Deadlift: Does it Cause More Harm than Benefit?

Deadlifts are one of the most common exercises for many professionals and fitness enthusiasts aiming to gain strength. Some even go as far as calling it the “king of exercises.” Deadlifts are often described as a “full-body exercise” and promoted for their ability to enhance “general strength.” Some individuals incorporate deadlifts hoping to improve posture, alleviate back pain, or enhance daily activities.

In this article, we will discuss the mechanics of the deadlift, meaning how the exercise itself impacts the body, and we will also explore its transferability to daily life. Additionally, we will reference some studies that highlight the dysfunctions of the deadlift and suggest suitable alternatives for training the posterior chain of the body.

"Άτομο εκτελεί deadlift με μπάρα, αναδεικνύοντας τη σωστή και λανθασμένη στάση της πλάτης. Το κείμενο περιγράφει τα προβλήματα της κίνησης σε μόνο ένα επίπεδο (σάγγκαλ) και την ίση κατανομή βάρους, καθώς και τις εναλλακτικές ασκήσεις που προσφέρουν καλύτερη ενεργοποίηση της οπίσθιας αλυσίδας και μειώνουν τον κίνδυνο τραυματισμού."

Muscles of the Posterior Chain

The posterior chain of the body (or posterior muscles) refers to a group of muscles located along the back side of the body, crucial for stability, strength, and movement. This group primarily includes:

1. **Glutes (Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus): **: These muscles are located at the back of the pelvis and the buttocks and are responsible for hip extension and rotation.

2. **Hamstrings**: These muscles are located at the back of the thigh and contribute to knee flexion and hip extension.

3. **Erector Spinae**: These muscles extend along the spine and are responsible for maintaining body posture and spinal alignment.

4. **Latissimus Dorsi**: Located in the back, this muscle contributes to the rotation and pulling of the arm toward the body.

5. **Rhomboids, Trapezius**: These muscles help stabilize the shoulder blades and support the upper back.

Why is the Posterior Chain So Important for Human Movement?

Proper function of the posterior chain is vital for many daily activities such as walking, running, lifting objects, and maintaining a healthy posture. Strengthening this muscle group can improve core strength, reduce injury risks, and enhance overall body functionality.

Although deadlifts certainly engage muscles from the posterior chain, they may not be the ideal exercise. In fact, it can be argued that deadlifts are particularly ineffective and mechanically unsuitable for training the posterior chain.

The Mechanics of the Deadlift: Evidence That It’s an Inappropriate Exercise for the Posterior Chain.

The main issue arises when lifting the weight and the torso approaches a vertical position. While tension is distributed to the posterior chain during the deadlift’s bending phase, this force turns into compressive force as the torso becomes upright, and the center of mass (the barbell) remains close to the body.

As the body becomes vertical, there is no longer a reaction force to activate the posterior chain. Because the bar is so close to the body, there is almost purely vertical compressive force. To counteract this, some coaches recommend tightening the glutes to keep the posterior chain engaged.

Additionally, the posture commonly observed at the end of the deadlift’s lifting phase is problematic when vertical compression is applied to the spine. As many reach the standing position at the end of the exercise, they often push their hips forward, over-extend the lumbar spine, and curve the thoracic spine.

The Importance of Using the Posterior Chain to Improve Posture:

As mentioned earlier, the vertical position of the deadlift often resembles a kyphotic-lordotic posture. This places additional stress on the lumbar spine.

With each repetition, the body adapts to this posture. This likely leads to undesirable consequences, as the body gradually adjusts to a NON-neutral position.

Research also supports the notion that deadlifts should be avoided!

Let’s take a look at some studies and highlight key observations regarding the deadlift.

Electromyographic studies have generally shown that the deadlift targets the quadriceps and lumbar extensor muscles more than the hamstrings and glutes. This supports the idea that the deadlift is not particularly effective at activating the posterior chain as a whole.

Another study found that deadlifts offer minimal improvements in low back pain and may not be helpful for individuals who lack good activation of their lower back muscles. Essentially, this study concluded that deadlifts were somewhat useful in reducing back pain for people who already had good activation of the back muscles and who began with low levels of pain. On the other hand, someone with a “weak lower back” may see no benefit.

Meanwhile, strengthening the posterior chain is certainly important for reducing back pain. A meta-analysis found that exercises targeting the posterior chain (such as thoracic and lumbar extensor exercises) were more effective than general strengthening in addressing low back pain in adults.

The data shows that maintaining proper contraction of the posterior chain muscles is critical for relieving and preventing back pain. As we saw earlier, the deadlift is not particularly effective at activating most of the muscles in the posterior chain.

While some may combine deadlifts with other posterior chain exercises to create a stronger workout, using more effective exercises may be the real solution.

Remember, deadlifts have the lowest margin of error compared to other exercises. Regardless of how the exercise is performed, it carries a high risk of injury. Modern science and research cannot fully prove this, as there is limited literature on the connection between injuries and pain with deadlifts. The little research that has been done shows that injuries tend to occur in the lower back.

In Conclusion… 3 Reasons Deadlifts Can Damage Your Spine:

  1. Trapped in a Single Plane of Movement: Almost all aspects of the movement involve horizontal forces, while the human body moves multidimensionally.
  2. Requires Excessive Weight for Minimal Posterior Chain Activity: This makes you more susceptible to injury, as large amounts of weight are needed to achieve muscle fatigue.
  3. Excessive Load Distribution (50/50): While most athletic movements and daily activities require weight transfer from one leg to the other, deadlifts distribute the weight evenly.
Trapped movement in the vertical (sagittal) plane of motion.

"What Should I Do to Strengthen My Posterior Chain Without Damaging My Spine?"

When it comes to activating the posterior chain with the least risk of spinal injury, the Functional Patterns method is here to provide you with the right techniques and results to achieve this.

By using precise exercises with training that improves the way people stand, walk, run, and throw (Big 4), we can strengthen the body with minimal injury risk.

By applying techniques and exercises to optimize the Big Four, we take into account the single-leg support of the human body and strengthen the posterior chain, respecting the biological construction of the human species.

If you are precise in how you strengthen and position the body during corrective exercises to create forces related to the Big 4, you can create an efficient pattern. This way, the body transfers forces by linking muscle activations between the lower and upper body along the entire length of the posterior chain.

Results 8 months after chronic back pain due to performing deadlifts

Conclusion:

While the deadlift has become one of the most popular exercises for strengthening the posterior chain, its one-dimensional nature and the need for excessive weight make the exercise prone to injury and not ideal for targeted activation of all posterior chain muscles. While it may offer benefits under specific conditions, it is crucial to consider alternative training methods that promote overall body functionality and safety, such as the Big 4 approaches, which provide better weight distribution and improved posture.

References

  • Martín-Fuentes I, Oliva-Lozano JM, Muyor JM. Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLoS One. 2020 Feb 27;15(2):e0229507. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229507. PMID: 32107499; PMCID: PMC7046193.
  • Fischer SC, Calley DQ, Hollman JH. Effect of an Exercise Program That Includes Deadlifts on Low Back Pain. J Sport Rehabil. 2021 Feb 24;30(4):672-675. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2020-0324. PMID: 33626500.
  • Tataryn N, Simas V, Catterall T, Furness J, Keogh JWL. 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. Sports Med Open. 2021 Mar 8;7(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s40798-021-00306-w. PMID: 33683497; PMCID: PMC7940464.
  • Bengtsson V, Berglund L, Aasa U. Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Jul 17;4(1):e000382. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000382. PMID: 30057777; PMCID: PMC6059276.
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