Bodybuilding Training: Dead Lift Safety Tips

Having a strong back will get you a greater amount of bodybuilding titles than any other muscle group. Take a glance at the names of former Mr. Olympia champions. Dorian Yates used his unusually massive and thick back to beat out bodybuilders who had much better chest and arms. Ronnie Coleman also found this useful. He had a wider back than anyone else, and he used his back to out shine the other competitors and win the Mr. Olympia title eight times. When Coleman hurt himself and didn't have the advantage of his huge back, Jay Cutler stepped right in and beat him with a massive back.

So considering that the back might be the most essential muscle group in bodybuilding, than that would make the dead lift is the most essential exercise in the sport. The dead lift is one of the most effective exercises used in the gym. This will hit the upper and lower sections of the back, the legs, glutes, arms, and other muscle areas too. It is the first of three exercises used mainly to build mass, grouped with squats and bench presses.

The procedure of the deadlift is easy to understand: Pick the barbell up. Put it on the floor and stand over it. Grip the bar with the knees bent a little bit. Lift the weight up in a smooth motion, and then lean back towards the end of the motion to lock out for a quick second. Then lower the weight in a slow motion down to the floor. The legs shoot the weight up, and the back controls the body for the whole duration of the motion.

If your lower back lasts longer than your grip while performing this exercise, which is pretty typical for thinner trainers, use chalk and wrist wraps for assistance in order to hold the barbell for longer. Most of the time, your hands and forearms are the weaker elements in the exercise, which can cause back muscles to lose gains.

You need to keep your back vertical and tight. You should be moving the weight in a calm and slow way. The exercise should not involve any kind of jerking around, and the back should never be in a rounded position. You need to keep your head up, which will cause the back to remain straight and prepared to lift the weight without over stressing the spinal cord.

It's important to get a weight belt for dead lifting. Since the lower back is usually a weak area for most people, caution needs to be taken when attempting this exercise for the first time. Done correctly, this exercise can build mega muscle mass for the back and keep you free from injury.