Muscle Evolution Muscle_Evolution_-_December_2014 | Page 54

M . E
FEATURE
“ I normally do deadlifts when I do my legs and then on back day I do the back entirely separately with other exercises . When I do legs , I normally start on the quads and then move to hamstrings which may include training with deadlifts ,” explains Goliya .
“ It depends on every individual , but talking about me personally , I think when you do your back , do your back how you see fit , when you do your legs , do your legs in a way that works for you . For me , I put the deadlift with my legs day because I get very good results that way .
“ The form also plays a part , it depends how you do the move . When you are doing the moves properly , this also means you can do different variations of the exercise . Do you bend your knees or do you keep them stiff in order to really target the hamstrings and glutes ? What do you want to work on ? The deadlift works the whole posterior chain .”
Norman Sithole agrees that the deadlift is a very versatile exercise , but his first answer is “ back ”.
“ A deadlift is for the back , including lower back and latissimus dorsi , but in fairness really , it works two ways . You can
do deadlifts for your hamstrings as well but it all depends on which variation of the deadlift you are doing ,” he says .
“ For instance , if you are doing back , you can do traditional deadlifts with your knees bent and really feel it all through your back , but if you are doing a stiff-legged deadlift you can really pull from your hamstrings and your glutes . So basically , for me a deadlift is there for different purposes . The way I use deadlifts , and change which version I do , is for my needs . If I want to do stiff-legged deadlifts , it is for hamstrings and glutes , and when I bend my knees I am trying to hit my lower back and latissimus dorsi .”
He also sees more value in the deadlift than mere targeting of muscles for size . “ Look , the deadlift also plays another role : it is very good to build up that strength around your lower back which supports you when you are doing squats . Many people lean forward a bit with squats , and so a stronger lower back will help to keep you upright while squatting . According to me , this is one of the main benefits of doing deadlifts , as well as really building up good overall strength .”
MAVERICK PUBLISHING CORPORATION MEMBERS , WHEN DO YOU PERFORM THE DEADLIFT ?
ANDREW CARRUTHERS : Back
DEVLIN BROWN : Back and power – traditional deadlift ; Glutes and hamstrings – Romanian deadlift
VINESH NAIR : Back – traditional deadlift Legs – stiff-legged deadlift with dumbbells
PEDRO VAN GAALEN : Power day . Compound power movements ( functional sports training )
CORY SCHMITZ : Lower body compound that forms part of full-body hypertrophy and strength training
TANJA SCHMITZ : Lower body , hipdominant movement

SO , IS THE DEADLIFT FOR LEGS OR BACK , OR BOTH ?

As you can see , there is no simple answer to this question because of the very nature of the move . It is the biggest compound movement you can perform , and the furthest thing from a bodypartspecific isolation movement . However , when one looks at the sheer number of muscle fibres targeted in the back it is clear why so many , if not most , bodybuilders use the traditional version on back day and a stiff-legged version on leg day .
In fact , for this article , most people we haven ' t quoted answered like this : “ Back . But if you do Romanian deadlifts or other stiff-legged variations your hammies and glutes get a good workout .” However , even with a hanging , or stiff-legged deadlift , the erector spinae and other back muscles get a very good workout as they work to keep your spine neutral under load . And this brings up the very important point of being aware of just how much the deadlift actually works . When you are doing back the day after a massive hamstrings and glutes workout where you hammered the Romanian deadlifts , just keep in mind that your back has already had a good go the day before . Then , when talking to more functional trainers and people who lift for sport or strength , the deadlift is seen as either a hipdominant movement for hip extension power , or as one of the three powerlifting moves that builds huge power and strength .
Looking at the deadlift , let ’ s have a look at what Phil Heath had to say to Shawn Perine , a senior writer for Weider Publications in 2012 before he added three more Olympia titles :
“ One such area that I knew I had to bring up was my back . I had been hammering on it since I first started training seriously , but for me , my back just took a while to grow . I always felt I could have one of the best backs in bodybuilding , but unlike my arms , which responded even with minimal training , my back took work and patience ... Right now , we ’ re looking at adding middle back thickness . We want to see more detail in the spinal erector area and see the lower lats filled out a little more ...
“ We ’ re talking about adding partial deadlifts to my back routine , which is something Jay does . The reason we ’ re going to do partials rather than full deadlifts from the floor is that I don ’ t want to add mass around my hips and glutes .”
That ’ s what the best bodybuilder in the world has said about deadlifts – how good they are for his back , but how he is also very aware of what it does around the hips and glutes .
In order to finish off this article in the best way to show the diversity of the deadlift , we went around the office and asked the different people working here when they perform deadlifts . Now , keep in mind that the office is made up of staff from both the bodybuilding and fitness magazines , and some people train for aesthetics and / or size and others for sport or general fitness . You will notice the difference in how they approach the deadlift . M . E
ANDREW HUDSON
52
Muscle Evolution