You Probably Won't Die

It just sounds creepy.

Anything with the word “Dead” in it.....

“The Dead Time”

“The Dead House”

And now we have, “The Dead Lift.”

It’s ironic that the exercise with the scariest name is also easy to learn, safest in allowing the heaviest weights, and mimics a basic human movement. 

It might also end up being your favorite. 

As the weights go up on your bar, you’ll be feeling more and more ALIVE.

So what's with the name?

The deadlift gets its name by beginning the lift from a dead stop on the floor. 

Most lifts have us unrack and guide the bar into a starting position, and then move it to the end position. This creates a Stretch Reflex--a controlled small bounce at the starting position that helps us drive the bar with more force. 

But not the deadlift. 

The weight just sits there, watching you approach it. Waiting to see what you’re made of as you lift it from it’s dead stop position. 

It mimics picking up something from the floor. Every mobile animal on earth should be able to get what it wants from the ground. 

Instead of crawling, digging, swooping, or swimming, we simply bend over and pick something up. 

But as we get older, picking something up tends to get more difficult. This is a major problem I see everyday as a physical therapist.

This is where the deadlift gets its love. 

As we work through the months and years of our program, picking up heavy boxes, a spare tire out of the trunk, or a forty pound bag of topsoil becomes a non-eventful, easy, random activity. 

Safely lifting 200#, 300#, or more in your Deadlift is very realistic for most of you reading this. This is so exciting and life affirming from such a morbidly named exercise.

The Deadlift strengthens the legs, hips, back, arms, chest, shoulders, and neck muscles. 

No exercise will create a stronger back than the deadlift. 

The same goes for grip strength. You’ll only be able to lift a heavy weight off the floor if you can hold onto it. Grip strength is majorly important. As your grip gets stronger, you’ll immediately feel the benefits. Most things we interact with are first held in our hands. 

As the weights get heavier, you’re going to feel quite strong living out your days. You’ll be using your new strength, and feeling damn good about it.

Don’t let the idea of lifting heavy weights scare you. In the beginning we start with a wooden dowel, then the empty bar, and then add weight.  

Then the slow progression begins. 

The weight only gets heavier because you get stronger. It will feel like a very natural, logical process.

The Deadlift requires only a bar, weights, and the floor. Much more on how to do it properly will come later.

This is my youngest son’s favorite exercise. Next to my love/hate, bliss/fear relationship with the squat, I have to agree.

Let’s enjoy the irony of the “Dead” Lift making us feel and act more alive with the strength it gives us. 

The next time that twenty-something offers to carry your stuff because he thinks it’s too heavy for you, you can look him in the eye and say, “I got it. I deadlift.” 

He’ll have no idea what your talking about.

That’s scary.

Grow or Die,

Ken Kowalsky