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Being a Traitor would have to mean that, at one point, I supported deads.
Knew they were stupid when I powerlifted, know that they’re stupid now that I do strongman.
I’m good at them, but that’s more an argument AGAINST deadlifts, considering I’m an awful athlete.
Back in the physical culture days (1890’s) they called it the “Health Lift”. Some proponents said it was the only lift you needed to do.
Then they changed the name to “deadlift”… Coincidence?
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“Health Lift”…the more you know.
Since we’ve been discussing it I’ve noticed a solid hand full of old names popping up more frequently.
Honestly, its great to see.
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I’d say something similar about bench press. I’d rather work deads and OH press with a box squat now and again.
I think that just because some Russian lunatic in a basement does something appalling to his body and gets away with it, it doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea.
Also, I find that with health and fitness, old habits die hard. I’m a big believer in warmups and I can’t persuade myself to stop static stretching.
I’m just curious in your reasoning on why you think it’s overrated?
I feel like if my back squats + chins/rows are going up, deadlifting is never an issue lol.
It’s the arbitrary nature of the movement. The height of a deadlift is determined by plate diameter. Diameter of plates was determined from weightlifting as a means to prevent the bar from caving in the skull of a trainee if they fell backwards with the weight. To ascertain that this is somehow THE most ideal starting position for strength and size is sheer madness; mistaking convention for intention. For the vast majority of trainees, they’re going to need a higher or lower starting position to get the best effect out of a deadlift.
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Okay, this I get. I thought you guys were saying it was ridiculous to think it’s one of the best exercises. I get varying heights, loads, and handles.
I mean, that’s what I’m saying. I think the deadlift is a fantastic way to display strength, but I find it a poor way to build it. I see the deadlift as an event, rather than a training movement, similar to how I train to get better at yoke, but I don’t ever yoke to get better at anything.
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If the nocturnal communions with the biscuit barrel go on much longer, I’m going to have to change my username to ‘Der_Grosse_Bastard’.
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So why do you train it? Just for the events? Also, What makes it a bad way to build strength and size?
Yeah, I only train it because it’s in competitions. If it wasn’t; I’d avoid it.
I have found it a poor way to build strength and size due to the lack of emphasis the movement allows. Since it moves through such a large ROM I don’t find much opportunity to really focus on anything in particular with a deadlift compared to a partial ROM dead. I find some of this can be solved with adding chains, as it allows the strength curve on it to be a little more taxing through out the movement.
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Not to gnaw the subject to death, but here’s a great one-
Mark Bell, AKA Jackass and a mountain of other serious lifters.
There’s really only like 4 others, but that pretty much equals a mountain.
edit- I get on these video kicks for weeks at a time then everything I’ve seen falls into the black hole that is my head.
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This. Whenever my squat is going up , the deadlift does. If my squat stalls my deadlift does also. [quote=“T3hPwnisher, post:2377, topic:189836, full:true”]
I think the deadlift is a fantastic way to display strength, but I find it a poor way to build it. I see the deadlift as an event, rather than a training movement.
[/quote]
Not trying to be an asshole since this is flame free and all, but:
I am embarrased to say this, but at 5’7 and 16 years old, I only weigh 66 kgs (145 pounds) . But don’t be so fast to judge, I’ve been training for about a year and a half, and my PRs include:
140 kgs ( 308 lbs) × 4 in the deadlift
This is what you said on April 23. While 308 for 4 is good for 16, I would hardly call you strong or knowledgeable when it come so to lifting. This is where this site kind of fucks up because kids get on here and say “In my experience this works” when they have no experience at all in the grand scheme of things. At your age and time spent training, doing anything will make our dead and squat go up.
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So if you were to write up a program for someone to build maximal strength over time would you include block or rack pulls or just leave out deadlifting entirely? I agree that it is a movement that is built more through others and is less dependent on form as opposed to brute strength, technique and leverages. I am just confused as I have always trained my deadlift very hard and feel like I have built a decent base after training it as such. This is very interesting and new to me that a deadlift is one of the worst ways to build strength.
Maximal strength is something of a vague goal. Deadlifts can fit in such a goal, as can block pulls, but you could also never do those movements and develop phenomenal maximal strength. For me, it would depend on the trainee.
Now; I wouldn’t say it is one of the worst ways to build strength; just a poor way. Doing the things neccessary to BUILD a strong deadlift are a great way to get strong.
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I think this nails it. The debate here about DL got me thinking about it as a strength display vs strength builder for me. As far as I can tell, DL is more of a strength display for me that I need to keep grooved because it’s a powerlift. I say that because of all the lifts I’ve done it is the one that progresses the best when I do the least of it - as long as I squat enough and work my back. If I had to pick a DL variation, I’d say some kind of sumo DL would be the best builder for me, followed by snatch grip.
I train DL off the floor regularly because I like it, but when I pull heavier loads I can almost guarantee I will train it less regularly off the floor.
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