Why should I still do deadlifts?

[Big A]

I don’t compete, I’m not a strength athlete or any athlete at all anymore.

Can anyone tell me why I should still be doing deadlifts?

The satisfaction that you feel afterwards for moving a mountain around.

 

[tokon]

I think it’s a personality thing.

are you driven by results and looking the best? Are are you driven by going to war with yourself and the gym?

I love deadlifts. Do i expect better back hypertrophy From it? No…other than maybe traps.

I do it because it’s primal, and a feat of strength. The place I have to go in my mind to touch and go 405x10….or the grit needed to do a 5x10 boring but big workout.

builds character lol.

but for hypertrophy, go with RDLs, rack pulls or block pulls.

and yes, if you cut out deadlifts, your system can handle more volume other places. Deadlifts just steal your soul

hahaha, great post!

 

[lookslikesausage]

when i was young and healthy and full of piss and vinegar i once did a workout of 10x10 of conventional deadlifts from the floor (obviously) with 225. I can't be totally sure but i think it was 1 minute of rest (but maybe less) in between sets and not a second more. My back was sore as shit the next day and for a few days after. Not just my lower back.

 

[benchmstr]

I’m laying in bed right now with a tens unit blasting the shit out of my left lumbar and glute…deadlifts got me!

inreally shouldn’t say that..yesterday I let what was supposed to be my 1rep max go to 4 reps and my form went to shit..like bad lol

I felt the muscle or tendon or whatever slip..didn’t hurt yesterday but today? Goddamn

gonna take today off and hopefully get back after it tomorrow…but, that might have been my last warning sign on conventional deadlifts.

sticking to stiff leg/Romanian and rack pulls from now on

 

[FrancisK]

Found out over the weekend I have an umbilical hernia, no more deadlifts that's enough.....even considering dropping squats which hurts my soul. Anyone know if lunges are just as bad as squats in regards to injury risk and things of that nature?

Thanks for the reply everyone I appreciate all the input a lot!

 

[0893]

Found out over the weekend I have an umbilical hernia, no more deadlifts that's enough.....even considering dropping squats which hurts my soul. Anyone know if lunges are just as bad as squats in regards to injury risk and things of that nature?

Thanks for the reply everyone I appreciate all the input a lot!

You cant really use much weight with lunges(if done properly) so I am sure they are safer than BB squats.

does your gym have a sissy squat? in my opinion its one of the most underrated exercises for quads, for some reason most guys don't even bother to do them. Do 20 slow reps, even with just bodyweight and you will have one of the most painful(in a good way) quad pumps you have ever had. Do 3-4 sets of this with minimum rest and you will barely be able to walk. All with zero stress on the lower back.

 

[Type-IIx]

Found out over the weekend I have an umbilical hernia, no more deadlifts that's enough.....even considering dropping squats which hurts my soul. Anyone know if lunges are just as bad as squats in regards to injury risk and things of that nature?

Thanks for the reply everyone I appreciate all the input a lot!

There is a lot you can do to vary lighter weights with single-leg stuff. Supported single leg squats (Hatfield did these), bulgarian split squats. It sucks right now, but there is shit you can do to keep building muscle with light weights other than deads and squats.

 

[Creation]

I don’t compete, I’m not a strength athlete or any athlete at all anymore. They don’t do anything for my hams/glutes, lunges for me hit those 10x harder. So is it for my lower back? Does my lower back need such a pounding exercise? Is it for natural every day strength?

I’ve been really lucky that 37 years on this earth I’ve never had a real injury due to working out. But a couple years ago I was doing my heavy deads, nothing crazy 6 full strong effort reps, and I felt that “tweak”….I’m sure I don’t need to explain that you guys. I stopped deads for a while and went back to it when I felt confident enough using less weight and variations, extreme wide grip is my go to with the low weight and it hits my lower back well.

But still every time I do them, like just today, I feel like I’m just tempting fate worried if that is the day where it bites me.

Can anyone tell me why I should still be doing deadlifts? There has to be something I’m missing as to why this is an essential exercise….

I quit doing deadlifts a long time ago....I do however do RDLs, IMO if you arent an athlete that requires a strong DL the RDL is a better choice.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Found out over the weekend I have an umbilical hernia, no more deadlifts that's enough.....even considering dropping squats which hurts my soul. Anyone know if lunges are just as bad as squats in regards to injury risk and things of that nature?

Thanks for the reply everyone I appreciate all the input a lot!

Dumbbells and hold them at your sides. Don't use heavy DBs. do a lot of reps. I like Walking Lunges w/DBs (20 steps per leg) and then immediately do a Deep Squat (hams touch calves, 20 reps is nice) while continuing to hold the DBs at your side. Use heel inserts, OLY shoes, or at least stand on a ramp or slant for the Deep DB Squats. I find this type of training nice and gentle for the low back but still quite stimulating for the quads but again, you must elevate the heels and squat deep with an upright torso otherwise you will possibly irritate your low back & will not hit your quads as hard as you could've.

 

[FrancisK]

Dumbbells and hold them at your sides. Don't use heavy DBs. do a lot of reps. I like Walking Lunges w/DBs (20 steps per leg) and then immediately do a Deep Squat (hams touch calves, 20 reps is nice) while continuing to hold the DBs at your side. Use heel inserts, OLY shoes, or at least stand on a ramp or slant for the Deep DB Squats. I find this type of training nice and gentle for the low back but still quite stimulating for the quads but again, you must elevate the heels and squat deep with an upright torso otherwise you will possible irritate your low back & will not hit your quads as hard as you could.

I usually do walking lunges with a bar across my shoulders, I’ll give that one a shot thank you….

 

[benchmstr]

This thread got me thinking..while I don’t do conventional deadlifts often I do one arm deadlifts several times a week for stability.

I learned them at westside as a assistance/ab movement.

I have never seen anyone else do them besides the guys I learned them from and the mirror.

Any of y’all do them..it’s kinda like a one armed farmers walk setup..bar to your side on the floor and just deadlift it..do 10 and switch sides

 

[xpoc]

I program DL's on my PULL day. PULL A is RDL's. PULL B is Rack RDL's. No more deads off the floor.

 

[Flex500]

I did deads yesterday and while I have downsized and have been out of the "hardcore" life I just find them indispensable. I don't do any super heavy, off the floor deads though. I actually find very large deficit to be the best. Far, far less weight needs to be used and for general hypertrophy it just seems to me the added ROM is beneficial. Also, snatch grip deads off a 2-4 inch deficit is incredible. 225 will be hard as shit and great ROM.

I was actually impressed pulling 405 for two sets of 10 reps off a 6 inch deficit

The days of trying to load 600+ pounds and straining off the floor are over yet I think variations of the DL can provide a proper stimulus with low risk of injury.

 

[benchmstr]

So, it’s been several days and my back feels better..quads are killing me from walking everywhere hunched over(nerve pain) and my hips hurt.

I don’t know how many times I’ve done this to my self with deadlifts before I swore them off

 

[GaJoe]

I rarely do them but have exchanged them with other similar exercises. RDL's for hamstrings or rack pulls are the closest thing I do to barbell deadlifts for the reason that I feel other exercises are more beneficial in building muscle based on MY composition. I do use dumbbells or even seated dumbbell deadlifts and they feel fantastic on my back. I question how much back muscle range goes in to a barbell dl. My legs want to do the work. If you're using more lower body then that answers the question. That being said when I do them and I'm not just trying to move heavy stuff then I'll keep the reps higher, 12-15 and that's when I really feel my back the most. It's hard for me to not chase old numbers and to be wise I will usually avoid them.