Don't Forget To Deadlift

The Deadlift is one of the most productive exercises there is out there. What is more basic than picking a weight up from the floor?

The deadlift arguably recruits more muscles groups than any other exercise. The muscles recruited are as follows-

• Torso

o Front
• Abdomen
• Rectus abdominis (under aponeurosis)
• Obliques
• Abdominal external oblique muscle
o Back
• Iliocostalis
• Intertransversarii laterales lumborum
• Latissimus dorsi
• Levator scapulae
• Longissimus
• Quadratus lumborum
• Rhomboideus major
• Serratus posterior superior
• Serratus posterior inferior
• Splenius cervicis
• Teres Major
• Trapezius muscle

• Legs
o Quadriceps
• Rectus femoris
• Vastus lateralis
• Vastus intermedius
• Vastus medialis
o Hamstrings
• Biceps femoris muscle, long head
• Biceps femoris muscle, short head
• Semitendinosus
• Semimembranosus

• Hips
o Gluteal muscles
• Gluteus maximus
• Gluteus minimus
o Piriformis
o Superior gemellus

• Forearms
o Flexor digitorum profundus

Your biceps will also contract isometrically

As you can see from this long list the amount of muscle used in this exercise is huge. Performing exercises that recruit many muscles have been shown to raise natural testosterone and growth hormone levels. Having both these hormones raised is something that you want to strive for if when improving your body shape.

The problem with the deadlift is that people do not take the time or invest in a competent trainer to teach them how to do it properly. And so they try to lift too much weight, using mostly there lower back and consequently get injured.

This will often put them off from dead lifting in future. This is a cop out! Invest the time and money into learning how to do it properly and you will get a great return on your investment.

Here is a video of me dead lifting 170kg’s for 3 reps

Deadlift 170kg's-