The Freshman, The Deadlift, and Dead Man’s Hill

by Shin Ohtake on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 • 16 Comments

One of the most misunderstood exercises (other than the squat) has got to be the deadlift.  Maybe it’s the name.  Anything with the word “dead” in it can’t be a good thing—especially when it comes to exercises, right?  I remember back when I just started high school, in one of my first PE class, we had to run this cross country course.  But this wasn’t just a regular run-of-the-mill cross country run.  No siree.  A few days prior to the run, we had heard several horror stories and in particular about the dreaded “Dead Man’s Hill”, which was to come at the end of the run.  We were told about how the hill got it’s name—apparently a star athlete with immense talent and speed tried to run up the hill, ignoring warnings from his coaches and teammates to take the hill slowly and cautiously because of it’s shear steepness.  As the story goes, the boy never made it to the top.  His body was found three quarters of the way up the hill, he apparently passed out and died from exhaustion.  Now, at the age of thirteen, I really didn’t know what to think or believe.  As I got ready to run what may be the last run I’ll ever do, the thought of Dead Man’s Hill weighed heavily on my mind…

As it turned out, the cross country course wasn’t nearly as bad as they said it was going to be, and as for Dead Man’s Hill… well it wasn’t easy, but it definitely was doable.  It was all hype.  And I have to admit, I was young, gullible and I got taken like every other “minor-niner” freshman.

Freshman or not… it’s the lack of correct information and hyped up misinformation that causes a lot of confusion.  The deadlift is similar in the sense that it’s gotten a bad rep—partly because of the name and partly due to the movement.  Don’t let the name intimidate you and don’t listen to others that haven’t tried it.  And definitely don’t listen to the people that have tried it and hurt themselves because they didn’t do it properly.  The deadlift is like any other exercise where, if you do it wrong, you can injure yourself.  The problem is, similar improper movements have gotten people in trouble with their low backs.  But, if done correctly, not only is it safe, it’s actually very beneficial in strengthening your low back.  Your low back is part of group of muscles known as the hip extensors, a group of muscles that allow hip extension.  It’s composed of your glutes, hamstrings, and your lower back muscles.  All three muscles must act in unison to allow your hips to extend properly.  However, as easy as the movement is, it’s almost always done wrong.  The main reasons being muscular imbalance, weakness, and poor technique.  You are more likely to perform back extension rather than hip extension.  The movements seem similar, but there is a big difference.  Back extension uses your low back muscles as your primary extensors rather than your glutes and hamstrings.  This is a recipe for a low back injury.  When you perform hip extension properly, you should be recruiting your glutes first (as your primary muscle), then your hamstrings, and then your low back muscles.  Your glutes and hamstrings are significantly stronger than your lower back and should be able to bear much more weight and pressure, thereby protecting your low back.

Another important aspect of strengthening your hip extensors is improving your ability to run, jump, and even skate.  Any activities that involve those movements will benefit greatly from doing the deadlift as part of your strength training routine.  This is why almost all strength training programs for athletes will include the deadlift.  But it’s not just for athletes, it’s great for everyone.  Just like the squats, the deadlift should be included into everyones strength training and fitness program as a functional exercise that will help you get stronger, keep you injury free, and get you running faster, jumping further, skating better and of course, improve your overall general fitness level.

Here’s how to perform the deadlift with proper form:

Have you been avoiding the deadlift?  Why or why not?  Post your comment below…

About The Author

Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit maxworkouts.com.

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