Are Deadlifts necessary?

[Darcy Tucker]

What I mean is will I get as good of results with my back development if I take them out. As you guys probably know I cannot do these right. My shins get cut up and i simply feel like something is wrong when I do them.

I do heavy squats on leg day and my back day looks like this....

all back exercises are two sets of 8,6

-weighted pull ups
-t bar rows
-close grip pull downs (instead of deadlifts)
-shrugs

Chris I know you will say I don't need deadlifts but please tell me why. Thanks.

[Budiak]

You'll develop your back, but your lower back will get increasingly...umm...not as big as the rest of it. Deads are "primarily" a lower back exercise and I do them partially so my lower back wont give out when I'm doing standing rows and other exercises that may injure me.
Never poo-poo your lower back, because it will s### all over you.

Beeesssiiides..when you pose and you get that little "christmas tree" formation down there, it will all make sense.

[Joe Black]

I would try and do them.

Yes they work the lower back, but also work the legs and traps, forearms and more..

IMO they are a must..

Why can you not do them ?

I hear people say they cut up the shins, but how ? I can do them just fine. Nice and slow, close to the shins but ensure they don't hit your shins...

Are you tall ?

Even so you should still be able to do them by experimenting with wider/narrower grips and leg stances.....

[Pup]

Darcy,
I will tell you from personal experience that deadlifts are very beneficial. They strengthen your lower back very well. If you do sldl's you will see where this point comes into play. They aren't an absolute necessity, but unless you have some health condition that prevents you from doing them i would advise that you do them.

[Darcy Tucker]

The reason I don't like to do deads besides my shins since that can be solved with shin pads is that once I get into challenging weight I can't be sure my form is still good. When I'm doing challenging weight my butt tends to not go down and I'm not sure but my back might slightly curve. it's easy to get squat form perfect but deads are a different story. basically I'm afraid to screw up my back. The way I see it is that I'm not doing deadlifts for my legs or my traps just the back and my routine is fine for upper back and I think barbell rows and squats are sufficient for my lower back. Would't you agree?

[Adam]

If you want something for your lower back try goodmornings.
And about the bar cutting up your shins, if your in a gym try swithcing it with another bar. One at my gym cuts my shins to peices while the other one only makes them red.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

do sumo style deads.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

also, if you don't do your lower back, but continue your upper back routine, it will lead to muscle imbalance which will lead to injury.

And besides, a well developed lower back looks cool...

[Chris Rodgers]

I said it before and I'll say it again......Pansy!!!!!!!


I love deads. I love the way they hit so many muscles in my back and legs. I love the way they help strengthen my grip. I love adding weight to them. I loove that after a set, I get dizzy and need to rest for a few minutes. Yeah the deads scrape the **** out of my shins and sometimes make me bleed. I don't care. If they help me develop my strength and my body then I'm going to keep doing them and keep on getting stronger.


Btw-If you are going to do pullups, don't do the sissy pulldowns. Like someone suggested, replace them with good mornings or hyperextensions.

[Darcy Tucker]

Pansy my @ss!!!

I just don't want to screw up my back. By the way I do sumo style. I want to here what Chris has to say because he seems to feel the same way about deadlifts as I do.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

well if you are doing sumo deads then go to conventional deads and see if they make a difference.

[chris mason]

The debate rages on! Darcy, you don't NEED to do them. Myself and my friends (we weigh between 190 lbs and 310 lbs) very rarely do them and are quite big and strong thank you! If you squat, you will train the muscles of the lower body as well as your spinal erectors. Your lower back will get sufficient stimulation from squats so that it will not be a weak point. Deadlifts do very little for the lats which are the bulk of the upper back. They do train your traps, but you can hit them quite well with shrugs. For your forearms, you will stimulate them plenty with any upper back movement and curls. For all of you naysayers out there, I have a thought. Anyone who can squat with a lot of weight will be a competent deadlifter, but the same is not true in reverse. In other words, if you deadlift, but do not squat, you will not necessarily be able to handle respectable poundages in the squat. However, if you only squat and can do so with good poundages, you will also have a respectable deadlift. I think the previous statements say something as to which is the "superior" exercise. Like I have said before, the squat works the legs and glutes to a much greater degree than the deadlift and those muslces are the largest in the body. The muscles that the deadlift targets and squats do not, are worked intensely in a normal weightlifting routine anyway. I think that one should do deadlifts if they plan to powerlift, but not necessarily otherwise.

[The Cobra]

Well by god, Chris. I'm gonna agree with you 100%. Not 99.99%, one-hundred percent! So whaddaya think of that? *wink*

[Darcy Tucker]

Agreed Chris! The only problem with not doing them is the lower back and squats solve that.

[chris mason]

This is the big one, oh Lord, I'm coming to you!

[Chris Rodgers]

Very good post Chris.


I still love Deads!

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

Originally posted by LATMAN
I still love Deads!

Deads all the way baby!...

[gary]

I think one must be doing some form of deadlift, SLDL or BLDL. Simply because its very simple and efficient for building mass.

Squat
SLDL
Bench Press
Chin

Rest for a week

[chris mason]

Gary, if the deadlift merely works the same muscles that you work with squats, bicep curls, and rows to varying degrees, how is it efficient? I don't think that anyone who trains with weights on this site doesn't do bicep curls, some form of row, and squats or leg press. So, if the deadlift hits these same muscles, isn't it actually being redundant and therefore inefficient?

[breeze]

SLDL primarily hits the hams and lower back. I don't think that squats really hits the hamstrings. Besides many people believe that the best ham exercise is SLDL.

[The_Chicken_Daddy]

Originally posted by breeze
I don't think that squats really hits the hamstrings.

Oh, you'd be suprised.

[The Cobra]

Can't let that one go.. You ever go FULL depth? Remotely near or beyond shoulder-width stance? Your quads won't be the muscles that fail, no sir.

[gary]

If squats are the best exercise for gluts, deads are the best for lower back. A stronger lower back would also help improve squat poundage.

SLDL can substitute back extension, hamstring curls and shrugs at the same time. Surely efficient. Not everybody does deep squats, parallel squats do not hit hamstrings that well.

BLDL is good alternative for squats if someone is doing two full body workouts a week.

Originally posted by chris mason
Gary, if the deadlift merely works the same muscles that you work with squats, bicep curls, and rows to varying degrees, how is it efficient? I don't think that anyone who trains with weights on this site doesn't do bicep curls, some form of row, and squats or leg press. So, if the deadlift hits these same muscles, isn't it actually being redundant and therefore inefficient?

[Adam]

Whats a BLDL? bent leg deadlift?

[gary]

yes...
BLDL: bent leg deadlift