It is used to improve overall body strength. It is used to make all the chief muscles of your body work hard. And it is known as the king of weightlifting. Yes, I’m talking about deadlifts. Deadlifts have the ability to make your body stronger and minimize the chances of getting injured.
Exercises performed with a deadlift target a specific group of muscles in the lower and upper body that gain exceptional strength over time. So what muscles do deadlifts work? Many of us don’t know the answer to this question. We only know that deadlifts are helpful in any standard weightlifting regimen. But why we don’t know. So let’s find out right now!
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What Muscles Do Deadlifts Work?
How to Do a Dead Lift? Back Workout
The thing about deadlifts is that they encourage muscle development in the entire body. And this is one primary reason why deadlifts are considered to be better than squats. They push a few specific muscle groups in your lower and upper body to work hard. And that makes you feel like you’ve done an entire body workout. So how muscles do deadlifts work so hard? I have listed them all below.
Credit: weightliftingapp.com
The Back
Muscles located in your back are the ones that are subjected to maximum stress throughout the deadlift movement. The lower back region, known as the erectors, tends to get stronger and big with the deadlift workout. And this happens in a surprisingly short period of time.
The body’s latissimus dorsi and its associated muscles are also pushed to work hard. This mainly happens when you’re at the top of the deadlift movement.
The Glute Muscles
There is only a few deadlift primary and secondary muscles. And the glute muscles fall in the primary category for developing strong and round glute muscles. Fitness and gym enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and weightlifters incorporate deadlifts into their strength training workout sessions.
During ascension, when you reach the sticking point, your glute muscles are subjected to maximum stress. You can even squeeze them further at this point to achieve complete contraction. The deadlift workout also targets surrounding muscles such as the muscles located in the pelvic and hip region.
The Legs
When it comes to developing and strengthening leg muscles, there’s nothing better than squats. That we’ve all established, haven’t we? But let’s not underestimate the power of deadlifts. They have the ability to work both the legs just like the squat does.
And you already know that most of the hard work to carry out the deadlift movement is performed by the legs. So there’s no denying the fact that the muscles of your entire leg are not just getting toned but also stronger.
The Arms
The muscles do deadlifts work when it comes to the arms? When you’re in the ascension part of the deadlift movement, all the muscles in your arm get contracted. But it’s mainly the forearm muscles that are worked excessively.
The Shoulders
At the top of the deadlift movement, your shoulders end up in a pulled back position. And this tends to cause stress in the region. The trapezius is also subjected to equal hard work at such times. And this is exactly why you see all those big dead lifters with a huge trap and shoulder development.
Benefits of Deadlifts
Since now you know the muscles do deadlifts work, let’s also learn about all the benefits that deadlifts provide to the human body.
1. Deadlifts Improve Body Posture
The use of deadlifts helps in making the lower back stronger, right? And what happens when your lower back strengthens? Your body posture improves. The positioning of the spine gets enhanced and the chances of slouching get eliminated.
Credit: stronglifts.com
2. Deadlifts Make Daily Activities Easier and Minimize Injuries
The deadlift movement requires you to pick up a very heavy object from the floor and raise it till your waist. You realize how much energy you’re using to carry out an exercise like this? And this helps in making you stronger, obviously. So performing daily chores becomes easier and less stressful.
The deadlift movement also trains your body to feel less pain during an injury. So the risk of suffering gets minimized once you start training with deadlifts.
3. Deadlifts Improve Core Strength
The deadlift primary and secondary muscles are all subjected to stress and hard work throughout the deadlift movement. And this pushes your grip strength into becoming stronger.
In fact, the entire deadlift movement builds core strength in the muscles located on the backside, waist, abs, and hips. Your lower back also develops exceptional core strength in the process.
4. Deadlifts Improve Cardiovascular Health
When carried out with the right amount of effort and intensity, deadlift exercises have the ability to strengthen the body’s cardiovascular system.
When you carry out the deadlift movement consistently, the aerobic system of your body gets activated. So every time this happens, your body gets the oxygen it needs. And there’s literally nothing better than oxygen in boosting the strength of the cardiovascular system.
Types of Deadlift Movements
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
The primary stiff leg deadlift muscles worked are the hamstring muscles. Being able to complete an entire deadlift range of motion with the stiff leg deadlift workout contributes to improving flexibility. And the best part about this is the fact that as flexibility improves; the deadlift range of motion also improves. Pretty neat, isn’t it?
The stiff leg deadlift:
HOW TO STIFF-LEG DEADLIFT?
Romanian Deadlifts
The primary Romanian deadlift muscles worked are the thigh muscles. With the Romanian deadlift workout, the goal is to strengthen and tone the frontal thigh muscles. The weight is lifted using the knee flexion and not the hip flexion. So it’s great if you want to excessively work your thigh muscles.
The Romanian deadlift:
Romanian Deadlift
Sumo Deadlifts
The thing about sumo deadlifts is that they don’t place any amount of stress on your lower back. And this is why many deadlifters do the sumo deadlift when lifting tremendously large weights.
The sumo deadlift stance reduces the chances of your back becoming rounded. This is helpful for beginners who want to form a strength base. It is also helpful for those recovering from some back injury. So here is the best way to master the sumo deadlift form.
How to Perform the Sumo Deadlift?
And That’s a Wrap!
You must incorporate deadlifts into your workout routine if you want to build core strength, or develop muscles, or make yourself stronger. But you should know what muscles do deadlifts work in order to make the most of this exercise that is known as the king of weightlifting.
While it is true that deadlifts have the ability to develop more muscles in your body, this particular function should not be misused. You have to make sure that you’re not overworking your muscles. Otherwise, the kind of harm or injury caused will prove to be detrimental in the long run. You should respect the limits of your body at all times.
Now enough talking, time to do the deadlifts!
What types of deadlift movements have you performed? How have they helped you in gaining more overall strength?
Did you find the content useful? Is there anything else that you would like to add?
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Sources:
1. http://www.enkivillage.com/deadlift-muscles-worked.html
2. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson101.htm
3. https://content.tigerfitness.com/what-muscles-do-deadlifts-work/
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