Top Deadlifting Exercise Tips

Weightlifting is certainly a worthwhile exercise for you to engage in. It gives you more energy, reduces fat, helps you to feel fit, creates stronger bones, and actually reduces pain! However, to avoid injures while performing deadlifts, follow these exercise tips:

1. Your elbows should remain locked. Do not let the weight straighten your elbows. Remember that your back, knees and hips, not your arms, should lift the weight. Thus, you should begin the lift with locked elbows.
2. Tighten your gluteus maximus. Extending your hips, back and knees at the same time, will achieve lockout. To achieve this goal, squeeze your "glutes," to move them forward.

3. Never overextend your back. At lockout, hyperextending your back puts excess stress on the lower portion of your spine. This can result in intervertebral injury of the disk, such as hernias. The proper way to lockout the weight is to: a) raise your chest, b) pull your shoulders backwards, and 3) bring your knees, hips and lower back into extension, at the same time. Remember not to exaggerate the back extension.

4. Bolster your abs. Like your back muscles that support your backbone from the back, your abs do this from the front. Bracing your abdomen will increase the weight on your abs. This will result in more stability. Also, avoid breathing while lifting, as it places unwanted weight on your lower back.

5. Do not curve your shoulders. Shrugging and rolling the shoulders at the top should be avoided, as you could injure your neck. Keep your chest up, your shoulders back, and engage in a full extension. If you want to hit the traps more, then do Power Clean lifts.

6. Look ahead. Looking downwards will cause the bar to move away from your body, placing unwanted pressure on your backbone. Look at an area that is halfway up the fall that you are facing towards. This will keep your chest raised and the upper back compact.

7. Keep the bar near your body. There are two reasons for doing this. The closer the bar is, the less stress will be placed on your lower back. Also, a straight vertical line is the shortest distance between the start and top. Try to successfully create a bar path that is at right angles to the floor. To do this, use your latissimus dorsi (lats) to pull the bar closer to your body. Also, begin the lift from the floor, as the bar contacts your shins.