Another Anti-Deadlift Screed

[Al Doggity]

In the past, I've posted threads detailing why I think the deadlift is a crap exercise. Among many other reasons I believe this are the fact that deadlift strength is rarely indicative of strength on other back or leg exercises, one can regularly do deadlifts and develop a rather sizable lift without any changes to their physique and there are multiple examples of old people picking up deading in their senior years and putting up decent numbers. These things don't apply to any other power movements. In previous threads, I've provided multiple examples via video and news articles supporting this claim, but many have called me an idiot beCUZ "posterior chainz!!1!" I was very detailed about the reasons I thought it wasn't a useful bodybuilding exercise, but the people who disagreed with me and bashed me never really gave a specific reason as to why they thought the deadlift was so great. Several people agreed that it wasn't great at building mass or strength for any particular body part, but despite that,  it was the king of exercises for a reason (that they did not bother to explain).  


So, here's a little anecdote that highlights why I think the deadlift is so overrated. During the new year's rush, this skinny kid joins my gym. He comes in 3 times a week and basically does 45 min on bench, 45 on curls. He mixes it up a little- some flyes here and there, whatever- and he's not doing any crazy poundages, just doing this same routine consistently enough for me to notice. For the past 2-3 months, I've been using the health club in our building, but I decided to stop by the other gym because the apartment gym was crowded on account of the holiday. The skinny kid was there and he looks drastically different than he did six months ago. If he gained any weight, it couldn't have been more than 15lbs, but his entire upper body had changed. Ofc, anyone who works out consistently should improve their physique and beginners have an advantage when it comes to gains, but the point I'm making here is that he basically just does those two exercises and transformed his body. If you look on youtube, there are a ton of however many day pushup transformations, pullup transformations, dips, bicep curls, etc.

I have not been able to find any deadlift transformation videos, but I'd like to ask this question of people who are believers in the deadlift:
Do you believe it would be possible for someone in average shape to make dramatic improvements to their physique with a deadlift-centric routine? Have you ever heard of anyone developing a decent physique exclusively or even primarily with deadlifts?

[Van_Bilderass]

It's not the best or worst exercise, it all depends on how you're built. For some it can be wonderful and effective. It does recruit a bunch of muscles, duh, and if those muscles have potential to hypertrophy in your case the deadlift is going to be effective.

My routine has been deadlift centric for years and my physique looks like shit but it would be even worse without deads. It's fun as hell to pull hard.

It does make you look stronger, gives a powerful look with big traps, neck and upper back and forearms if the genetics are there. You don't get the same from pullups for example.

[dan18]

In the past, I've posted threads detailing why I think the deadlift is a crap exercise. Among many other reasons I believe this are the fact that deadlift strength is rarely indicative of strength on other back or leg exercises, one can regularly do deadlifts and develop a rather sizable lift without any changes to their physique and there are multiple examples of old people picking up deading in their senior years and putting up decent numbers. These things don't apply to any other power movements. In previous threads, I've provided multiple examples via video and news articles supporting this claim, but many have called me an idiot beCUZ "posterior chainz!!1!" I was very detailed about the reasons I thought it wasn't a useful bodybuilding exercise, but the people who disagreed with me and bashed me never really gave a specific reason as to why they thought the deadlift was so great. Several people agreed that it wasn't great at building mass or strength for any particular body part, but despite that,  it was the king of exercises for a reason (that they did not bother to explain).  


So, here's a little anecdote that highlights why I think the deadlift is so overrated. During the new year's rush, this skinny kid joins my gym. He comes in 3 times a week and basically does 45 min on bench, 45 on curls. He mixes it up a little- some flyes here and there, whatever- and he's not doing any crazy poundages, just doing this same routine consistently enough for me to notice. For the past 2-3 months, I've been using the health club in our building, but I decided to stop by the other gym because the apartment gym was crowded on account of the holiday. The skinny kid was there and he looks drastically different than he did six months ago. If he gained any weight, it couldn't have been more than 15lbs, but his entire upper body had changed. Ofc, anyone who works out consistently should improve their physique and beginners have an advantage when it comes to gains, but the point I'm making here is that he basically just does those two exercises and transformed his body. If you look on youtube, there are a ton of however many day pushup transformations, pullup transformations, dips, bicep curls, etc.

I have not been able to find any deadlift transformation videos, but I'd like to ask this question of people who are believers in the deadlift:
Do you believe it would be possible for someone in average shape to make dramatic improvements to their physique with a deadlift-centric routine? Have you ever heard of anyone developing a decent physique exclusively or even primarily with deadlifts?

we have a training board for this shit

[NaturalWonder83]

You should be able to pick a heavy object off the floor without hurting yourself
But I can't stand sumo deadlift
Everyone who sumos thinks they're hot shit and are arrogant
Except chaos he's fine if he sumos

[ratherbebig]

the possible good things with it doesnt outweight the risk of injury.

also its annoying with people deadlifting.

you wanna pick something up, pick up an atlas stone like those strong men dudes.

[Nether Animal]

I don't deadlift, squat or barbell bench.

[Grape Ape]

I deadlift regularly

[Henda]

Deadlift is one of the best excercises you can do to keep your back injury free, like every single exercise the deadlift can be dangerous when performed with more weight than the lifter can safely handle, lift sensibly and you have to be very unlucky to injure yourself

[dj181]

gayson blahahahahhaha loves deads

[Van_Bilderass]

Deadlift is one of the best excercises you can do to keep your back injury free, like every single exercise the deadlift can be dangerous when performed with more weight than the lifter can safely handle, lift sensibly and you have to be very unlucky to injure yourself

This is true, it's one of the best exercises for injury prevention.

[Al Doggity]

It's not the best or worst exercise, it all depends on how you're built. For some it can be wonderful and effective. It does recruit a bunch of muscles, duh, and if those muscles have potential to hypertrophy in your case the deadlift is going to be effective.

My routine has been deadlift centric for years and my physique looks like shit but it would be even worse without deads. It's fun as hell to pull hard.

As for it not being the best or worse exercise, the reason I posited this subject is because deadlifts are often referred to as "essential" and "the king of all exercises". I don't think either is true is true. The part I do agree with you is that it is fun and a huge ego boost to just keep adding plate after plate to your dead. I've gone into this in detail before and I'll spare y'all for now, but I think deadlifting is a lot about practice. My theory is that because it recruits SO MANY muscles, you can sort of compensate with different muscles along the way. Say, if you've got a weaker back but stronger legs then when the work load gets too tough for your back, your legs kick in and kind of cut how much you recruit your back. (In light of this highly technical description, it might surprise you to learn that I am not a physiologist.   )

[Al Doggity]

Deadlift is one of the best excercises you can do to keep your back injury free, like every single exercise the deadlift can be dangerous when performed with more weight than the lifter can safely handle, lift sensibly and you have to be very unlucky to injure yourself

Totally agree. In fact, in previous threads, this is the one major advantage that I agree the deadlift has and the main reason I haven't cut them out completely.  When I was at the height of my deadlift phase, I had a slight back injury and on back day I said  I'll start with super light deads and just see how it feels. I ended up hitting my regular numbers and my back felt great after the workout.

I stayed away from deads for a long time for fear of injury and for anyone doing the same, here is some great advice I received on form:
JUST MAKE SURE YOUR BACK NEVER BENDS MORE THAN 45 DEGREES. Once your back is in that position, your knees should be doing the bending. It takes a little bit of practice, but once you get the movement down, it's like riding a bike and you have no fear of injury.

[Henda]

Totally agree. In fact, in previous threads, this is the one major advantage that I agree the deadlift has and the main reason I haven't cut them out completely.  When I was at the height of my deadlift phase, I had a slight back injury and on back day I said  I'll start with super light deads and just see how it feels. I ended up hitting my regular numbers and my back felt great after the workout.

I stayed away from deads for a long time for fear of injury and for anyone doing the same, here is some great advice I received on form:
JUST MAKE SURE YOUR BACK NEVER BENDS MORE THAN 45 DEGREES. Once your back is in that position, your knees should be doing the bending. It takes a little bit of practice, but once you get the movement down, it's like riding a bike and you have no fear of injury.

I don't know if it's part mental but after more than a few weeks of no deadlifts I get niggly back pains and it feels like my back becomes easily injured from little things, have worked heavy physical jobs since leaving school and I credit the deadlift as the reason I have none of the aches that lads I work with are plagued with.

As a pure bodybuilding excercise all I really get out of it is forearm, trap and lower back development, the do little for the rest of my back or hamstrings both of which I had to work separately to bring up. But I guess it's purely individual

[ratherbebig]

1. no its not like every other exercise. some are more dangerous than others. if you dont know this, then what do you know?

2. funny how so many people deadlifted to keep their back healthy and ended up injuring it 

[Howard]

gayson blahahahahhaha loves deads

Last time he was walking by the morgue :

" Let's go in and grab a couple of cold ones."

[Howard]

1. no its not like every other exercise. some are more dangerous than others. if you dont know this, then what do you know?

2. funny how so many people deadlifted to keep their back healthy and ended up injuring it 

1. Deadlifts stunt your growth
2. Coach always did deadlifts
3. Do the math

[DanM]

It really does depend on your build and leverages just like with any other exercise, some will get a lot out it and others not so much.

[DarthSidious]

Al, I don't think pulls outright suck, but for back development, I opine that rack reads are vastly superior.  I do think they are better suited for sets of 4-6, maybe even 7ish, than the singles and triples that Alpha Destiny kid does, but OTOH, he has a wicked back.  Maybe he's on to somethin' -- I dunno.  Mike Francois also liked working up to singles, though of course:  a, he was taking 93 octane; b, very genetically gifted; and c, pulled from the floor.

[Julio Ceasar]

"u need to add deadlift to add thickness to your back"...I haven't seen flex Haney Phil Shawn bonac haney doing heavy deadlift though...some people have genetics for dense thick muscles and some don't...thats my conclusion...

[oldtimer1]

In the past, I've posted threads detailing why I think the deadlift is a crap exercise. Among many other reasons I believe this are the fact that deadlift strength is rarely indicative of strength on other back or leg exercises, one can regularly do deadlifts and develop a rather sizable lift without any changes to their physique and there are multiple examples of old people picking up deading in their senior years and putting up decent numbers. These things don't apply to any other power movements. In previous threads, I've provided multiple examples via video and news articles supporting this claim, but many have called me an idiot beCUZ "posterior chainz!!1!" I was very detailed about the reasons I thought it wasn't a useful bodybuilding exercise, but the people who disagreed with me and bashed me never really gave a specific reason as to why they thought the deadlift was so great. Several people agreed that it wasn't great at building mass or strength for any particular body part, but despite that,  it was the king of exercises for a reason (that they did not bother to explain).  


So, here's a little anecdote that highlights why I think the deadlift is so overrated. During the new year's rush, this skinny kid joins my gym. He comes in 3 times a week and basically does 45 min on bench, 45 on curls. He mixes it up a little- some flyes here and there, whatever- and he's not doing any crazy poundages, just doing this same routine consistently enough for me to notice. For the past 2-3 months, I've been using the health club in our building, but I decided to stop by the other gym because the apartment gym was crowded on account of the holiday. The skinny kid was there and he looks drastically different than he did six months ago. If he gained any weight, it couldn't have been more than 15lbs, but his entire upper body had changed. Ofc, anyone who works out consistently should improve their physique and beginners have an advantage when it comes to gains, but the point I'm making here is that he basically just does those two exercises and transformed his body. If you look on youtube, there are a ton of however many day pushup transformations, pullup transformations, dips, bicep curls, etc.

I have not been able to find any deadlift transformation videos, but I'd like to ask this question of people who are believers in the deadlift:
Do you believe it would be possible for someone in average shape to make dramatic improvements to their physique with a deadlift-centric routine? Have you ever heard of anyone developing a decent physique exclusively or even primarily with deadlifts?

So in a nutshell you're saying you can't deadlift a decent weight so you have to put down staple exercise to protect your ego?

[OLKE_TEXAS]

[Tennisballz]

If you don't like deadlifting then don't do it.  Deadlifting isn't going to make or break your athletic endeavors unless powerlifting is your sport.  It is a good strength builder but if you have a good general strength training program it's not needed.  Just my opinion.  

[FREAKgeek]

I kind of agree with you, it is probably more suitable for neurological adaptation. And many train it heavy, as you say, ego or powerlifting.

You will probably never visually notice "myofibrillar" hypertrophy in the spinal erectors, forearms, and hamstrings.

[Al Doggity]

So in a nutshell you're saying you can't deadlift a decent weight so you have to put down staple exercise to protect your ego?

Why do you consider it a staple? Do you think someone can drastically improve their physique mainly doing deadlifts?

[Van_Bilderass]

As for it not being the best or worse exercise, the reason I posited this subject is because deadlifts are often referred to as "essential" and "the king of all exercises". I don't think either is true

Squats is another exercise that's been called essential and a must for leg development. But it just doesn't suit some lifters, often the tall ones. There is no single best exercise and no single exercise is a must. I know Coach on here doesn't like deads too much despite being "hardcore" and believing in the other powerlifts. He does them only on the trap bar I think, but that makes it more like a squat imo.

One exercise I love doing heavy is good mornings. This one most hate, think it will injure them. I do them seated, standing, stiff legs, bent legs, everything. Poundages vary depending on height but for example I went up to 440lbs last week bending to parallel. Could be up to 600lbs for a shorter range. If I see someone else doing them it's usually 135lbs max