The deadlift works more muscles than any other common exercise in the fitness center. The only movement that works more muscles are the Olympic lifts. The deadlift is a movement that focuses on pulling from the ground and involves a very simple technique. In fact, the deadlift is so easy that it can be taught and worked with proper resistance in as little as one session.
When performing the deadlift, just like any other exercise, there are a few guidelines:
1- Approach the bar
2- The Olympic barbell should be loaded with plates about the size of your conventional 45 lb weight plates, so that the range of motion is no greater than it needs to be.
3- The bar should appear to cut your foot in half. Make an imaginary line over the middle of your foot and put the bar in it.
4- When your approach the bar and the feet placement is lined up grab the bar and bend your knees.
5- Once the knees are bent, stick your chest out.
6- During the concentric contraction (the pull), make sure the bar is rubbing up against your shins.
7- You will have a red line coming up your tibia; it's fine, you did the right exercise.
8- During the eccentric phase, the hips should lower the weight to the knees and the knees should break once the bar reaches the knees.
9- The bar should always be behind the shoulders as you bend over.
10- This is how you deadlift.
The deadlift works and overloads the entire lower body. Every small and large muscle in surrounding the tibia and femur are overloaded. The quads act as synergist and are activated during the phase where the knee is being extended; the hamstrings also work part of the pull, in order to extend the hip (the lockout) at the top. With this in mind, most of the work the hamstrings do is eccentric. You should feel it during the eccentric phase working the hamstrings the hardest. The gluteus maximus does most of the work during the lift, as well as the erector spinae and lower back muscles. The traps, triceps, forearms and lats contract isometrically in order to pull.
The deadlift is also an excellent grip and core movement. Most of the core muscles actually have a job to do during the concentric part of the lift, such as the lower back and spinal erectors.
