T Nation

Deadlift Stuck in my Head...

Beginners
#1

A friend of mine only works chest and arms, and has been working out for around a year. We don’t discuss it because it pisses me off when he says, “Meh, who needs legs?” Well the other day he said deadlifts were terrible for your back, I told him that was bull. Of course I had to scoure the site and read how the deadlift is an amazing exercise and more good stuff just so I stick it in my head some more. This is good, because I love to deadlift.

Then the other day I mentioned it and another friend of mine who has been lifting for around 15-20 years says they will kill my back and he had some deterioration and was up for a fusion before, and of course, deadlifting was what he says was the cause.

Really he is just one case in however many. I know people can hurt themselves with it if they use poor form. I’m not going to stop doing them because the case for how great they are is just too strong. But would I be wrong to dismiss my friends warning as just poor form, or one of the outlying cases?

#2

Why don’t you tell him how to deadlift, to reassure him that it’s not all that bad…

If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

Besides bad form for any sort of exercise can cause injuries.

#3

people can get hurt doing anything. don’t let it stop you from your goals.

#4

[quote]CCJDilla wrote:
Why don’t you tell him how to deadlift, to reassure him that it’s not all that bad…

If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

Besides bad form for any sort of exercise can cause injuries.[/quote]

Always do what you are afraid to do.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

#5

[quote]JaX Un wrote:
CCJDilla wrote:
Why don’t you tell him how to deadlift, to reassure him that it’s not all that bad…

If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

Besides bad form for any sort of exercise can cause injuries.

Always do what you are afraid to do.
Ralph Waldo Emerson [/quote]

Hehe, yes, I’m a pussy, but, someone asked me if I was joking when I asked… not too good.
Instructional videos don’t really help IMO :stuck_out_tongue: there’s only so much it can do to fix it IRL

#6

Go into the gym at your school and ask one of the coaches. or ask a personal trainer at your gym if you go to a commercial one. It’s a great lift, you should learn it

#7

[quote]CCJDilla wrote:
Why don’t you tell him how to deadlift, to reassure him that it’s not all that bad…

If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

Besides bad form for any sort of exercise can cause injuries.[/quote]

I’m definitely going to try and get him into deadlifting and squatting. I think he just works upper body because a guy he trains with does the same thing, so he kind of follows his lead…

#8

It is a great exercise I know, but, I’ve lived without it mainly because I already replace it with rows and so on.

#9

Its nice that you want to help your friend and all, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep if he does not want to deadlift. Not everyone is going to share the same goals in lifting.

#10

They only kill your back if you’re doing them wrong and not using your hips properly.
My guess is your friend of 15-20 years didnt resolve the back issues when they started to develope and just kept on going.

Any weight lifting is inherently dangerous if done wrong, even chest and arm work. Just do what you want to do and make sure you’re doing it right, you’ll be a lot bigger and stronger than them in the long term.

#11

[quote]Jeff607 wrote:
CCJDilla wrote:
Why don’t you tell him how to deadlift, to reassure him that it’s not all that bad…

If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

Besides bad form for any sort of exercise can cause injuries.

I’m definitely going to try and get him into deadlifting and squatting. I think he just works upper body because a guy he trains with does the same thing, so he kind of follows his lead…[/quote]

Look man, here’s what you do, keep doing your dead lifts with good form and continue to make impressive gains. Keep doing your squats. When you look better and have a more impressive back and you’re stronger than your friend, just say, well, told ya so…

Don’t waste your time trying to convince the naysayers with words, rather than show them with actions …

#12

[quote]CCJDilla wrote:
If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?[/quote]

it’s not considered a compound exercise, it is a compound exercise. and that fact alone is not indicative of it being good or bad, it merely means it requires movement in two or more joints in order to perform it.

that being said, deadlifts are great and you should continue to do them. tell your friend you know people who messed up their elbows and shoulders benching and that he should stop and see what he says.

#13

[quote]polo77j wrote:
Jeff607 wrote:
CCJDilla wrote:
Why don’t you tell him how to deadlift, to reassure him that it’s not all that bad…

If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

Besides bad form for any sort of exercise can cause injuries.

I’m definitely going to try and get him into deadlifting and squatting. I think he just works upper body because a guy he trains with does the same thing, so he kind of follows his lead…

Look man, here’s what you do, keep doing your dead lifts with good form and continue to make impressive gains. Keep doing your squats. When you look better and have a more impressive back and you’re stronger than your friend, just say, well, told ya so…

Don’t waste your time trying to convince the naysayers with words, rather than show them with actions … [/quote]

x2

#14

[quote]iamthewolf wrote:
CCJDilla wrote:
If a deadlift is considered a compound exercise it can’t be too bad?

it’s not considered a compound exercise, it is a compound exercise. and that fact alone is not indicative of it being good or bad, it merely means it requires movement in two or more joints in order to perform it.

that being said, deadlifts are great and you should continue to do them. tell your friend you know people who messed up their elbows and shoulders benching and that he should stop and see what he says.[/quote]

I was trying to say that if it’s such a basic movement, it should do some good for you.

#15

your “friends” are simply idiots. nuff said.

#16

This is just like how you can find people who have “messed up their knees” from doing “squats” when if you ever got the chance to watch them “squat” you would realize that they weren’t proper squats at all.

Think about this - powerlifters have (I think) the lowest injury rates in sports, and yet they all deadlift weights that 99% of us can only dream of ever being able to lift. Or how about how Olympic lifters have really healthy knees - and yet they pull insane amounts of weights at insanely high speeds.

#17

you can always tell him ‘bench will fuck up your shoulders’ and just play his game. And when your deadlifts build you bigger and better traps/shoulders/forearms/legs than him, just laugh and say ‘man these deadlifts must not work!’.

#18

Any exercise when not done properly can cause injuries. Heck people even injure their lower back from lifting groceries. Teach him proper form and the benefits of doing deadlifts will outweigh any possible risks. You should make him realise that not working his back and legs is a bad move, both aesthatically and health reasons. Next time the two of you go to the beach or the pool, let someone take photos of the two of you from the back without your shirts on.

#19

i got hurt doing deadlifts. hurt bad.
i still do them.
respect the deadlift.

#20

Also we should remember that many people will have existing problems that they weren’t even aware of…lack of mobility, muscular compensation, poor neural connections that were the actual cause of their previous injury and not the deadlifting.

I think the bottom line is, the deadlift is safe when done with proper form by a healthy, fully functioning trainee.