I want to give you a few tips on how to incorporate this exercise into your training.
As part of which training, a deadlift should be done
Most deadlifts work as part of back training, which is fine in some ways. Deadlifting is an exercise that affects the lower back, but also, as a very complex exercise, it involves a lot of the back, and even the gluteus. For that reason, my choice to insert a deadlift is leg training. But it doesn’t matter how you decide, whether it’s leg training or back training, I’m in favor of doing a deadlift at the beginning of that training. Then all the muscle groups that participate in the movement are equally rested and there will be no weak links during the movement. In addition to the fact that this is very important in order to reduce the risk of injury, you will also best notice the weak points that need to be worked on in terms of performance technique.
Warming up before deadlift
The next thing I would like to draw your attention to is warming up before a deadlift. I’ve noticed that a lot of coaches recommend doing backstrokes or hyperextension before a deadlift to warm up your lower back and prepare for a deadlift. I really don’t agree with this advice because it didn’t turn out very well from my personal experience. The reason is exactly the one I mentioned in the text above, and that is that the fatigue of some muscle groups can have a bad effect on performing a deadlift. In this case, that muscle group would be the lower back, which is in fact the most critical region when it comes to injuries. Most often, the problem of lower back injury is not caused by an unheated lower back, but by the back and hips. Then the question remains how to warm up before this exercise. In addition to the classic aerobic warm-up that aims to raise the body temperature and prepare the body for training as a preparation for deadlifts, I can suggest the following two options, namely deadlifts with straight legs / Romanian deadlifts or squats. When it comes to more experienced exercisers I would prefer to squat, while when it comes to beginners Romanian deadlifting is a better option for several reasons. The first thing is their maximum in this exercise and the diameter of the weights in the gym. If an exerciser, for example, has a maximum between 80 and 100 kg, I would not recommend starting the first warm-up series with 60 kg. Why exactly 60kg, because the bar weighs 20kg and 2x20kg in weights. The weights (plates) of 20 have the largest diameter and therefore the bar is at a certain height in relation to the floor. With small weights of 60kg you would have to use lighter weights with a smaller diameter and thus the bar would be lower and you would have to do a deadlift from the “minus”. This variation (deadlift from minus) is technically much more demanding and risky in terms of injuries regardless of the weight you work with. That is why I recommend beginners to start the warm-up with a Romanian deadlift where they do not have to lower the bar to the floor, and therefore the size of the plates does not play any role. After a couple of series of Romanian deadlifts, place 60kg on the bar and continue warming up with the classic / conventional deadlift style. Also, from my experience, this has proven to be a good option as it affects the repair of deadlift techniques. This is most noticeable with exercisers whose problem is mobility and insufficiently stretched back box. The Romanian deadlift warms up nicely and stretches the back box and thus prepares it well for a classic deadlift.
Number of series and repetitions
When it comes to the number of batches you need to do my recommendation is 2-5 work batches, while heating batches can be much more depending on your maximum. As for the number of repetitions, I am in favor of doing from one to a maximum of 5 repetitions when it comes to work, but also with warm-up series. It is better to do more warm-up series with a smaller number of repetitions and with a gradual increase in weight in each subsequent series.
For those exercisers who have problems with technique and are not flexible enough, instead of the classic deadlift from the floor, I would recommend doing deadlifts on blocks, that is, lifting weights on a platform (5-10cm). Also, as I just mentioned, a Romanian deadlift can help a lot, but it is also necessary to work on stretching the back box a couple of times a week. I hope I have helped you at least a little with my advice and suggestions regarding this exercise.
