deadlifts

[Welsh power house]

I have always done deadlifts, but i went into my local supplements shop and the guy told me that they are too dangerous, he said to avoid them.
He gave me some greaty advice on a new routine and diet to gain mass and weight.
My back routine is :
barbell rows
lat pulldowns
lever row

do i need deadlifts???
they seem to be the be all and end all of back mass, so it feels dumb to leave them out, any help would rule!

 

[Phemomena]

do you NEED deadlifts - No, the only thing you need to do is eat, breathe, shit and die

are deadlifts dangerous - NO, not when done correctly...

i am under the personal belief that the best back builder is Pullups... others listed are fine too...

deadlifts are more a allover mass builder, the not only work the back but also the hams and glutes (for sldls and rdls) and bring all the stabalizers into play... i personally wouldn't remove them from my routine... when done safely and correctly, they are right up there with squats in my books...

 

[Bobba]

Not doing deadlifts is just stupid. Work on doing them properly for a couple of months, and then lower your reps and lift like a madman!

I've been doing heavy deadlifts for nearly a year now, and my back have become my best bodypart! My lower back feels like steel wires.

One heavy set of deadlifts is like a heavy set of goodmornings, barbell rows, shrugs and leg curls at once!

 

[maxellyz]

are deadlifts dangerous - NO, not when done correctly...

Your back routine looks good, try to add the deads some times cause its a great exercise

 

[Welsh power house]

Bobba, u ass clown, my back is my best bodypart, and i have been doing deadlifts for close to 2 years now. but as i am only 17 years old, a friend of mine said they should be avoided.....dont try and give out a shit answer like that again, if you have only been training a year, dont try and give out an impression that u are a seasoned lifter, i dont want a lower back injury at all in my life, and weights are my life, so if deads fuck up my shit right now think how fucked i will be when i am older.
I am not trying to have a go at you, even though i might have come across as an egotisical shower dweller.

any more views??????????

 

[McBainXVII]

heres the view from where i stand- i deadlift.

 

[MonStar1023]

Welsh power house...
I dont know what the hell your thinking even considering dropping heavy deads from back rountine bro! They should be the cornerstone of your back routine along with chins and bentover rows. Deadlifts, bentover rows, and chins are the BEST exercises for packing on mass to your lats and rhomboids. Put your time into each of the 3 exercises and I guarantee you that you wont be dissapointed.

 

[The Dude]

Do them, but only if you do them right. They will help your back development considerably and will really push your traps to amazing levels of development. Love 'em. They're safe if done correctly.

 

[Superbabe]

If you can do them properly, and you don't have any probs with them, (eg, bad knees, frozen vertabrae or they leave you in pain - not soreness- for days ) then you probably won't damage yourself provided you continue to lift safely. If you suspect you have damaged yourself, go see Doc or Chiropractor . . . .

If you feel you need some help to get the techinique together, find someone who can show you (try looking at the powerlifting board too). Also don't forget we are all different and what works for one won't work for another

With all that taken into account, if they help you towards your goals, continue. If they do nothing for you, don't.

They can be a stressful movement, so may be worthwhile noting that a lot of Pros use them, but only once a fortnight . . . .

Me, I luv 'em.

 

[edgecrusher]

Good call Superbabe. Most techniques if done correctly are not dangerous. All lifts cause some where and tear on the body. Just be careful, train w/ your head and you should not have any problems. By the way the deadlift and the olympic lifts have been staples in my routine for approximately ten years now, and I have no real ailments to speak of.

 

[elijah]

Deads are Good stuf (tm)

Pull ups are great for your back and are deads, don't drop them listen to Phenom!
Wanna really feel your whole back burning in that good pain? yeah I thought so hehehe try this
(Very evil super set here )
Have your dead bar ready and loaded, and maybe some dumbells

Pull ups to failure (use weight if this means over 10 pullups)
Do a set of 8 to 10 deads, but at the top of each deadlift, roll your shoulders all the way back, then do a shrug with the bar, or if its to heave to shrug, after your set use the dumbels and do 8 to 10 shrugs.
And lastly do 8 to 10 Wide grip t bar rows.

try this for three super sets and see whatcha think. I wouldn't suggest this on a regular basis, just occasionally to really pound your back.

 

[Superbabe]

Elijah, that's EVIL man, you sick mofo .... hehehehe.....

 

[elijah]

Evil, yes, fun even more so

Yep its superbabe I'm evil and like to torture myself in the gym. Some days I walk in and do the most painfull (the healthy kind of pain) exercises I can, especially during ckd diets I'll find huge supersets very effective at replacing cardio.
Typical week in ckd training

Saturday for depletion, and a little muscle building
Super set 4x10
Pullups
Dips

Super set 4x10
Squat (with 25lb plates under my toes, and do a calf raise at the top of each set)
sldl Deadlift w/ shoulder rll

Super set 4x10
Wide grip pull up/pull down
Incline bech with shoulder raise at the end

Super set 4x10
Leg press, all the way down
Calf raises on leg press machine with out getting off to failure
Situps (with legs off the ground to failure)
Barbell curls
Negative only dips, slow

THen I limp back to my truck and thank God for keeping me safe and energised for the session.

Normal work outs all week

 

[buffal2001]

Hey guys.....stop it with the shit!!!!!!! I went in to the supplement shop with WPH and the guy was dead serious(no pun here). We are 17 years old and he seems to feel that we are too young to deadlift incase we fuck ourselves up......Seriously guys this man knew his shit and told us wed benefit more from other back exercises(e.g chins, rows etc...........). So people cut out the shit and tell us what we really should do.
Cheers

 

[Phemomena]

Hey guys.....stop it with the shit!!!!!!! I went in to the supplement shop with WPH and the guy was dead serious(no pun here). We are 17 years old and he seems to feel that we are too young to deadlift incase we fuck ourselves up......Seriously guys this man knew his shit and told us wed benefit more from other back exercises(e.g chins, rows etc...........). So people cut out the shit and tell us what we really should do.
Cheers

are you experiencing pain? is the movement difficult for you to perform? and most importantly, are you working with bad form?

if the answer to ANY of these is YES, then you should definately NOT be doing dls... if the answer is NO, to ALL of these, then there isn't really any reason why you should not perform this lift.... just do it smartly and carefully... if you want to do these lifts and are worried, don't go overly heavy... do a moderate weight that you can handle with correct, strict form...

i personally don't believe that age is a deciding factor for leaving any exercise out, as long as common sense, good form and moderate weights are all involved...

(i.e. if a 16 yr old wants to squat or deadlift, he/she should do the exercise... just do the bar or light weights... bringing these great compound movements into your program early will give you a lot of practice with great form and get your body accustomed to the movement, so, when you are ready, experienced enough and confident about it, you can add the weight and avoid injury... i don't believe anyone, young or old, should do heavy squats/deadlifts without a serious base under their belts...these are great exercises, when performed correctly... real killers when not... )

BUT... all said and done, it's your body and your choice... if you dont want to do 'em, don't do 'em... many people have provided you with a lot of other options... stop complaining about the responses you are getting... no one is forcing you to do them!!

 

[strongchick]

I wish someone had said "DO DEADLIFTS" when I was 16.

If you want a GREAT ass and powerful beautiful legs, do deadlifts. If not, don't.

My brother lifted heavy at sixteen, and he's 5'11 and half now, an inch taller than my dad.

I know a guy that DID stunt his growth, he believes, because he was a high school wrestler, and didn't eat anything for days to make his weight category. He did this for three years off and on. He is now barely 5'6", even though his mother is 5'8" and his dad his 6'0".

Not scientific data...not a real lab with controls. But common sense should reign.

look at the following link for more info on deadlifts and why most males that weight train and overlook deads have weak lower bodies--deadlifts, remember, also are great for legs (I know you want to train back...but why have noodle legs and flat ass if you don't have to?):

deadlift link

 

[Bobba]

Bobba, u ass clown, my back is my best bodypart, and i have been doing deadlifts for close to 2 years now. but as i am only 17 years old, a friend of mine said they should be avoided.....dont try and give out a shit answer like that again, if you have only been training a year, dont try and give out an impression that u are a seasoned lifter, i dont want a lower back injury at all in my life, and weights are my life, so if deads fuck up my shit right now think how fucked i will be when i am older.

I didn't say I've only been lifting for a year, I said i had been doing HEAVY deadlifts for a year. With heavy deadlifts I meen 5 reps and less. Lifting weights has been my life the last 4-5years so I do have some experience to back me up.

Unless you are still growing I don't see any reason to avoid heavy deadlifts. However you do seem very imature for your age...

 

[MonStar1023]

Everyone always says that heavy deads are the greatest exercise for bulking up your traps big time but I was wondering arent they just a static contractions for your traps. Your really just squeezing the life outta your traps at the top of the movemet. Almost like the bottom portion of a shrug really feeling the stretch. I want some of your guys opinions on this. I agree that deads are great for thickening up your entire back especially your middle traps etc... but I just cant figure out how. Arent the traps designed to lift the shoulder girdle? Shrugs, upright rows..?

 

[buffal2001]

bobba fuck off you faggot!!

 

[Burning_Inside]

Last time I checked, the docs said I had a herniated disk in my lower back (about maybe 5 years ago).

Last time I checked, I didn't do deadlifts with strict form, despite what people sometimes come up to me and tell me in the gym, and I just tell them "i know it's not the form you're used to, but it's my form and I like it". I don't go all the way down and squat, my legs get sort of close to parralell to the ground when I bend over, and that's about it. I'd rather not work legs too much with my back, I do deads for my back, not my ass and legs, that's what squats are for, if no one likes that, they can kiss my ass. I do the form that I'm comfortable with.

And last time I checked, my weight on deadlifts have been going up on a weekly basis, last lift was 220 for 8.

And...Last time I checked....My back's feeling about as good as it ever did since I had that so called herniated disk. (i personally don't think it was as bad as they said, or I wouldn't be able to deadlift at all).

So are deadlifts bad? In my opinion, hell no.

 

[the-juggernaut]

only real men do heavy exersice like the deadlifts and squats,,while pussies and litte boys work alone in the corner doing cable work,,,stop playing with them little toys and play with the big boys and lift big u pussy

 

[Superbabe]

If they were REALLY that bad buffal2000 then most of us here on the board would be FUBAR.

Everyone on here crippled by doing deadlifts with good form, hands up now !!!!

 

[strongchick]

I do deads for my back, not my ass and legs, that's what squats are for, if no one likes that, they can kiss my ass. I do the form that I'm comfortable with.

How tall are you? I think I like deadlifts for legs because I have very long legs that make squats kind of not very effective for my butt. Even if I squat all the way down, the mechanical leverage of my legs doesn't stress my butt enuf to make a difference, even if I squeeze my booty and try real hard.

I got no butt action til I did deads. And now my booty is presentable.

I'm thinking it's because 'short people' do better with squats.

If you're tall...well, that blasts my theory.

 

[Phemomena]

How tall are you? I think I like deadlifts for legs because I have very long legs that make squats kind of not very effective for my butt. Even if I squat all the way down, the mechanical leverage of my legs doesn't stress my butt enuf to make a difference, even if I squeeze my booty and try real hard.

I got no butt action til I did deads. And now my booty is presentable.

I'm thinking it's because 'short people' do better with squats.

If you're tall...well, that blasts my theory.

sc - you are probably doing sldls or rdls, while the dls mainly discussed here are "standard dls", mass builders that focus primarily on the back (the knees are bent as the motion is preformed until the weight is to the ground)...

hard to explain, check the other dl threads today, someone has posted a link with an avi...

here's the link:

http://members.aol.com/usamuscle/routine6.html


hope that clears things up a little?

 

[theoak01]

dont drop them,they have built my lower back up along with my hams and what not,i wouldnt trade them for anything,its my fav exercise,people who say sqautting and deadlifting are dangerous are just lazy and pussies

 

[strongchick]

sc - you are probably doing sldls or rdls, while the dls mainly discussed here are "standard dls", mass builders that focus primarily on the back (the knees are bent as the motion is preformed until the weight is to the ground)...

hard to explain, check the other dl threads today, someone has posted a link with an avi...

here's the link:

http://members.aol.com/usamuscle/routine6.html


hope that clears things up a little?

I do sldls, rdls, and standard dls. Squats do nothing for my butt. I read in 'Brawn' by Stu McRoberts that my long legs are probably the reason I like deadlifts for legs...of course they also work my back...your link says in the article, also:

"Tall and lanky people who usually have great trouble squatting or benching can usually move up quickly in poundages in the deadlift. This exercise is more than just a back exercise or a "thickening" exercise, it's a total body exercise. "

I have progressed a lot faster in my deadlift than in squats and bench (I have long arms too)

I venture to say that tall women in particular who are have lots of gender specific fat in their lower body will really benefit from these....nothing else can target the rear thigh and butt.

And I also now have the two 'cables' just above my ass!
A real lower back.

Since I'm new to the sport (bb'ing for a year, weight training for many years) I don't know a lot from experience but I read a lot (I have a huge collection of bb'ing books from McRobert to Hatfield to Poliquin) and I'm always glad to be educated.

Thanks for the link.

 

[Phemomena]

wow, that's a lot of dls... i usually only do one type of lift every month... (i was just trying to make sure we were all on the same page since a lot of gals don't do the good old fashion dls )

hehe i'm a shorty so i don't know a thing about long legs

 

[YoungNHugeGuns]

I did deads yesterday for the first time in a while. I did them with my back/hams day. It felt incredible.

I did them using a full range of motion, but not locking out, and not dropping the weight at the bottom and resting. However, it seems like everyone is saying that the proper way to do it is to let the bar drop down completely at the bottom, rest a couple of seconds, and then lift it again. Is this just a tradition that's been carried over from powerlifitng that people just don't question anymore? Is there a bodybuilding purpose to this? This style seems to go completely against bodybuilding principles. I was pretty happy with my continuous-tension deadlifts.

 

[buffal2001]

Cheers for helping us out guys-even bobba(it wasnt me)...........im definately thinking about deadlifts seriously..ive been doin them for about 9 months now and havent experienced any pain or injury......touch wood.....i have thought that they did my back good but the guy sounded really seriousabout the danger which worried me a little......i am currently trainin 4 mass along with WPH and benchmaniac 2 and have found difficulty in deadlift grip(even with reverse grip it is the grip that gives out first).......im wondering whether wrist hooks would be a good idea.......cheers 4 the advice.

 

[The mann]

just be careful,love them deads............

 

[minion]

It takes "heart" to do the dead and the squat.

I've been doing them since freshman year of highschool, I'm going to be 28 tomorrow. I had a minor back injury, but I don't think it was because of heavy lifting.

I think it was work related.

 

[theoak01]

i feel i cheat myself if i let the weight touch the ground,i prefer continuous tension dl's,when you have to roll outt of bed because you cant sit up,ya know you accomplished something

 

[milkbone]

I want to start incorporating DLs into my routine, but don't know whether to do them on leg day or back day? My concern is that I don't want my legs to be sore (on leg day) from the DLs I do on back day. I have thought about switching legs and back to the same day to remedy this but I prefer to train legs by themselves. I noticed one reply about doing hams and back on the same day which might work for me. I currently do SLDLs on leg day for hams and butt.

Currently, I'm doing three days on, one off.

day 1: chest / triceps / delts
day 2: back / biceps
day 3: legs
day 4: off

Maybe I should go:

day 1: hams / back
day 2: quads / shoulders
day 3: chest / arms
day 4: off

I've been training for years, but have hit a major bodyweight plateau (200 - 205 lbs) for the past year at least. I feel like my training routine is totally FBR right now. I know I've got to lift heavy on compound excercises to get through this. What works best for y'all?

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Did someone say DEADLIFTS?????



I am actually only using sldl in my current routine on the same day as squats. This is allowing better recovery then when I was squatting and doing conventional deads on different days.


My next routine, however, will be primarily focused on increasing my deadlift!

 

[blaster220]

I think that guy has got it out for deadlifts! Personally, I love the simple mass builders (deads, squats, chins, etc...)