This site has convinced me I should be deadlifting. I’ve worked out for a number of years, but never deadlifted. Now as a 50 year old I want to try (for fitness, not competition). I’ve seen many articles here on how to increase your lift, but none on starting from scratch. I’m fairly tall and want to make sure I’m using good form to avoid back issues. I’d ask someone at my gym, but even though the gym has a deadlift platform, I’ve never seen anyone use it. Don’t suggest the trainers, all I’ve ever seen them teaching anyone is rack curls and triceps kickbacks. Thanks.
This book is great. See http://www.startingstrength.com/
I started deadlifting a few years ago after not doing them for many years (my doctors recommendation after I had back trouble: never do deadlifts again; that turned out to be the wrong answer, after not doing deadlifts for 10 years my back just got worse, so I started again and the heavier I lift the better my back feels).
Anyways, my recommendation is start light, bar only or dumbells, 15 reps. Add 5 pounds every week, and in no time at all you will be doing some serious poundages. Mix in some SLDL, RDL, Good mornings, hyperextensions, and of course don’t forget to squat too! Take your time and concentrate on good form and the feel of the movements. Remember at our age it is about the long term benefits.
For someone that’s a bit older (I mean over 35) and may have had some type of non-athletic period, I really like the idea of starting pretty light and just making sure you have the form right… as suggested above.
It takes some time for non-muscular tissues to get used to something new, often a longer period of time than the muscles themselves are able to recover and grow. Especially when a new type of stress is introduced.
You should be able to find some vids posted online here and there along with a bit of critique. If you can get a video of yourself deadlifting, even with just the bar, I’m sure you’d get some pointers if you posted it.
Try watching this Dan John video on Video FitCast
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6529481301858251744&hl
and read Dave Tates article on deadlifting
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459744
Between the two you should be able to figure out what good deadlift form is.
Good luck.
Try these:
The Dead Zone:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459744
Precision Pulling:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459964
Deadlift Diagnosis:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=586815
Also, check out form video here:
http://www.uwlax.edu/strengthcenter/videos/video_index.htm
Just started deadlifting myself. At my gym, I’ve never seen ANYONE do it…ever.
Anyway, I went in for my physical and told my doctor I was doing it and he thought it was great.
Fortunately, our gym hired a new trainer who is wondering around the workout area looking for things to do, getting to know people, etc. I had him look at my form because I was very concerned about my back form during the lift.
First few times I did this, my upper back was on fire. I hope you’re sticking with light weights while you’re getting the form down. Even with low weight (90 pounds), couple sets of 6 reps makes me winded as hell.
I just started deadlifting as well, more or less your age.
At my gym, if you want to learn a new exercise, ask at the desk and they set up an appt w you w someone on staff who will take you thru proper form. May be the same case around your gym.
I am started pretty light, and really concentrating on the form I was taught. My lower back muscles were really sore the next day after the first sesssion. The guy who did my form check warned me this would be so.
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Thanks for all the suggestions and links. I do wish there was a trainer I could trust to help me learn, but anything I’ve seen them doing with people doesn’t give me any cofidence in their ability.
I just started doing deadlifts about 3 months ago. I will repeat what everyone else said.
Do some research on form and for your own sake take it easy on the weight until you get used to the movement. I’m talking, just the bar and then move to smaller plates.
Don’t be scared to use those 5, 10, and 25 lbs plates at first. The first couple of sessions were very uncomfortable for me. I am finally to the point now where I feel comfortable with the movement itself.
By T-Nation standards my weights are still paltry but they are going up significantly.
My back and knees feel MUCH better now than they did before I started doing deads. (Except the day after doing them 
Now it is one of my favorite lifts.
Good luck
I’m 52 and have been lifting for 2 years after years of not touching the bar. I started deadlifting a year ago and started slow for a while then moved into heavier weights the more I got comfortable with my form.
A few months ago I started pulling fast to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible and I noticed big improvements in my lifts. One down side though, my bicep tie-ins are so sore that I want to quit. I won’t quit though but I need to give the old tendons time to recuperate.
Video tape your lift! I’m 54 and when I started deadlifting about 2 years ago I started from a bare bar to learn form and get comfortable with the motion, and increased the weights 5 or 10 pounds each session. I watched some of the deadlifting videos that are available on the web and had a good idea of what I intended to do (well, as much as a rookie can).
Because I started with such light weights and deadlifted two or three times a week, a 10 pound per session increase could mean 30 pounds each week. That was too fast for my body to adapt and it turned out that my form really sucked.
When I got to 290 lbs. or so it didn’t feel good: I could feel what felt like a point load in my upper back when I was pulling. It basically felt like it was going to peel the muscle off of my spine. Not a real good feeling. I lift in my garage so I don’t have mirrors to check my form, and did not know any qualified local trainers other than the ones who apparently specialize in rack curls, but what I did was video tape my lift.
That helped a lot, it turned out that I was not doing what I thought I was (that’s probably why I can’t dance either). I dropped back down to lighter weights and used the video for feedback, figured out how to lift in a way that did not hurt me, and brought my overall strength up slowly over a year. Now it is just plain hard work, but it feels good and I don’t worry about injury any more.
I also believe that deadlifts are one of the best things I did for my middle-aged back. Like an earlier poster, my doctor is also opposed to any heavy weight training and specifically deadlifts, but in my case he is just plain wrong. (I’m basically healthy, I’m not giving advice to anyone with known physical problems).
Between deadlifts and other basic compound lifts my back feels better than it has in decades. I found that my morning stiffness and back pain was really just weak muscles.
Old_Lifter
Read as much as you can to get familiar with the lift. It is a simple movement, but can be as complicated as many others to learn properly. One thing to remember is that once the bar passes your knees, concentrate on pushing your hips forward as much as anything else. This help help keep your back flat.
It will take more time to perfect the dead compared to many other movements, even though it seems very simple. Remember this: do not rely on belts or straps, your goal should be to not use them unless you are doing singles for a personal record. When you get good at deads, you will feel them throughout the middle of your back from the top to the bottom.
Good luck! Great to see anyone adding them to their program, regardless of age.
I am 55 and have hip issues (arthritis). Thus, heavy compound lifts like squats and DL seemed to be a no-no due to the compression of the hips and ensuing pain.
However, I resumed deadlifting once or twice a week some months ago. Left my ego at the doorpost and started with low weights (50 kg) in stiff legged lifts, gradually increasing by 5 kg each week up to 100 kg. 3-6 reps, 9-12 set. Then I switched to sumo style.
I am not really built for sumo pulls but it seems to do better for my hips.
This week I deadlifted 120 kg about the same volume. So far I feel great.
I strongly recommend deadlifts. Actually, the only lift that motivates me to go to the gym. My other workouts consist of bodyweight stuff (currently working on planches and levers) but there really is no bodyweght substitute for deadlifting.
[quote]:David41 wrote:
Just started deadlifting myself. At my gym, I’ve never seen ANYONE do it…ever.
Anyway, I went in for my physical and told my doctor I was doing it and he thought it was great.
[/quote]
Yeah, of course they don’t deadlift. First off, it looks hard. Second off… surprise surprise… it IS hard. And as you know, it works.
And after reading the rest of the thread this is turning into a “me too” post… but… the more the merrier… heheh.
At my gym which literally has a couple of thousand members I’ve seen three people deadlift… one of them being me in the mirror. Another guy can out-deadlift me into the ground and the third guy has abysmal form.
I hate it when you see somebody who you just know is going to hurt themselves and blame the exercise, but you don’t want to be the “know-it-all” ass who walks up and suggest that he do it differently. This is probably where a lot of those “deadlifting is dangerous” comments come from.