifts for stability and double-arm/double-leg deadlifts for strength.
Ensure that the toe touch is good. The deadlift is a hip hinge exercise, so start by ensuring good posterior flexibility. Remember, keep the tibias vertical.
Before you hit the weights, try using a stick to get feedback on the proper deadlift pattern. Hold the stick so it contacts the head, mid-back and sacrum. Hip hinge and don’t let the stick come off of the sacrum, which would mean that the back is moving before the hips - not what you want. You can start this one foot off a wall for added feedback.
Single-arm deadlifts create upper body rotation that gives them value as a motor control/stability activity. Use what you already know: incorporate the stick for feedback, especially to make sure down feels the same as up.
Single-leg deadlifts are also great when stability is the goal. Resist rotating the hips open. Use Reactive Neuromuscular Training (RNT) to feed the mistake. Use a band around the upper body to create more rotation in the same direction. The body’s natural response will be to counteract it. You can also place the band around the knee(s). RNT assisted techniques allow for correction with less coaching.
Adding weight can be intimidating and it often causes lifters to remember their hip hinge, but forget all the required upper body coordination. To avoid losing the core connection, keep the pelvis and upper body level. You can also incorporate a band here, to approximate the weight with an added safety margin for the upper body and shoulders.
0:00 Intro
0:20 Start with a Toe Touch
1:05 Feedback on Proper Deadlift Pattern
2:38 Single-arm Deadlifting
4:40 Feed the Mistake (RNT)
7:52 Core Connection