People have been calling deadlifts ”back snappers” because they put a lot of stress on the back. Consequently, many stay away from deadlifts due to fear of back injury. But are deadlifts really that scary? Are they bad for your back?
Lamar Gant was one of the best deadlifters in the world and he was born with severe scoliosis. image source: image source: www.theironden.com;
Anything can hurt you when it’s done the wrong way.
People hurt themselves doing simple tasks – even watching TV can hurt you. If you are in a bad position, your back and neck can experience some strain. Not to mention the stress on your eyes and the damage to your soul that occurs after extensive TV consumption.
If you do the deadlift correctly, calmly and without fear, you will be much safer than you think. Of course, you should always respect the exercise because of the heavy weight.
Overcoming your fears equals growth
The higher the fear that you have to overcome, the greater the reward. Everybody can lift the pink dumbbells and look at the females running on the treadmills, but it takes a higher amount of concentration and dedication to do some real work in the gym. Be different. Get out of the average mindset community.
The only reward that you’ll get for behaving like everybody else is that you’ll become just like everybody else. Look around – it doesn’t seem like the best choice.
Train smart!
To avoid injuries, learn the right technique and treat the movement with respect. Don’t go insanely heavy unless you are a powerlifter. If you are lifting for health, there’s no need to do 1 rep max attempts. Maximum attempts may test your strength, but they don’t build it.
Deadlifting is not mandatory
The majority of the population can find a way to deadlift safely and efficiently under the right instructions. However, it would be naive to think that everybody can do the exercise safely. There are people with structural problems that may hurt themselves deadlifting. Pushing those people and playing the macho card on them is not an act of honor. The deadlift may be awesome but it’s still just an exercise. You are neither chasing demons nor saving lives by doing deadlifts.
Conclusion: Deadlifting is not bad for your back when you are doing it correctly – with arched back and the chest sticking out. In addition, your programming has to be smart, and you have to be extremely careful not to overtrain.
