How To Use Proper Deadlift Form

Hands down, the deadlift is one of the most efficient exercises around when it comes to building strength, power, and a solid core in addition to improving overall sports performance. When performed properly, it will go a long way in helping you improve your posture and aiding injury prevention. How many exercises can you say [...]

The post How To Use Proper Deadlift Form appeared first on BuiltLean.com.

Hands down, the deadlift is one of the most efficient exercises around when it comes to building strength, power, and a solid core in addition to improving overall sports performance. When performed properly, it will go a long way in helping you improve your posture and aiding injury prevention. How many exercises can you say do that?

Put simply, a deadlift is an exercise that trains your body to pick up a heavy object from the ground in the most efficient way possible. It is one of the 3 main lifts in the sport of powerlifting where an athlete will attempt to lift or ‘pull’ as much weight as possible.

In this article, you will learn how to use proper deadlift form to ensure safety and that you are getting the most benefit out of this awesome lift. I’ll cover everything from the proper setup to the complete execution to various styles to suit your needs.

Proper Deadlift Form: The Setup

1. Foot Position

A good deadlift is always the result of a good setup. Period. This means that your first step in performing a deadlifting is finding proper foot and body positioning in relation to the bar or object. When using a barbell you always want your shins to be as close as possible the bar.

This allows you to get your hips back rather than shifting your weight forward towards the bar. It will also prevent a heavy weight from pulling you forward or having the weight swing back and hit you in the shins, neither of which are good.

Foot placement will differ for different variations of the deadlift, all of which I will go over in a bit. Learning proper foot placement for your specific lift is VERY important.

2. Hold Your Breath

A key element when lifting any heavy weight off the ground, this allows you to maintain core rigidity and a neutral spine throughout the lift (See: How to Breathe Properly During Weightlifting). Use your diaphragm to take a big breath in and fill your belly with air then hold it in and get tight. Hold this breath until you reach the top of the lift. For multiple repetitions, you can learn to hold your breath for 2 or 3 reps or reset your breath after each rep.

This won’t matter as much with very light weights, but when you’re lifting something heavy off the floor it becomes increasingly important to train this way.

3. Maintain a Neutral Spine

This means your back is neither excessively rounded nor excessively arched. You want to maintain the natural curve of the spine, which for most people means keeping the low back flat and staying ‘tall’ in the chest. Excessively rounding your back when pulling a heavy weight off the ground is a surefire way to get seriously injured.

Training Tip: Learning to maintain a neutral spine for not only the deadlift but most exercises is the best way to train your core and prevent injury!

As in the previous step, holding in a big belly breath will help you maintain the tightness throughout your midsection to keep your low back flat and spine neutral throughout the lift.

Check out this video I recorded to demonstrate:

4. ‘Hinge’ at the Hips

It is an essential part of the lift to hinge mainly at your hips rather than your knees and low back. What you want to do to hinge at the hips is maintain your neutral spine and push your hips back as far as you can before lowering your body to the bar. What this is doing is ‘loading’ your glutes and hamstrings and preparing them for the lift.

Once your hips are back, you’re able to bend your knees just enough to lower yourself to the bar. Do NOT allow your knees to bend and your body to drop.

5. At the Bar

Grab the bar with an overhand grip, keeping your hands directly under your shoulders or just outside of your hips. Grip the bar tightly and focus on isometrically ‘bending’ the bar around your body to create extra tension throughout your lats and upper body.

Training Tip: You only need an alternating hand grip when grip becomes an issue and you are unable to hold the bar through the set. This technique is only needed by advanced lifters and powerlifters.

Once you grab the bar, pull your shoulder blades tight together and simultaneously take the ‘slack’ out of the bar. Pulling your shoulder blades back and down will help you create tension in your upper body to maintain a neutral spine.

Taking the slack out of the bar means you are pulling the bar tight to create tension before you even lift the bar off the floor. Essentially, you should feel like you are lifting or making the bar bend before you initiate the lift. This will make your deadlift feel much lighter and smoother.

At this point your upper torso should be roughly at a 45 degree angle. If you have made it this far you should be ready for the lift!

Proper Deadlift Form: The Lift

1. Keep the Bar Close and Push Through the Floor

If you’ve setup properly, you should be close to the bar and tight throughout your entire body and right through the bar. The first move as you begin the lift is to pull the bar into your body, NOT up. This will allow you to maintain that tightness throughout the lift. Keeping the bar or object close to your body allows you to maintain the proper center of gravity to make the lift much easier.

Initially, you should visualize driving your feet through the floor rather than pulling the bar up. If you are still tight up top and have a good grip on the bar, you’ll be able to let your legs do most of the work.

2. Drive Your Chest Up and Hips Forward

Once the bar leaves floor, keep pressing your feet through the floor while focusing simultaneously on bringing your chest up and hips forward. If your hips shoot up first , you’ll be doing most of the pulling with your back; if your chest comes up to fast, your knees will come forward and you will essentially be squatting the bar up.

If you’ve kept your back tight it should be easy to lead with your back and drive your hips forward towards the bar. To bring your hips and hamstrings into the lift you should give your glutes a hard squeeze.

3. Lockout

The final move is to lockout by fully extending your knees and hips and pulling your shoulders tight, which will resemble a soldier standing at attention. Get tall!

It helps to give your glutes an extra squeeze to lock them hard at the top. Also make sure to NOT pull back too hard with your chest/upper back because this will cause you to arch your low back. This will often happen if you aren’t using your glutes efficiently.

Once you are tall and tight it’s okay to let out your air.

4. Finish

To finish the exercise and bring the bar back to the ground you will essentially do the same thing you did to start the maneuver by hinging at the hips first. Still maintaining a neutral spine, bring your hips back first and then break at the knees guiding the bar back to the start position.

Deadlift Considerations and Variations

To perform a deadlift well requires a certain degree of hip and thoracic spine mobility as well as ample posterior chain (calf, hamstring, glute, back) flexibility.

1. Dumbbell or Kettlebell Deadlift

I understand that for many people, a heavily loaded bar is a little intimidating, but that is no reason you can’t start with a lighter weight. For most beginners, I recommend starting with a lighter object such as a dumbbell or kettlebell but any small object will work here. I have even had in-home clients using 1-gallon milk jugs filled with sand!

Personally, I find that kettlebells work excellently in this situation since the weight is even in the bell and most come with a raised handle. Make sure you start with the bell directly underneath you or in-line with your midfoot. For those with mobility restrictions, it may be better to start with a wider, sumo stance (which I will discuss below).

2. Trapbar Deadlift

For those who are a little stronger, or have access to a trapbar, I recommend starting your deadlift training here. This bar is specially designed to allow you to stand in the center of gravity, making it a mechanically easier lift. Most trapbars also come with raised handles which is a huge benefit for those with mobility restrictions as you won’t have to bend as far down to pick it up. This makes it significantly easier to maintain a neutral spine throughout the lift.

Just remember that this is still a hip and back dominant exercise and you still need to hinge at the hips. Make sure to not turn this into a squatting movement and remember to push your hips back as far as you can and drive your butt forward when you perform the lift.

3. Sumo Deadlift

The sumo or wide stance deadlift is suitable for those with mobility restrictions, or beginners with weaker backs, as it allows you to get closer to the bar and doesn’t place as much emphasis on the lower back as the conventional deadlift. The one downside is that when lifting heavy weights, it puts more stress to the hip joint so this may not be suitable for those with SI joint dysfunction or pain.

The setup for the sumo deadlift is anywhere from slightly wider than hip width (called semi-sumo) or extremely wide with your toes almost touching the plates. Most people will fall somewhere in between these extremes. It is important to make sure your toes point out – depending on the person this can be about 45 degrees to almost 90 degrees (almost straight out).

The grip should be directly under your shoulders. This is different than the conventional deadlift where you grab the bar outside your hips/stance.

As with any deadlift variation, make sure you push your hips back and down first. Unique to the sumo deadlift, your hips will start much lower than other variations and your chest higher. To initiate the lift push outwards with your feet like you are trying to ‘spread’ the ground and give your glutes a hard squeeze.

4. Conventional Deadlift

For most people, I recommend learning the conventional pull last because you need superb joint mobility and a strong back to perform this lift efficiently.

The starting position of the feet should be somewhere between a narrow hip width to shoulder width with the toes pointed straight forward or slightly toed out. Remember to keep your shins close to the bar!

Grip the bar right outside your stance with either overhand or alternated grip. Maintaining your neutral spine, get your hips back AND down as they will be more inclined relative to the sumo deadlift. Keep your back tight and your chest tall as you drive into the floor to perform the lift.

Since this lift places a lot of emphasis on the back as well as your whole body, proper form is imperative to keep you strong and healthy with the king of all lifts!

The deadlift is one of the best ways to improve overall strength, core stability, and posture as long as you practice proper form and choose the variation that is right for you. Go practice some deadlifts and make sure to ask questions below!

The post How To Use Proper Deadlift Form appeared first on BuiltLean.com.

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Getting Informed About How Canada’s Tar Sands Affect the Planet

Getting Informed About How Canada’s Tar Sands Affect the Planet
The tar sands are a funny issue here in British Columbia, Canada. It seems to me that you either have a very strong opinion of them and are in tune with local environmental issues, or you’ve never heard of them at all

Image: http://tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/climate-activists-tell-canada-dont-cop-out-on-cop-15/

The tar sands are a funny issue here in British Columbia, Canada. It seems to me that you either have a very strong opinion of them and are in tune with local environmental issues, or you’ve never heard of them at all.

What’s shocking is that our neighboring province’s tar sands are one of the most environmentally devastating industries on the planet. The tar sands (also known as oil sands) is a huge oil resource that until recently was too expensive to drill into. Only in the last few decades with sky rocking oil prices has the Canadian Government found it worthwhile to retrieve the oil from the sands.

In order to do that, the oil must be separated from the mixture in the ground which is made up of clay, water, and solid earth. The oil itself is in the form of bitumen which is exists in a solid or semi-solid state.

There are several reasons why the retrieval of this oil from the ground is so controversial. The process means demolishing whatever is in its way (often times it’s the Boreal Rainforest) so that 2-3 barrels of hot water can be blasted into the ground to separate the mixture and retrieve approximately 1 barrel of oil from the sand. So much water is being used that it’s threatening the existence of the Athabasca River. It’s not water that can be replaced either, since approximately 90% of it ends up in toxic tailing lakes, sitting there waiting for wildlife to land in it.

In addition to the enormous strain it puts on our water supply, the scars on the earth are now visible from space and are permanent (or at least they will be for the next few hundred years). Aboriginals also claim that they were not consulted before their lands were destroyed and lake poisoned.

On top of all that, experts have questioned whether Alberta or Canada is even getting adequately paid through taxes on the oil.

The effects of the tar sands can’t be sufficiently summed up in a blog, so you begin to see how many people in Vancouver and BC don’t completely understand the issue.

However, I can assure you that everyone in Vancouver and Canada has an opinion on the proposed Enbridge/Kinder Morgan pipeline. This is a bit baffling considering that you need to have an understanding of the tar sands to have an educated opinion on the proposals.

We in British Columbia and Canada have to decide if the economic value of increasing oil transportation from Alberta to BC through an expanded pipeline is worth the potential economic value. Canadians.org sums up the proposals our government is debating over:

These massive projects include the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline and the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which would cross British Columbia to bring tar sands crude to western ports where it would be shipped to international markets. The Transpacific Trails pipeline would transport fracked unconventional natural gas extracted from the Horn River Basin to Kitimat port for export. These pipelines pose significant threats to the ecologically sensitive lands and waters, as well as to people’s health and livelihoods. As we face a global climate crisis, these massive pipelines represent the wrong way forward.

Here in Vancouver our majestic mountains by the sea are our pride, joy, and are known around the world. The proposed pipelines would mean that half a million barrels would be arriving at our Burrard Inlet every day and would facilitate tar sands expansion by 30%. And this project affects more than Canadians – it affects the US, and the rest of the world as well through the mighty boost the tar sands donate to global warming.

That much oil means a lot of money. So as you can imagine, here in BC we’ve been inundated with advertisements funded by Enbridge and our government praising the economic benefits, while environmental groups have been fighting tooth and nail to talk about the environmental costs.

It’s a battle that has been heating up for some time and it’s only going to get uglier. Canadians need to know the issue thoroughly to make the right decision for our future. However, if this proposal means we’re all going have a thorough understanding of the tar sands, then maybe ironically it’s already worked against the interests of Enbridge and Kinder Morgan.

*This is an extremely simply summary of the proposed pipeline and the tar sands. To learn more about the issue check out Greenpeace’s summary of the issue, NoTankers.ca, or read Stupid to the Last Drop.

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Review your favorite vegan product on your Facebook page today!

Review your favorite vegan product on your Facebook page today!
� How many friends do you have on Facebook? And how many of them are vegan? My guess is that some of them are, but a lot of them aren’t. That’s why Facebook can be a great way to expose non-vegans (and vegans too!) to great vegan products, and help spread the word that there

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The author with one of HER favorite vegan products – coconut coffee creamer!

How many friends do you have on Facebook? And how many of them are vegan? My guess is that some of them are, but a lot of them aren’t. That’s why Facebook can be a great way to expose non-vegans (and vegans too!) to great vegan products, and help spread the word that there are tonnes of great vegan food (and non-food) products out in the mainstream market, easily accessible, affordable, and full of general awesomeness. (This may help change people’s minds who think it’s difficult and restrictive to go veg, doing vegans everywhere a big favor!!)

Today, give a shout out on your Facebook page to one of your favorite vegan products – tell people what it is and why you love it (and post it on our Facebook page too) – we love hearing about beloved vegan products, old and new!

Where’s the love, y’all?

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Natural Skincare Benefits of Green, Organic Hemp Seed Oil

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Vegan Blog Features: Momma’s Little Green Book

Vegan Blog Features: Momma’s Little Green Book
A long journey led me from the lush East Coast to the sunny desert of Phoenix, Arizona. New to the area, I was unfamiliar with the goings-on, particularly regarding "greener" options for my family. Thus began the Momma's Little Green Book project - a site that not only connects earth-friendly mommas and poppas but also provides green options for families in the greater Phoenix area and beyond

A long journey led me from the lush East Coast to the sunny desert of Phoenix, Arizona. New to the area, I was unfamiliar with the goings-on, particularly regarding “greener” options for my family. Thus began the Momma’s Little Green Book project – a site that not only connects earth-friendly mommas and poppas but also provides green options for families in the greater Phoenix area and beyond. If I’m doing the research anyway, why not share it?

MLGB is for families who prefer utilizing natural options over conventional ones, like naturopathic medicine, for example. The site covers vaccination information, essential “green” baby items and more!

For Phoenix locals, there is also an event calendar and tons of information, reviews and links to neighborhood “green” favorites! Events are updated daily!

Lee Bradley is also a regular contributor to the blog at Vegan Mainstream. See some of her posts here.

Do you have a great vegan blog you’d like to share with VM readers? Email editor@veganmainstream.com and tell us all about it!

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Does A High Protein Diet Cause Constipation?

High protein diets have been shown in countless studies to be an effective nutrition strategy for controlling hunger and helping people lose more fat. But there are some adverse effects if you are not drinking enough water, or eating enough fiber with a high protein diet – constipation. Find out why and what steps to [...]

The post Does A High Protein Diet Cause Constipation? appeared first on BuiltLean.com.

High protein diets have been shown in countless studies to be an effective nutrition strategy for controlling hunger and helping people lose more fat. But there are some adverse effects if you are not drinking enough water, or eating enough fiber with a high protein diet – constipation. Find out why and what steps to take if you are experiencing constipation from a high protein diet. We hope the other 4 questions and answers this week, which range from ideal set and rep ranges to if strength training can be considered cardio, help answer some of your concerns.

1. Do high protein diets cause constipation?
2. Will Intermittent Fasting help me reach my goals?
3. Does a total body workout count as cardio?
4. What should my set and rep goals be?
5. How do I calculate my caloric needs on the BuiltLean Program?

Question #1 – Do high protein diets cause constipation?

Question: Hi, In regards to your article “Does a High Protein Diet Lead to Better Results”– I have a question, could too much protein lead to constipation? – Umair

Answer: Hi Umair,
Research has shown that a high protein diet (http://www.builtlean.com/2013/02/04/high-protein-diet/) can aid in weight loss, but it can also lead to constipation. There are a few explanations for this, and also ways to alleviate the issue. Protein is processed by the kidneys and liver, which use water in your body to remove unnecessary byproducts. A big increase in protein consumption could thereby cause dehydration since more water is being used to digest protein and remove wastes. Dehydration can lead to hard stools and constipation. High protein diets may also be accompanied by low carb/fiber intake. Fiber is what adds bulk to the stool and promotes regularity. Animal proteins contain little to no fiber, so you need to make sure you’re getting enough fiber from other sources.
If you’re experiencing constipation from a higher protein diet, ways to remedy the situation are to:

1. Make sure you are drinking enough water. A common recommendation is to drink 2/3 of your body weight in ounces of water, assuming a normal amount of activity.
2. Consume fiber. Great sources include beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
3. Consider decreasing the amount of protein you are consuming

If you experience issues with constipation and don’t have a bowel movement for 2-3 days, you should speak with your health care provider.

Hope that helps!

- Kristin (Kristin, CPT, CHC)

Question #2 – Will Intermittent Fasting help me reach my goals?

Question: HI Mark, first of all thanks for sharing so much knowledge to those who care. Secondly, I was wondering if you can write an article on Intermittent Fasting? If you have already done so, would you mind sharing the link with me? I am really interested to know your thoughts on the subject. I read “Eat, Stop, Eat” by Brad Pillon and I also often read Martin Berkhan’s blog called LeanGains. Have you tried Intermittent Fasting? Thanks and keep up the good work. – Tommy

Answer: Hey Tommy, thanks a very frequently asked question. We do have an intermittent fasting article, which you can check out here – Does Intermittent Fasting Help You Lose Weight?. It’s written by Bill Lagakos, who is a PhD nutrition biochemistry researcher. The short answer is IF is certainly not superior to regular eating patterns, it’s really a behavioral thing. Remember calories in vs. out is what matters at the end of the day as well as your lifestyle, which helps improve hormonal balance (sleep etc.). What I’ve found from my experience is 3 square meals per day and a snack or two helps people create structure in their day, which makes controlling calories easier. We also have an article on How to Control Hunger you can check out. Good luck!

- Marc (Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT)

Question #3 – Does a total body workout count as cardio?

Question: Would incorporating an upper body workout with a leg workout such as this one be considered cardio? – Mark

Answer: Strength training using large muscle groups can definitely be considered cardio as anything that increases your heart rate and keeps it high for a duration is technically considered “cardio.” With that said, here’s an interesting study which showed how people who did not see great results in VO2 max from endurance training saw positive VO2 max changes from resistance training.

- John ( John Leyva, CSCS, CPT)

Question #4 – What should my set and rep goals be?

Question: In strength training, does it matter if I do two sets of 15 or three sets of 10? – Amanda

Answer: There are a lot of factors that come into consideration when determining sets, repetitions, and muscle gain. From some studies that I have reviewed about the number of sets, if a trained individual (someone who has been weight lifting for a period of time) wants to increase their strength, a high degree of effort, as well as an increased volume (2-3 sets) will result in the stimulus necessary to help with an increase in strength. Untrained individuals, (people who are just starting) will see an improvement with strength gains with just one set of a given exercise since it’s a completely unfamiliar stimulus.

When it comes to repetitions, a lower number of repetitions is favored over a larger number to prevent too much fatigue (muscular acidosis) which would prevent the muscle from working at it’s greatest potential. It’s best if you choose a range of repetitions to reach for, and set up your load so that you get to a high degree of effort (the muscles working start to slow down ) as you approach that repetition range. Hope this helps! For more detail, check out this article – High Reps vs. Low Reps and also How Fast Can You Build Muscle?

- Kwesi (Kwesi Peters, CPT, Community Manager)

Question #5 – How do I calculate my caloric needs on the BuiltLean Program?

Question: My wife is interested in participating in the program, but was curious about developing the meal plan. Does your calculation work for women too or is there a reduction in calories that needs to be figured as well. Thanks!!! – Chris

Answer: Hey Chris,
Thanks for the question and super happy to hear you are interested in the program! Yes, there are meal plans and ideas for both men and women in the program. I also offer a calculation dependent on body weight for figuring out calorie intake, so it works for both men and women and is surprisingly accurate in my experience.
If you have any other questions, just let us know!

Best,

- Marc (Marc Perry, CSCS, CPT)

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