Deadlifting For Beginners: From Noob to Hulk
Deadlifting For Beginners: From Noob to Hulk
Deadlifting for beginners can be very difficult. It is a very complex exercise that without proper form can lead to injury. If you are a beginner and want to learn how to do a deadlift properly than this article is for you. Deadlifts are going to work the entirety of your body. They challenge your grip strength and core stability while working on glute, hamstring, lower back strength. Very few exercises are that encompassing.
Deadlifting for beginners starts will learning to properly hip hinge. The hip hing is very important movement to daily life. Properly hip hinging will help prevent low back pain, one of the most common injuries. Hip hinging will help you lift objects properly and help you activate your glutes and hamstrings. By now I hope you can see why I think it is one of the most important movements. So why aren’t people incorporating the hip hinge/deadlift into their workouts?
It is mostly because the hip hinge is a very complex movement that goes against what most of us have been told to do our whole lives. Many of us can bend at our knees and go into a squat position but if I told you to push your hips back into the wall those two movement would probably look very similar. Hip hinging goes goes against our common everyday movement patterns. This makes it key to start properly learning the movement before adding weight to the movement. Adding too much weight without proper form can lead to some serious injuries.
Let’s break down deadlifting for beginners and its variations so you can add it to your workout and maximize your progress.
Level Noob: Bodyweight Hip Hinge w/ wall or dowel
This is the simplest variation. Use it to build up confidence and correct form. Focus here on setting those hips and butt back and keeping that chest up. Using a dowel will help you keep your back straight
Level Padawon: Dumbbell or Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift
Once you have mastered the movement pattern of the hip hinge it is time to add some weight to the hip hinge. Remember everything you learned from the hip hinge especially keeping that chest up. Rounding your back can cause serious injury even with light weight. You can either hold two dumbbells suitcase style or a kettlebell at your chest.
Level Hulk: Barbell Deadlifts
You have moved to the big leagues now. There are 3 main types of deadlifts you can do with a barbell: conventional, sumo, and romanian. They all have their different advantages so find the one for you.
Romanian Deadlift is exactly the same as the one you did with the dumbbell/kettlebell. You start in the standing position with the barbell and go to your knee or mid shin. This is easier than the conventional or sumo since you do not have to pull the weight off the floor
The Sumo deadlift is done at a much wider stance than the romanian or conventional. This allows you to target a bit more glutes and puts less stress on your lower back.
The Conventional deadlift (my personal favorite) is what you traditional think of a deadlift. Proper starting position and maintaining posture throughout the movement is key. This can be difficult for some who cannot get into the right position to get the weight off the floor.
Here are some additional tips to perfecting your hip hinge/deadlift:
- Start slowly
This isn’t a race to the top. Take your time and progress when you are ready. Do not be afraid to regress if you feel that you are not doing the movement correctly.
- Always be engaging your core
By squeezing your core tight, like someone is about to punch you, you will keep your back nice and straight. This will help you prevent injury.
- Touch your butt to the imaginary wall
This is a great cue to think about whenever you are hip hinging. Think about moving with your hips and less with your knees touching your butt to the wall behind you.
Now that you have a full understanding of the deadlift/hip hinge you are ready to add it in to your program. This movement will provide a boost to your program and help you achieve your results. If you have any additional questions about the deadlift or any other exercises shoot me an email at john.stein@maximalu.com
If you are looking for some additional variations to the deadlift here are a couple.
Kettlebell Swing (Hulk Level): More explosive version of the deadlift
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (Padawon level): Great for building single leg strength, core stability, and balance
Staggered Stance Deadlift (Padawon Level): Helps build single leg strength
Rack Pull (Hulk Level): Help improve strength in glutes, hamstrings, and grip. Can lift heavier than usual weights
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