Another Anti-Deadlift Screed

[Chadwick The Beta]

Not deadlifting is what leads to the AIDS

Because not deadlifting is pure phaggotry

[denarii]

the bigger the weight the bigger chance you have to really fuck yourself up. and deads and squats are probably the main two heavy exercises.

[rocket]

I fear the warmups and ramp ups more than the big lifts.

They are the ones where my concentration and respect for the weight are lower.

Deadlift is an important powerlifting exercise.

Deadlift is not an important bodybuilding exercise.

I don't think I'd do them if I were a bodybuilder.  In fact, it'd be a glorious thing to not have to do them because they are easily the most stressful on your body exercise. 

We all know why they are the "king":

They are hard.  Many people loathe them.  There are days when you pulled 5 or six plates last week and you come to the bar and 4 plates feels like such a c.unt.  I've never had any exercise that really requires as much focus as deadlift.

[ratherbebig]

exactly

how you gonna talk with your buddies, checking out the chicks or watching your phone if you need to focus on the deadlift 

dont know what they were thinking inventing that exercise

[Al Doggity]

I don't think I'd do them if I were a bodybuilder.  In fact, it'd be a glorious thing to not have to do them because they are easily the most stressful on your body exercise. 

We all know why they are the "king":

They are hard.  Many people loathe them.  There are days when you pulled 5 or six plates last week and you come to the bar and 4 plates feels like such a c.unt.  I've never had any exercise that really requires as much focus as deadlift.

This is exactly one of the points I am trying to make. Considering how hard they "feel", what you get in return is negligible. When you build strength on deadlift, that's pretty much the only exercise you build strength on. You don't improve your barbell rows or lat pulls, you don't improve your squats or leg extensions. That limited benefit applies to almost no other exercise. When your pullup max goes up, you see an increase in how much/how many barbell rows you can do. Your squat numbers improving means you can do more leg extensions or leg presses.

(Gotta say, I think these threads are making progress as people are finally admitting it's not a bodybuilding exercise. In previous threads, contributors were adamant that it was the premiere bodybuilding exercise.)

[Van_Bilderass]

This is exactly one of the points I am trying to make. Considering how hard they "feel", what you get in return is negligible. When you build strength on deadlift, that's pretty much the only exercise you build strength on. You don't improve your barbell rows or lat pulls, you don't improve your squats or leg extensions. That limited benefit applies to almost no other exercise. When your pullup max goes up, you see an increase in how much/how many barbell rows you can do. Your squat numbers improving means you can do more leg extensions or leg presses.

(Gotta say, I think these threads are making progress as people are finally admitting it's not a bodybuilding exercise. In previous threads, contributors were adamant that it was the premiere bodybuilding exercise.)

I get carryover strength gains from deads. I notice it on rows. I notice it on squats - I can do zero squats or any other lower body movement, except deads, for a year and my squat will still be 500lbs if I tested it. No way would that be the case if I didn't even deadlift and did only upper body movements. If I get stronger on deads squats will also improve (and vice versa). I notice rowing or pulling exercise performance doesn't seem to suffer if I do deads first in a back routine, the opposite is the case... I believe deads prime the CNS somehow.

Many people can't squat well due to a weak lower back, many have the lower back excuse for not squatting at all. maybe they could if they did some deads.

[ProudVirgin69]

I get carryover strength gains from deads. I notice it on rows. I notice it on squats - I can do zero squats or any other lower body movement, except deads, for a year and my squat will still be 500lbs if I tested it. No way would that be the case if I didn't even deadlift and did only upper body movements. If I get stronger on deads squats will also improve (and vice versa). I notice rowing or pulling exercise performance doesn't seem to suffer if I do deads first in a back routine, the opposite is the case... I believe deads prime the CNS somehow.

Many people can't squat well due to a weak lower back, many have the lower back excuse for not squatting at all. maybe they could if they did some deads.

Counterpoint - Westside Barbell would squat twice a week and deadlift 1-2x a month, relying on their squatting to develop the strength for their deadlifting

[DanM]

westside would squat much more than they did deadlifts because in equipped powerlifting they stand to get much more of their total from the equipped squat and even the equipped bench press than they did the deadlift as deads don't improve drastically due to suits

[FREAKgeek]

This is exactly one of the points I am trying to make. Considering how hard they "feel", what you get in return is negligible. When you build strength on deadlift, that's pretty much the only exercise you build strength on.

your shrugs will improve, the farmer's walk will improve, overall gripping ability will improve, any type of picking up from floor will improve. . Your barbell calve raises will improve (stability). Your ability to shovel snow and dirt will improve. Dumb genetics.

Your squat numbers improving means you can do more leg extensions or leg presses.

Totally disagree. I can easily spend 6 weeks improving the leg press, then go back to the squat only to find it's down, and vice versa. Leg extensions, if you don't do them you will will never be at your best with them.

[Thong Maniac]

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?

Al, I wish it didn't take me 15 years of being in the gym to figure this out. Unless genetic elite, doing the one BP per day for a natural will seriously depress or retard your gains. Why I wasted so much time with forearm work, calve work, bicep work etc, I can only thank the magazines. What a waste

As a little experiment, I decided to only work out the groups that I felt benefited the look I wanted the most, so for the last 5 months it's been chest, and delts and some back if I feel like It. Just one or two exercises per day of chest and Delts. After month 4, I had brand new chest stretch marks that I hadn't received since I was in year one-two of lifting. So I know these gains are new. Overall I look much more muscular than I did. My arms haven't lost anything (no direct arm work in 5 months), and I'm having more fun just lifting the BP I want to. No longer a slave to splits and theories.

I do wish I could dead lift though, but I never see big muscly dudes doing deads.

[Grape Ape]

your shrugs will improve, the farmer's walk will improve, overall gripping ability will improve, any type of picking up from floor will improve. . Your barbell calve raises will improve (stability). Your ability to shovel snow and dirt will improve.

Also can run faster and jump higher.

Entire posterior chain gets stronger.

[BBSSchlemiel]

I shitcanned regular deadlifts long ago. Trap bar deadlifts and bar and dumbbell RDL's have been far better for my muscles, neck, and back. We'll see where violently slamming weights to the floor has many buffoons wind up. By the way, despite his 800 pound deadlifts, Ronnie used dangerous or shit form on them and barbell rows.

[Grape Ape]

I shitcanned regular deadlifts long ago. Trap bar deadlifts and bar and dumbbell RDL's have been far better for my muscles, neck, and back. We'll see where violently slamming weights to the floor has many buffoons wind up. By the way, despite his 800 pound deadlifts, Ronnie used dangerous or shit form on them and barbell rows.

I use the hex/trap bar exclusively at this point.

I'm not anti-regular deadlift, but at this point, the trap bar is best for me.

[dj181]

according to Micheal J. Mentzer deals are the best ex in existence

AJ said that you can get all the potential benefit from deads and squats by not using more than 4 bills for high reps ie. 15-20

[Hulkotron]

TL
DR
FO

[Marty Champions]

according to Micheal J. Mentzer deals are the best ex in existence

AJ said that you can get all the potential benefit from deads and squats by not using more than 4 bills for high reps ie. 15-20

i wouldnt use more than 150 pounds just do high reps

[dj181]

i wouldnt use more than 150 pounds just do high reps

that's what AJ said,  but he said that it wasn't necessary to use more than 3-400 pounds, unless you were a powerlifter

[_bruce_]

If you're not going too heavy with good form they seem pretty helpful in strengthening the whole system.

[Tennisballz]

Also can run faster and jump higher.

Entire posterior chain gets stronger.

The problem with this though, is you could argue that many exercises will make you run faster and jump higher.  Athletic abilities are highly genetic in my opinion and there are many ways to get a guy up to his potential.  While deadlifts may help someone get stronger, I don't feel they are necessary.

[residue]

I fear the warmups and ramp ups more than the big lifts.

They are the ones where my concentration and respect for the weight are lower.

Deadlift is an important powerlifting exercise.

Deadlift is not an important bodybuilding exercise.

I don't think I'd do them if I were a bodybuilder.  In fact, it'd be a glorious thing to not have to do them because they are easily the most stressful on your body exercise. 

We all know why they are the "king":

They are hard.  Many people loathe them.  There are days when you pulled 5 or six plates last week and you come to the bar and 4 plates feels like such a c.unt.  I've never had any exercise that really requires as much focus as deadlift.

nothing to do with deadlifts thought and everything to do with programing, food and sleep

[residue]

Also can run faster and jump higher.

Entire posterior chain gets stronger.

not really, you'd be hard pressed to find any athletic program college to pro that includes deadlifting often

[Van_Bilderass]

Counterpoint - Westside Barbell would squat twice a week and deadlift 1-2x a month, relying on their squatting to develop the strength for their deadlifting

Yeah I re-read this article recently: https://www.westside-barbell.com/blogs/news/don-t-deadlift

They do deadlift often, just not straight weight off the floor. Also lots of GM's which I found can maintain or even increase deadlifting strength
without doing actual deads. Deads are pretty technical, maybe not to the extent of the olympic lifts, but it's hard to prefect technique if you seldom
do them, in the way you would do them at a comp, ie straight weight.

[CalvinH]

Not deadlifting is what leads to the AIDS

Because not deadlifting is pure phaggotry

Quality post.

[Grape Ape]

not really, you'd be hard pressed to find any athletic program college to pro that includes deadlifting often

I'll let coach answer this, as it's his area of expertise.

Deadlifts are routinely involved in any programs I've followed - military fitness, cross training athletic stuff, strength routines....

[FREAKgeek]

i wouldnt use more than 150 pounds just do high reps

underrated cardio routine