We get it, it’s in the name “dead – lift”, sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well, we’re here today to tell you that Deadlifts are a fantastic way to train the muscles on the backside of your body and your grip. This includes the muscles around your upper and mid-back, the back of your thighs, bum, lower-back and forearm. Collectively, we call this the “posterior chain”. Deadlifts themselves come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can generally be categorised into two types: Picking something heavy up off the floor from a dead stop or, pushing your hips back while letting your chest bow forward. So, why should you deadlift? Stick around and we’ll show you.
Back stats
There’s a stigma with using your lower back during exercise. However, the muscles of the lower back are no different in physiology to the muscles in your thighs, chest or arms. They respond favourably to training. Lower back pain, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, plagued “Around 4.0 million (16%) people” in Australia in 2022. Moreover, back problems were listed as the third leading cause of Australia’s disease burden in 2023¹. Between 2020 – 2021 an estimated total of $3.4 billion was spent on the treatment and management of back problems. Back pain can be complex but physical inactivity is clear risk factor. In fact, in 2022 just under one in four (23.9%) people aged 15 years and over met the physical activity guidelines. Additionally, nearly half (46.9%) of employed adults aged 18–64 years described their day at work as mostly sitting².
As you can see, there’s a clear pattern emerging. Failing to engage in physical activity goes hand in hand with poor back pain outcomes. So, what does the research say about exercising your back?
Get your back into it
A meta-analysis (study of studies) by Tataryn et. al demonstrated promising outcomes. It showed that progressive resistance training had a “statistically significantly greater effect than GE (general exercise) on pain, level of disability and muscular strength, with no significant difference in the number of adverse events for recreationally active and sedentary patients with CLBP (chronic lower back pain)” ³. Secondly, a yearlong prospective injury surveillance on adolescent athletes highlighted the following modifiable risk factors when it came to being injured:
- performing appropriate warm-ups,
- using adequate sports facilities,
- performing sports-specific physical preparation,
- adapting the training load to the athlete’s ability,
- performing injury-preventive activities,
- performing sports techniques under the supervision of a sports coach,
- exercising with adequate sports equipment.
The researchers concluded that “since most injury risk factors are modifiable, it is imperative to implement strategies to reduce amateur and professional adolescent athletes’ injury rates” ⁴. Now you might be thinking what this has to do with you. Well, we’re all athletes of ageing, and the same strength and conditioning principles that apply to getting better at a sport, apply to performing better in the gym and in life. This trickles down to being the same physiology that informs training your lower back.
As you can see, it would be too simple to say, “Deadlifts are unsafe for your back”. In fact, in addressing this question specifically, Fischer and colleagues in their literature search found that “evidence exists that exercise programs that include deadlifts are a clinically effective option for the treatment of low back pain for both pain scores and functional outcome measures” ⁵.
We’ve got your back
At Hobart Strength Training, we’ve got your back (literally!). We will teach the Deadlift in an efficient manner for your body and level of physical preparation. Moreover, we will provide the correct warm-up structure and quality equipment such as good bars, racks, plates and chalk. We will teach you how to perform the deadlift, but not only the deadlift – other exercises that load the muscles of your “posterior chain”. This can include all variations of the deadlift, but also rows, and other “hinging” exercises such as the Romanian Deadlift & Hip Thrust. Importantly, there’s always a way to safely deadlift for your current abilities. Modifiable factors can include load, stance, single leg or bilateral variations, implement used, tempo and more. Our team of experts will make sure not only do you deadlift effectively, but that you strengthen your back so you can be Stronger, for Life. If you’re looking to get a stronger back, get in touch with us today.
References:
- Chronic musculoskeletal conditions: Back problems – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)
- Physical activity, 2022 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)
- Posterior-Chain Resistance Training Compared to General Exercise and Walking Programmes for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Epidemiology of Sports-Related Injuries and Associated Risk Factors in Adolescent Athletes: An Injury Surveillance – PMC (nih.gov)
- Effect of an Exercise Program That Includes Deadlifts on Low Back Pain – PubMed (nih.gov)