1. Make the Choice
These are the 9 most important conventional deadlift workout tips for a beginner to know.
First, make a commitment to your deadlift workout.
No matter your age, starting a deadlift workout can fuel your progress, both physically and in confidence.
Imagine yourself making the choice to start a deadlift workout for all of the right reasons to improve your strength, both physical and mental.
2. Deadlift Workout Tips – Early Morning
The best time that I have found to schedule a deadlift workout is in the morning, before you start the rest of your day.
Doing your deadlift workout first thing in the morning is going to ensure that you get it done.
Too many times I have thought that I will do a deadlift workout in the evening and before I know it, the hours fritter away and other things come up and poof, there goes another deadlift workout missed.
The best cure that I have found for missing workouts is to do my deadlift workout first thing in the morning.
3. Deadlift Workout Tips – Get to Sleep on Time
In order to get up early enough to get in your deadlift workout and the rest of what you need to do before starting your work day, you are going to want to get to sleep early enough.
There are many great benefits for your deadlift workout and beyond to getting to sleep early enough that you get a full restful and refreshing sleep.
I will just give you two for now – one – your testosterone levels will be higher after a full sleep which in turn is going to give you more potential strength and muscle growth and two – you will have less risk of injury from your deadlift workout because you will be more alert and relaxed when doing your deadlifts.
4. Deadlift Workout Tips – Deadlift after Squats and Leg Curls
It is always critical to warm up properly for any workout and especially for a deadlift workout.
While the deadlift is a powerful exercise with many benefits, you are still picking up weights and have to be careful to do proper form deadlifts.
I have found that the best warmup for a deadlift workout is to walk for five to ten minutes and then do some simple forward bending and leg stretches.
Then start out with leg curls on the leg curl machine that are available at most gyms.
Start out with LIGHT weights.
Do a few sets of leg curls and then go into your squat workout.
I know this is about deadlifts but doing your squats before your deadlift workout works really well.
For squats, do your typical squat workout, which I recommend be no more than 5 to 7 sets of 5 repetitions.
Keep increasing the weight of your leg curls while doing your sets of squats.
After your squats, then you can do your deadlift workout.
At this point, after having done a good 25 leg curls and squats, your legs and the rest of your body will be warmed up for your deadlift workout.
5. Deadlift Workout Tips – 5 Sets of 1 Repetition
I have tried several sets and repetitions as since I started to include a deadlift workout in my exercise program.
I find that five sets of one repetition is usually enough to build muscle and gain strength.
The reason that I like 5 sets of one repetition is so I can gradually add weight to the bar.
So a deadlift workout of 5 sets and one rep might look like this:
95 lbs – 1 rep
115 lbs – 1 rep
135 lbs – 1 rep
155 lbs – 1 rep
175lbs – 1 rep
The deadlift is a very functional exercise that uses most of the core muscles of your body, especially your back, legs, abs, arms and even your grip.
I have found that even one repetition per set is enough to start to see improvement all around and create the athletic type of build that most of us want.
If you prefer to do more than one repetition, my caution there is that as the weights get heavier, I think that there is a greater chance of back injury or pulling something when you are doing multiple repetitions.
If that is not correct, then just chime in and let me know, but when I have done multiple repetitons even in one set for my deadlift workout, I felt that there was more risk for injury.
In the meantime, till I hear otherwise, it seems prudent to do even one repetition with multiple sets and I think that five sets is enough.
6. Deadlift Workout Tips – Impress No One
There is no one to impress while you are doing your deadlift workout at 6 or 7 or 8am, right?
Good, because if you put on too much weight, more than you can handle, you run the risk of hurting yourself, and that is not what we want.
Do not care about impressing anyone.
Do not care how much weight you are using.
You are starting a deadlift workout program for yourself and for no one else.
Believe me, after a few months of consistence with your deadlift workout and you will impress those who know your previous physical condition, but when you are at the gym or in your home, there is no one to impress.
7. Deadlift Workout Tips – Increase Weight Gradually
If you have to start your deadlift workout with just a 45 lb olympic bar, then do it.
If you have to start with even less, then do that.
If you can only do air squats to practice bending down to the floor and getting back up, then do that.
There are no rules that say you have to deadlift 135 pounds or more on your first shot.
Increase your weight gradually and you will see that over the course of time, you will be lifting a weight that you never would have believed when you first started your deadlift workout.
8. Deadlift Workout Tips – Stance and Grip
Use a shoulder wide stance and grip.
Be firm in both, hold the bar firmly, keep your rear lower than your shoulders, focus on one spot on the floor or wall, take a deep breath and tighten your core, your whole body.
Stand up pushing your hips forward, smoothly and then lower the weight.
9. Deadlift Workout Tips – Flat Back
Keep your back flat, slightly arched if you must, but keep it flat during your deadlift workout.
Keep your back flat.
Keep your back flat.
Do not round your back.
You will thank yourself!
Rich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer),