How to Perfect Your Deadlift Form (Part 1)
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Are you curious about deadlifts but unsure where to start? Do you struggle with perfecting your deadlift form or understanding the benefits?
Join us in this episode of Embrace Your Real as we unpack the world of deadlifts. From understanding the different types of deadlifts to mastering the essential techniques, we've got you covered. Discover why deadlifts are a crucial component of any lower body resistance training program and learn how they can help you build the body you've always wanted. Whether you're a seasoned lifter or new to the gym, this episode offers valuable insights to elevate your deadlift game and maximize your fitness results.
What I discuss:
Don’t round your back and keep a neutral spine.
Hinge at your hips.
Engage your core.
If you loved this episode, be sure to tune in to…
Episode 415: How to Perfect Your Squat Form
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey there, beautiful human you're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I get you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it. Let's go. [00:00:28][21.0]
[00:00:28] Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. How the heck do you perform a deadlift correctly? Why are there so many types of deadlifts and how can you tell them all apart? How do you improve your form on a deadlift? These are all great questions. These are all questions that I get regularly inside the moment with Julie community, as well as just in my direct messages. And so in today's episode, it's going to be a part one of a part two series. And this is exactly what I'm going to be diving into, just like I did with how to perform and perfect the squat I'm going to be talking about and kind of breaking down how to perfect your deadlift form. And so I'm going to give you kind of a step by step guide on how to perfect your form, and also why deadlifts are so important in building the body and booty that you want. So if you've hated doing deadlifts in your weekly workout program, I really believe that after you kind of learn more about it and just kind of how to perfect the form, you're going to have a newfound appreciation for deadlifts. Because deadlifts are one of the best exercises, especially when building your glutes. And we all know, ladies, we want to build those glutes who want to make them juicy. [00:01:33][65.6]
[00:01:34] We want to make them strong. And so tune in to part one again. Today is going to be part one. And then next Monday is going to be part two of this two part series of how to perfect your deadlift form. Before we dive in, though, I want to share this review. It comes from CW or C Woodruff 23. She gave a five star review and said that the motivation that I needed, I cannot express enough how happy I am that I found this podcast. I liked it so much I decided to start from the beginning. Oh my goodness, you are an OG listener. Every episode is so helpful and uplifting. I feel like listening to this is exactly what I need to start off every day, right? Thank you Julie for being so raw and real and so relatable. You gave me hope. Well, I'm so grateful that this podcast is helping you, and also the fact that you went all the way back to the archives to 2020 when we released this podcast, and we are now over 440 episodes in which is so insane to think that we have done 440 episodes. But wow, I am so grateful that you're finding this podcast helpful. And thank you so much for taking time out of your day to not only tune in to the podcast on a daily basis, but also liberating her view. It just really helps so, so much. All right, we are going to dive into how to perfect your deadlift form. First of all, why are deadlifts such a staple in a lower body resistance training program? If you have followed my weekly workouts or you have done any other, you know, resistance training program, you have likely seen deadlifts programed one time, multiple times, and and no matter what program you follow, if it's a good, solid program that is effectively programed, you're going to see deadlifts because they play a key role in building the body and booty that you want. [00:03:14][100.3]
[00:03:14] And let me kind of explain why. So number one deadlifts are compound movement. So simply put compound exercises work several muscle groups at the same time, which means that you're going to burn more calories per exercise, leading to a greater overall calorie expenditure during your workout. But it goes even further. Compound exercises stimulate more muscle growth than you would with isolated exercises, and when you stimulate more muscle growth, you build more muscle tissue, and muscle is a metabolically active tissue. So what does that mean? Well, essentially this means that the more muscle mass that you have, the more calories you will actually burn at rest. So compound movements help you burn more calories during your workout and more calories outside of your workout. Deadlifts. They're just an example. One example of a compound movement. Other examples of compound movements squats, presses, pull up lunges, things like that. In terms of the deadlift, though, it's going to really activate the muscles in your back lats, quads. Depending on the type of deadlift that you're doing glutes, hamstrings, core, forearms in your arms, and other words, this is going to help you to increase your grip strength. So if you've ever struggled with grip strength, especially on the deadlift, it's because it's working your grip strength. And if you haven't, you know, intentionally work that in the past. That's likely why you're struggling with that grip strength, which is pretty cool and pretty impressive that you're working so many muscle groups with one exercise. But this leads me to benefit. Number two. Deadlifts actually strengthen your abs. So since deadlifts are compound exercises, this is also going to subsequently engage your core. So including your rectus abdominis aka your six pack muscles, your obliques, and then also your deeper, deeper stabilizing muscle. [00:04:54][99.4]
[00:04:55] And this is because during your deadlift, your core acts as a stabilizer to maintain proper form and spinal alignment throughout the lift. So this constant engagement results in the activation of your core muscles, giving you an effective core workout even though it doesn't feel like you're doing a core workout. But get this unlike crunches, which primarily just target the superficial abdominal muscles, deadlift actually trains the core in a more functional manner. And what I mean by that is that your core strength will actually translate to the movement that you do in your everyday life, so you're picking your. Kids up from the floor. You're bending down to lift a heavy box at like ab workouts. Those are just superficial exercises, but doing compound exercises, this is going to engage your core so much deeper, which is so, so cool. And also a bonus of this is, you know, when you are strengthen your core, you actually naturally improve your posture and your deadlifts will subsequently improve as well. And this is because you're strengthening the muscles that support proper spinal alignment, right? So the stronger you get in your deadlift, the more you'll actually see that your posture is going to enhance as well. And having good posture not only makes you feel more comfortable, confident, but more importantly, it also reduces the risk of back pain and injury just in your everyday life as you age. This is so, so important. Number three. So I just I touched on this earlier but increased grip strength. So I know you might be thinking I could care less about grip strength, but hear me out. Grip strength is actually directly correlated to a living a longer, healthier life. Which is crazy. There's been studies that have been shown about this, but bear with me for a second. [00:06:30][95.9]
[00:06:31] I kind of want to get nerdy with some science, but it's actually super fascinating. Again, because all of these things are so interconnected. And this is why I'm so passionate about fitness and just exercise in general, because it benefits and correlates and to so many day to day activities. But a study done involving over 2 million participants found a clear association between higher grip strength and lower risk of all cause mortality, regardless of age. So studies have shown correlation between weak grip strength and higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and cognitive decline. Research suggests a link between weak grip strength and accelerated biological aging at the cellular level, potentially impacting overall health and lifespan. Who knew that grip strength and in itself was so important? But also, I think this is just another key indicator that resistance training is so important and so beneficial inside and outside of your life. And then also another perfect example of grip strength is my husband and I. So I am in my third trimester as I record this. When I was moving and this story was in my second trimester, so my belly wasn't as big yet. But I'm still like, you know, dealing with how to, you know, pick up something without my belly getting in the way of things. But we were moving this dining room table. And I'm telling you, I really think that because I've been so proactive in strengthening my grip strength from deadlifts and through other exercises, I was able to successfully, like, lift and move this huge dining room table that, you know, even like 5 or 6 years ago, I think I would have struggled. But the fact that I'm at that time was in my second trimester, pregnant and still able to handle this like a queen. [00:08:13][101.6]
[00:08:13] I was just like, so proud of myself. And I remember Josh specifically saying, man, look at that grip strength. And I was like, yeah, it's directly correlated with deadlifts. And so it's just, you know, it's the day to day life, the day to day things that you're going to interact with that just encourage you to keep going and just remind you how important grip strength is. And just again, obviously the studies have shown it's going to correlate and directly correlates to so many benefits as you age. Number four deadlifts are the best glute workout you can do. And I say I will say this, I will forever be a fan and and just a stand of deadlifts because when it comes to building the glutes that you want, there are very, very few exercises that really rival the effectiveness of deadlifts. And while most people think squats, I I'm going to argue deadlifts. I you know, both obviously are going to be beneficial. But deadlifts just have so many benefits when it comes to strengthening those glutes. Unlike other compound exercises and movements, a deadlifts give you a super comprehensive workout for the entire posterior chain, right? Your posterior chain as just a fancy way of referring to the group of muscles located along the back of your body. So from the neck all the way down to your heels, with a particular emphasis on your glute muscles. And during the lift, your hips are your primary movie movers, right? So they're the ones that are driving the entire movement as you push them back. And as you lower the weight down and then thrust them forward to stand back up upright again. This hip hinge motion places a significant load on your glute muscles, which is why deadlifts are so effective. [00:09:46][92.4]
[00:09:46] And by repeating this movement pattern with dumbbells, you effectively target and strengthen your glutes. And over time, that's where you're going to see the results that you want, especially when you're lifting the proper amount of weight. Depending on you know where you're at and what your goals are lifting, the proper amount of weight is going to be key in order for you to see results. Now that you kind of understand the benefits of deadlifts, and hopefully by now you're at least starting to become a fan of deadlifts, or at least, at the very least, have a slight more appreciation for deadlifts if you despise them in the past. But let's quickly discuss why form is so essential, why while performing a deadlift. So, number one, in proper form, this is going to lead to that. Strain on the lower back, your knees, your hips leading to unwanted injury. And this is why if you have ever gotten to the next day, or even after your workout, or even during your workout, and you're having that strain on that lower back, it's likely due to maybe even some sort of slight inconsistency or improvement that you can make with your movement pattern using proper form. This is going to make sure that the load is evenly distributed throughout your body to avoid any strain. Number two proper form always maximizes the effectiveness of any exercises, and deadlifts is no exception. Here. In proper form, this is going to lead to compensating with the wrong muscles. It's going to lead to your the wrong muscle groups being recruited when they shouldn't be recruited, and when you don't activate the muscles that you are trying to target to the fullest, you're not going to be as effective at growing those muscles. [00:11:19][92.3]
[00:11:19] Hence why proper form makes the exercise more effective. And lastly, number three, it allows for progressive overload. So mastering proper form is crucial for being able to increase your weight and overall volume with the exercise. And without proper form, it's going to be super hard to lift heavier over time because as you're going throughout the movement, if you have improper form, you're likely going to just increase your risk of injuries as well as you not being able to actually build the muscle effectively and build your strength. So now that you kind of understand why deadlifts are so important, again, hopefully I'm slowly increasing your appreciation for them. Let me explain the most important cues that you need to follow when deadlifting. No matter what style deadlift you're performing. Number one, do not round your back and keep a neutral spine surrounding your back, especially in the lower back. Your lumbar spine puts intense strain on your spinal discs, ligaments, and muscles. These are all things that you don't want to mess with, and it can lead to several potential consequences. Number one, the pressure can cause the soft inner core of your spinal disc to bulge or tear, which can lead to pain, nerve damage, or potential long term issues. Number two, rounding can actually narrow the space in the spinal canal, which compresses the spinal cord and nerves, causing pain, numbness, or weakness. And lastly, number three, the excess strain on the back muscles that can lead to painful tears and imbalances. So to prevent this from happening, you again want to keep that neutral spine throughout the entire exercise. So start the exercise with your back straight and tall. And then when you go into the deadlift, think of this as you're only allowed to move at your hips and you're not allowed to move at your back at all. [00:13:04][104.7]
[00:13:04] Like the deadlift, motion comes from pushing your hips back and hinging at the hips instead of rolling your shoulders forward and rounding your back. And this is where engaging your core comes into play with this movement. I like to think of it as, you know, puffing my chest out through the entire lift. If I can keep my chest out, there's no way that I'm going to round my back. And if at the bottom of the lift you start to round your back, that means that you've lowered too far. So that means that your range of motion is too far down, only lower to the point where you can keep your back straight. So once you've reached that point, it's time to lift back up again. Number two, hinge at your hips. So like I talked about in number one, again, to expand on what I mentioned, the hip hinging is the primary movement in the deadlift. So when you initiate the deadlift movement with your hips, you're essentially setting the stage for the optimal biomechanics and muscle engagement for the entire exercise. So without the correct hip hinge movement, you're not going to reap the benefits of all of the multiple benefits that that deadlifts have, especially in building your glutes and hamstrings. Imagine pushing your hips further while maintaining a flat back and then engaged core. This will naturally cause your torso to hinge forward at the hips. So as you push your hips back, you'll notice a small shift in your center of gravity. Because by moving your hips backward, you're actually moving the weight of your body closer to your heels. And this is going to create a slight backward lean. This shift in weight distribution not only activates the muscles of the posterior chain, but also enhances stability and balance throughout the entire lift. [00:14:44][99.2]
[00:14:44] Here's kind of a silly analogy that will maybe help you understand the hip hinging motion a little bit better, but picture yourself standing in front of a door with the doorknob positioned at hip height. Okay? Instead of reaching forward with your hand to grab the doorknob, you instinctively push your hips back, causing the door to swing shut behind you. This action shifts your weight backwards, loading the muscles of the posterior chain, which we learned, you know, this term earlier in the episode. But this essentially means that this movement is specifically targeting the glutes and hamstrings and lower back in preparation for the lift. So think about literally your hips are shutting that door behind you now. Number three, engage your core. So I talked about this a lot. I know it's easier said than done. How do you actually engage your core? So to understand this we really need to understand what our core actually is. It's not just the six pack muscles or abs you know, that we think about or when we hear the term core or abs, it also includes those deeper muscles such as the transverse abdominals, the obliques, and all of those make up your pelvic floor muscles. So when you hear pelvic floor exercises, that's just essentially referring to your deepest core muscles. You can think of your core as a muscular core set, giving the support that you need to perform the exercise safely. So here's how you kind of embrace your core. It's much more about bracing than crunching. So instead of actively flexing the spine forward like a crunch, the goal is to create a stable, rigid core by contracting the muscles around the abdominal and lower back. So like I said, your core also includes your pelvic floor. [00:16:24][100.1]
[00:16:25] So you also need to think about activating your pelvic floor. And this might sound strange, but hear me out. So when you engage the muscles of your pelvic floor, you can do that by imagining that you are stopping the flow of urine midstream and preventing passing gas. Seriously, like this is one of the best ways that you can activate those muscles. So when you think about like you're you're in mid P, you're stopping that midstream and you're or you're about to pass gas, you're going to stop that. Like that motion that you have when you actually think about that, that is you activating your pelvic floor. And another key part of engaging your core is also breathing. So making sure that on the way down in the deadlift, you are breathing in and on the way out, you're breathing on the way up, your breathing out. So on the way down, you're breathing in, and on the way up you're breathing out. So by exhaling on the hardest part of lift that will naturally engage your core. I know that was a lot, and I know that this is going to be an episode that will be super helpful. If you kind of listen to this, as you have dumbbells in your hand, and as you are actively trying to look at all of those cues in the mirror and also listen to them as I talk through them. So feel free to like, go rewind, get grab a pair of dumbbells, get yourself in a mirror, and listen to this over and over again. I will tell you that practice makes perfect. Just like anything in life, the more you practice it, the more comfortable you're going to get. But this is kind of where we're going to wrap up part one and stay tuned for part two, because in part two I'm going to talk about all the different types of deadlift. [00:18:05][100.0]
[00:18:05] So if you are an active subscriber in the app, you'll likely see that we program deadlifts every single week multiple times a week. Honestly, because deadlifts are such a great compound exercise. But you might have wondered, like, okay, why Romanian deadlift? Or what's the difference between Romanian deadlifts and sumo deadlift, or stiff leg deadlift, or single leg deadlift, or be sans deadlift? There's so many different deadlift variations that I program, and so in part two, I'm going to be kind of walking you through each of those to kind of help you understand those a little bit better. But the benefits of deadlift and just kind of recap what I talked about today. It's a compound exercise, working a bunch of large muscle groups. And this helps to build more muscle mass and burn more calories during your workout, as well as at rest. Deadlifts are also an amazing exercise to strengthen the core. You can honestly, so many people if you actually look at some of the stronger women just in lifting and just in this kind of space, a lot of them will say, you know, maybe they intentionally work their core once a week, but they're doing enough compound exercises where they're naturally strengthening their core. So just remember that deadlifts are an amazing exercise at strengthening your core. Number three deadlifts increase your grip strength, which weirdly enough, grip strength is related to greater longevity and also just overall day to day life stuff like moving. Like my example of me moving the dining room table and how I impress my husband with my grip strain. And lastly, number four. Deadlifts are the best exercise you can do for your glutes, as it's a compound movement that focuses on the entire posterior chain with a huge emphasis on glutes due to the hinging motion. [00:19:42][96.7]
[00:19:43] And then we went into three big form tips when it comes to deadlifts. So number one, don't round your back and keep a neutral spine. Number two hinge at your hips. So think about your hips are literally shutting that door behind you. And number three engaging your core again. If you want to learn more about deadlifts, tune in to part two. But also if you are wanting to ensure that you're doing deadlifts and other compound exercises for maximum results on a week to week basis, I have a program for you. If you're tired of doing workouts that are random and you're not seeing the results that you're looking for, I have a movement with Julie program. It's called the Weekly Workout Program. Inside the app, it's dumbbell only workouts every single week I program. I brand new workout. So we have lower body, upper body, cardio and core, shoulders and glutes, full body. You can do all five. You can do one of them. You can do three of them. But 60 and 30 minute variations for every single workout. So based on your time constraints, you can be sure to get your workout in. And then I will tell you that if you even at the very least, are doing three workouts a week, so you're doing lower body, upper body. And if you really want emphasis on strengthening your glutes, I would encourage you that third or that third workout that you're doing would be shoulders and glutes. But if you want to focus on more of a well-rounded program that you could do your third exercise or third workout as full body. So your schedule will look like this Monday would be lower body, Wednesday would be upper body, Friday would be either shoulders and glutes or full body. [00:21:16][93.5]
[00:21:17] But if you are doing those three workouts, even the 30 minute workouts combined with properly nourishing your body aka fueling your body through utilizing the 12 macro counting, you are setting yourself up for the ultimate success. I have programs for both of those things. I will link both of those the movement with Julie app. So if you join as a new subscriber, you get 50% off your first month. So sail Sally moon with julie.com. And then if you want to join the Macro County meet Simple Online Academy, learn how to properly fuel your body because that is a huge puzzle piece in this journey as you properly fueling your body. Macro counting made simple.com. Again, I will link both of those in the show notes below. Also. In the meantime, while you're waiting for part two of the Dead Lift series, I, like I mentioned, I did a whole episode kind of breaking down and how to perfect Your squat, and that is episode 415, so I'll be sure to link that in the show notes so that you can easily go tune in to that, as well as check out all of those programs that I mentioned. But that is all that I have for today's episode. I hope that this was helpful for you. Stay tuned for part two, as we'll be walking through the different variations of deadlifts, as well as what they're used for and what their main purposes are. I love you so much. I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next one. [00:22:42][85.4][1327.0]
[00:22:42] All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter. Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace it real because you're worth it. [00:40:39]