I believe the use of the barbell is the training method most proposed by coaches for their athletes in order to train strength. Unfortunately,, at the same time it often happens that this training tool is not used correctly
Which is why De Motu felt the need, for their readers, to propose an article by Prof. Furio Barba Phd. By title:
“The deadlift and its variations”
An article that searches, in the context of the use of overloads with the barbell, to put a little’ of order and clarity regarding use (sometimes messy) of this exercise.
I hope that this work by Prof. Furio Barba can be useful for anyone who wants to delve deeper into this topic
Happy reading
Giulio Rattazzi
The deadlift is an exercise where the weight is lifted from the ground and brought back to the ground; It is an exercise used to improve strength and power. The execution takes place with the athlete positioning himself behind the barbell located on the ground, who bends his legs to grasp it with outstretched hands and arms and lift him until he reaches a standing position with his legs completely extended. With this exercise you can lift the heavier loads thanks to a broad participation of the muscles of our body such as those of the trunk (of the abdomen, of the back, especially spinal erectors and trapezius muscles), of the upper limbs (triceps and biceps), of the buttocks and lower limbs (quadriceps and hamstrings). In this exercise, execution requires particular attention in coordinating the hip joints with each other, of the knee and ankle.
The correct movement technique during the deadlift exercise has been extensively covered (Baechle & Earle, 2008; Costill, Wilmore, & Kenny, 2012), However, although there are rules surrounding the form of movement “correct” of the deadlift, it seems that incorrect form is common in powerlifting (Keogh et al., 2006; Keogh & Pearson, 2003; Siewe et al., 2011). In particular, after analyzing some powerlifting videos, High-level athletes are often found to be using potentially dangerous forms of movement during maximal lifts. It is believed that this event depends on a number of aspects; in particular, while classic training guidelines attribute value to a safe and correct form of movement, in attempts to obtain the maximum possible weight lifted, a reflection of the main objective highlights a potentially harmful different approach. This can potentially allow dangerous movement patterns and technical inclusions to occur during these high load events (Keogh & Pearson, 2003).
Traditionally the deadlift (o deadlift, literally “dead weight lifting”), it is performed using a conventional barbell; there are some variations made by changing the position of the legs, or the starting direction of the movement, or the type of barbell.
There are some variations:
- deadlift from the ground with straight legs; consists of carrying out the exercise keeping the knees tense or slightly bent and still throughout the movement.
- Romanian deadlift; it begins from above and not from the ground, It is also called the dead weight deadlift and has the characteristics of the straight-legged deadlift position, that is, the legs are vertical and immobile throughout the movement.
- sumo deadlift; you approach the load with your feet wider than your shoulders, you hold the barbell with your arms tight inside your legs and your torso is more upright, then the movement is performed with the classic procedure.
- deadlift hack; it is performed with the barbell positioned behind the body vertically under the buttocks.
- trap bar deadlift; it is carried out using a barbell which can have a "square" shape, “rhomboidal”, or “hexagonal”, that is, a barbell with a non-straight bar. To perform the deadlift with the aid of the trap bar, the athlete must enter inside the barbell formed by the design of the bar and perform the lift by grabbing the appropriate handles.
We now proceed to illustrate the characteristics of the traditional deadlift and its variations, then comparing them, presenting their advantages and disadvantages.
Traditional deadlift
Biomechanical aspects
The deadlift is frequently used to develop maximal strength based on the hypothesis that lifting heavy loads generates large muscle forces and stimulates adaptation.; while regarding power Garhammer and McLaughlin report that the average power produced in the deadlift is from half to a third of that developed during the snatch and the clean sweep. The lower power produced during the takeoff was attributed to the low vertical velocities generated during the movement.
Numerous studies have quantified the biomechanical variables during the deadlift and the results have shown that they occur (in correct actions), large muscle moments with the greatest values recorded at the hip level, followed by the lumbar spine, from the ankle and knee. Some studies have reported very large disc compression forces during deadlift; Cholewicki et al. recorded compression forces of the L4 disc / L5 between 14.350 and 17.192 N, and in world-class athletes who lift extremely heavy loads, Lumbar disc compression forces of up to have been reported 36.400 N. As a consequence of the very large internal forces and moments imposed during detachment, it is clear that there is a high risk of injury.
During the execution of the movement, to avoid risk of injury, It is extremely important that the center of mass of the barbell is as close as possible to that of the athlete; in this way the moment arm of the external resistance is reduced to a minimum.
In fact, to lift a load in the most rational way possible, it is necessary to reduce the moments of force in the various joints involved in the movement. The decrease in the moment of force can occur due to a decrease in force (hence the acceleration), or the lever arm of the moment of force itself. Not being able to act on the acceleration which cannot be decreased, the only possible alternative is to act by reducing the lever arm, bringing the center of mass of the barbell as close as possible to that of the body. We will try, therefore to bring the c.d.m. closer. of the balance wheel (not coinciding with that of the athlete at the beginning of the movement), to that of the athlete during the trajectory of the initial take-off from the ground and the maximum approach will take place when the barbell reaches the knee. The trajectory of the barbell during the lift will be, therefore curvilinear in its first part before becoming vertical. In the next figure 1 the trajectory of the barbell up to its verticalization is shown.
Fig. 1 – Trajectory of the barbell during the deadlift.
This trajectory is curvilinear up to the knee but triggers, but, a horizontal speed (not higher than the vertical lifting of the barbell), which "disturbs" the lifting by influencing it and causing a decrease in vertical speed. Once past the knee, the barbell has a vertical upward trajectory during which the maximum vertical movement speed of the barbell is reached; straightening the trunk strongly influences this vertical trajectory.
Keep in mind that in powerlifting the deadlift action is more vertical than in weightlifting (see figure 2), as this is one of the competition exercises while for weightlifting it is a moment of transition both in the snatch and in the momentum.
Fig. 2 – Action of the traditional deadlift with the powerlifting technique.
(figures of S. Beraldo mod.)
In the weightlifting technique, the execution takes place with the extension of the lower limbs, of the torso and with shoulder lifting (see figure 3), in powerlifting the deadlift ends when the hip and knee joints are completely open (see figure 2).
Fig. 3 – Action of the traditional deadlift with the weightlifting technique. Above is a transversal view, below is a side view.
(figures of S. Beraldo mod.)
As previously stated, when positioning yourself behind the barbell, the athlete will leave a space of 1 massimo 2 cm between the tibia and the barbell with the aim of:
- do not bring the tibia too far forward while closing the angle at the ankle (differently from what happens when lifting the barbell from the ground in the momentum exercise), limiting the curved trajectory of the balance wheel which is thus a little more straight
- do not keep the tibia vertical which would result in an angle that is too open at the knees and a pelvis that is too high
The detachment of the barbell must occur without that:
- the knees move backwards from the vertical as this would cause a backward unbalancing of the subject which would be followed by a compensation with the forward unbalancing of the shoulders and a flexion of the torso
- the knees are vertical as this would involve lifting the barbell only by the torso, thus placing an excessive load on the back
The lifting will take place with a coordinated action of straightening the legs and torso, keeping in mind that when the barbell reaches knee height there will be a critical moment called "sticking point", when, that is, the force expressed and the resistance to be overcome reach a very similar condition and the speed of movement is close to zero. If it is true that the deadlift is the strength exercise par excellence where strength is developed regardless of the speed of execution of the exercise, it is also true that speed still has its importance. Following this it must be considered that:
- when the speed is zero the lift fails due to lack of lift
- to avoid the sticking point in the initial phase of the lift you must produce a greater acceleration than the negative one in the second phase, so you need to be able to produce more force in the initial phase
Therefore, when the barbell is at knee level, its greater speed will allow you to tolerate greater slowdowns and thus pass the most difficult moment of the trajectory more easily.. Mechanically this difficulty is due to the fact that when the barbell is at knee height it is also at the maximum distance from the coxofemoral joint and the flexion of the torso is maximum, and this is a condition in which the mechanical torque induced by the load on the back is maximum and the maximum distance between this and the coxofemoral joint is maximum (see figure 4).
Fig. 4 – The moment of the stiking point during the action of the traditional deadlift.
A correct position will be essential to continue the movement and give rise to a positive execution, while an incorrect position will result, to overcome the difficulty, two wrong actions:
- a verticalization of the torso due to an anticipated extension of the coxofemoral joint in the face of an unchanged extension of the knee joint, which is mainly implemented by the erector muscles of the back (with excessive strain on the back)
- a retreat of the pelvis due to an earlier extension of the knee joint compared to the coxofemoral joint, resulting in the barbell moving away from the body (at that point the recovery of the position will occur with a straightening of the torso and consequent excessive strain on the back)
Height of the weights
As a starting point for the deadlift, the one dictated by the competitive rules is preferable, adopting discs with a diameter of 45 cm, causes the center of the barbell to be 22.5cm from the ground. The use of these measurements ensures that the barbell is approximately halfway up the height of the tibia and that the thighs are approximately parallel to the ground and the pelvis is in line with them and not lower, in this case it becomes more difficult to maintain the anteroverted pelvis, the sacrum in nutation and the hamstrings in a pre-tensioned state; if using weight plates with a smaller diameter, it is advisable to use raises on which to place the discs.
Initial position
The feet are spaced about shoulder-width apart and hip-width apart, with the tips pointing slightly outwards (see figure 5 a sx). The grip of the hands is closed, that is, it occurs with the thumbs facing inward and the distance between the hands is slightly wider than shoulder width, other types of grip are not recommended (see figure 5 a dx); the hands grasp the barbell on the outside of the knees with the elbows in full extension. The hips are low, the back is flat and hyperextended, the shoulders are high, the trapezius is relaxed, the shoulder blades are retracted, the chest is up and out, the head is erect, looking forward or slightly upwards.
Figure 5: On the left the positioning of the feet and on the right types of grips in the traditional deadlift. (figures of S. Beraldo)
The rising phase
The barbell is lifted by simultaneously opening the angles of the hips and knees, the back remains flat , the upper limbs remain extended, the barbell does not move away from the legs. Past the knees the hips come forward and the barbell is above the knees and close to the thighs, the shoulders are high and facing backwards. The final position is with the lower limbs and hips extended, the trunk is completely erect with shoulders high and backwards.
The descent phase
The lower limbs and hips bend in coordinated action, the back is flat and the shoulders are turned backwards, the torso does not bend forward, the barbell descends, remaining adherent first to the thighs and then to the legs until it contacts the ground.
Muscles involved
Major muscles: Spinal erectors, gluteus maximus, ischocrural
Accessory muscles: Trapeze, large dorsal, forearm muscles, quadriceps, great adductor
Deadlift with straight legs
As said at the beginning, consists of carrying out the exercise keeping the knees tense or slightly bent and still throughout the movement. This condition of immobility of the legs (that is, maintaining the angle of the knees), it can be performed by keeping the legs tense from the beginning of the deadlift movement from the barbell; the condition of extension of the legs means that the quadriceps muscles are not involved in the exercise, while forcing the gluteal and lumbar muscles to exert maximum effort. This translates into a very high load on the back and is therefore an exercise that is not recommended due to the high risk of injury..
The straight-legged deadlift exercise begins with the barbell resting on the ground as in the traditional deadlift and with the same positioning of the feet. The torso is flexed forward at approximately 90° with the back flat but not hyperextended. At this point there are two methods: the first (classico), requires the torso to straighten while keeping the legs tense and the barbell not touching the body (see figure 6).
Figure 6 – On the left, diagram of the deadlift with straight legs, on the right execution.
The second which is carried out by those who have good joint mobility of the spine and which can be performed from the ground or standing on a plinth and which involves the torso bent forward and the back curved; definitely not recommended due to the high risk of injury (see figure 7).
Fig. 7 – Variations of the straight-legged deadlift: On the left, execution from above a plinth.
On the right, floor execution.
Muscles involved
Major muscles: Spinal erectors, gluteus maximus, hamstrings
Accessory muscles: Large dorsal, forearm muscles
Romanian deadlift
As said at the beginning, it starts from above and not from the ground; It is also called the dead weight deadlift and has the characteristics of the straight-legged deadlift position, that is, the legs are vertical and immobile throughout the movement. Precisely for this reason some people often confuse the two exercises.
The movement starts from above and therefore provides, unlike the traditional deadlift, an initial eccentric contraction. The exercise begins with the same positioning of the feet as the traditional deadlift and the barbell is gripped by detaching it from supports positioned at an adequate height. The torso is flexed forward by moving the pelvis backwards while the knees bend with the legs remaining vertical. Finish the descent just before the barbell hits the ground, the ascent begins (concentric phase of the movement) with a strong extension of the hip and retracing the same trajectory as the descent. The barbell is always kept close to the body along a vertical trajectory (see figure 8).
Figure 8 – On the left, diagram of the Romanian deadlift, on the right execution
There is also a variant, little applied, which involves positioning on a plinth and an action that starts from above, keeping the legs tense during the movement; This is a variant that combines the Romanian deadlift and the straight-legged deadlift. A further difference with both the Romanian deadlift and the straight-legged deadlift is that during the exercise the barbell is moved away from the body during the descent and brought closer together during the ascent with the consequent curvature of the lumbar region to stimulate the muscles more. muscles of this region and limit the activation of the gluteal region (see figure 9). This exercise also involves a very high load on the back and is therefore an exercise that is not recommended due to the high risk of injury..
Fig. 9 – Variation of the Romanian deadlift.
Running from above a plinth with legs extended.
Muscles involved
Major muscles: Spinal erectors, gluteus maximus, hamstrings
Accessory muscles: Large dorsal, forearm muscles, quadriceps
Deadlift hack
As mentioned at the beginning, it is performed with the barbell positioned behind the body vertically under the buttocks.
The position of the torso is slightly inclined forward, therefore the lumbar muscles are less stressed; in this way the thigh muscles are particularly engaged. The exercise begins with the barbell positioned on the ground as in the traditional deadlift, but it is located behind and under the buttocks of the subject who holds it with his hands with a closed grip with opposite thumbs. The positioning of the feet and their distance are the same as the traditional deadlift, the distance between the hands is slightly greater than that of the shoulders; the torso is slightly bent forward and the back is contracted with its natural curvature with the shoulder blades adducted, the head is straight and the gaze is directed forward or slightly upwards, the hips are at the same height or slightly lower than the knees. Lifting occurs with a coordinated action of opening the knee and hip angles and straightening the torso; the barbell is close to the legs and travels in a straight upward trajectory. For the great closure of the knee angle that the position of the handle entails, the exercise in question places this joint under particular stress (see figure 10).
Figure 10 – On the left diagram of the deadlift hack, on the right execution
Muscles involved
Major muscles: Quadriceps, tensor fascia lata
Accessory muscles: Gluteus maximus, ischio crurali, piriform, quadrate femoris, great adductor, forearm muscles
Sumo deadlift
As mentioned at the beginning, approach the load with your feet wider than your shoulders, you hold the barbell with your arms tight inside your legs and your torso is more upright, then the movement is performed with the classic procedure. The positioning of the feet is with the toes slightly turned out, the legs are vertical, the buttocks are slightly higher than the knees; the barbell is almost on the center of the foot and closer to the legs than in the traditional deadlift. During the lift, the legs extend and the hips move forward in a movement that is more of abduction/adduction than flexion/extension; the smaller the distance between the hips and the barbell will be. the greater the vertical action will be. The more vertical position of the torso exposes the back to less risk of injury (see figure 11).
Fig 11 – Above diagram of the sumo deadlift, on the left execution.
There are two variations to the classic sumo deadlift: the half sumo and the wide.
- In the classic position the legs are positioned in correspondence with the ring (the 5mm unknurled space visible in the figure 12).
- The half sumo position requires the legs to be positioned inside the ring.
- The wide position requires the legs to be positioned outside the ring.
Figure 12 – Division diagram of the Olympic barbell and its measurements
Muscles involved
Major muscles: Spinal erectors, gluteus maximus, great adductor, quadriceps
Accessory muscles: Hamstrings, forearm muscles, trapezoid
Deadlift with trap bar
As already mentioned at the beginning, it is carried out using a barbell which can have a "square" shape, “rhomboidal”, or “hexagonal”, that is, a barbell with a non-straight bar. To perform the deadlift with the aid of the trap bar, the athlete must enter inside the barbell formed by the design of the bar and perform the lift by grasping the appropriate handles in a neutral position of the forearm on both sides of the body (see following figure). The more upright position of the trunk causes less stress on the lumbar region and exposes the back to less risk of injury. During the lift there is no "stiking point" at the knee (critical point of the lift), therefore lifting is a little quicker and easier. The barbell does not drag near the legs and does not cause abrasions (see figure 13). The more upright position of the trunk causes less stress on the lumbar region and exposes the back to less risk of injury. It allows greater exercise speed without running the risk of injury, and lifting heavier loads.
Fig. 13 – Above left, deadlift with the trap bar. Top right side view of the execution. (figures of S. Beraldo, mod.)
On the left, transversal view of the execution.
Muscles involved
Major muscles; Spinal erectors, gluteus maximus, quadriceps
Accessory muscles: Hamstrings, forearm muscles, trapezoid
Comparing techniques
In the comparison between traditional deadlift and straight-legged deadlift, it is possible to find in the latter a considerable load on the back. In the figure 14 of left (that is, the traditional deadlift), it is possible to see how the lever arm formed between the common center of gravity of the body and the barbell with respect to the L5-S1 vertebrae, is half compared to the same lever arm in the figure 14 of the right (that is, the deadlift from the ground with straight legs). The consequences are of two types: the first is that even lifting a modest load determines, in the straight-legged deadlift, a significantly higher load on the back compared to the traditional deadlift; the second is that in the straight-legged deadlift the load acts in shear and not in compression on the front edge of the vertebrae and the discs are pushed backwards, resulting in a significant load on the back compared to the traditional deadlift which increases the risk of injury.
Fig. 14 – Deadlift action.
On the left according to the traditional take-off technique.
On the right according to the straight-legged deadlift technique
(figures of S. Beraldo)
Furthermore, in the straight-legged deadlift, the tension exerted by the hamstring muscle group slows down the retroversion movement of the pelvis, preventing it from aligning with the spinal column.; the resulting kyphotic curve of the back increases the load on the spinal erectors with a greater risk of injury.
Performing the straight-legged deadlift (see figure 15 of left), inoltre, Strongly stretches your hamstrings. Consequently, the pelvis remains blocked and does not rotate adequately on the hip joint; compensation follows through lumbar kyphosis and related abnormal load on the vertebrae.
On the contrary, the execution which involves the semi-bending of the legs during the "detachment" phase (see figure 15 on the right), relieves tension due to stretching of the hamstring muscles, as it brings the extreme insertion ends closer. This way the pelvis and spine are aligned.
Fig. 15 – Effects of leg position on the hamstring muscles during the deadlift.
To the left during the straight-legged deadlift
To the right during the half-bent deadlift.
(figures of S. Beraldo)
Furthermore, the electrical activity of the spinal muscles varies during forward bending of the torso (see figure 16), and it almost disappears with the bending of the torso close to 90°; the consequence is that with the torso flexed forward at approximately 90°, the load is essentially supported by the articular ligaments of the vertebrae and by the aponeuroses (muscle bands).
Fig. 16 – Aelectrical activity of the back muscles during torso flexion (figures of S. Beraldo)
In the comparison between traditional deadlift and Romanian deadlift, can be found, at the level of the latter, less tension on the back than the straight-legged deadlift but still very high; the work places less strain on the quadriceps and is very heavy on the glutes and hamstrings. Overall, the posterior chain is strongly and more stressed in the Romanian deadlift than in the traditional one, therefore, the greater load on the spinal erectors leads to a greater risk of injury.
In the comparison between traditional deadlift and sumo deadlift, the latter places greater strain on the buttocks, the hips, the adductors, and the quadriceps with less impact on the hamstrings, spinal erectors and on the spine. Compared to the traditional deadlift where the movement is mainly borne by the coxofemoral joint, the sumo deadlift has the movement mainly borne by the knee; the hip muscles in the sumo deadlift will have a primarily stabilizing function while in the traditional deadlift it also has a rising function, and, always in the sumo deadlift, the upward push will be provided by the opening of the angle of the knees. Lifters with injuries or back pain can practice the sumo deadlift as an alternative to the traditional deadlift.
In the comparison between traditional deadlift and trap bar deadlift, it is possible to find that the hip (above all), the knee, the ankle have a wider degree of closure in the traditional takeoff. Furthermore, with the trap bar the load is positioned closer to the body exactly under the vertical projection of the subject's center of gravity while in the traditional deadlift the center of gravity of the barbell is advanced and therefore during lifting the body must adapt to a different position due to a different center of gravity global (body and barbell) different from that of the body alone; the load, then, it is distributed more evenly across the trunk, the hip and ankle and limits stress on the lower back and tension on the hamstrings by shifting the tension more to the quadriceps. In this way, for the load to be lifted on the same line as the subject's center of mass and for the absence of the stiking point, with the deadlift performed with the trap bar, a vertical and uninterrupted lifting action is obtained with the result of having expressions of strength, higher speed and power than the traditional deadlift.
Ph.D. Furio Barba
