THE DEAD LIFT (358 words)

The most powerful lower back exercise ever known to man. A mighty effective lift that’ll holler to you the incredible strength of erector spinae (lower back muscle group). A movement that’ll leave a stamp of a lifetime of both its strengthening prowess & also of the poor technique employed.

It’s execution is quite simple. Lay the barbell on the ground, lift it up with your hands & stand erect for the moment with the bar at its highest, positioned near the waist & then place it back on the ground. Just a few more implementational aspects:

• The grip is an alternate grip: one of our hands should have a reverse grip (palm facing up) & the other a normal grip (palm facing down). This is done to support the humongous loading that goes into a dead lift. Wrist straps may also be used for a surer grip. Loosening of grip en course the lift is commonplace.

• Never round the back: Neither should the back at any instant go below the parallel (this applies to even the most trifling of physiological activities-no matter how taut, toned & perfectly shaped your back may be, the hip should NEVER rise above the back)
• Continuing with the last point: in the ideal lift, the hip (& the butt) should lift with the bar (up to the knees), with the back at all points taut & straight. From the knees the bar may be slid on the thighs (or otherwise) to its highest position.
• Dead lift, however isn’t a standardized lift, i.e. since it’s not an Olympic sport (rather not a part of any Olympic sport) various power lifting bodies prescribe varyingly finer nuances for a valid lift.
• Major effect: Erector spinae
• Minor effect: pretty much the entire body, the trapezius (the entire back as well), biceps, biceps femoris. Even the chest as the chest should be held up proud while standing up with the bar.
• Stabilizers: thighs, the entire back.

Dead lift is an out and out power move. Lower number of repetitions (even one rep max) with heavier weights is the way to go.