Deadlifts & Hamstrings

Last time I did an Exercise of the Month column, I wrote about the squat. Many people refer to the squat as the king of exercises. There’s a saying that goes back many years that says “If you’re not squatting, you ain’t doing squat”, and there’s an element of truth to that. The primary muscle worked in most squats is the quadricep, however, the quadriceps opposing muscle, the hamstring, is perhaps the most neglected muscle in the body.

The hamstring is really only heavily used in two circumstances, when you’re sprinting, or when you’re picking up something heavy with good form. Unfortunately, today, most of us do neither. Walking and distance running don’t significantly activate the hamstrings, and no one sprints anywhere. Most people never lift anything heavy, and from watching the average person remove groceries from their trunk, I can conclusively say that very few people know how to lift with good form regardless of the load.

So if we never really use this muscle, why is it so important? Although we don’t often work the hamstrings strenuously (and hence don’t keep them strong), we do use them everyday for posture. Weak hamstrings will result in forward pelvic tilt that will cause the stomach to “pooch” outward and the rear end to stick out further behind you. If you put on a belt snugly and comfortably and look at yourself in a mirror you’ll see what I mean. Your belt should be level with the ground from the side view without having to correct the way you’re standing.

Of course the above test won’t work well if you’re significantly overweight, but the postural problem still exists. It’s not just an appearance issue either. It’s VERY complicated, and I won’t even start to get into all the interactions, but when weak hamstrings allow the pelvis to tilt, the spine and all its supporting musculature is compromised as well. Ask your chiropractor or a good orthopedic if you want a better explanation of how that all works.

This leads us to the Deadlift. As far as I’m concerned, the Deadlift and it’s derivatives are the number one exercise for not only the hamstrings but also the glutes and the lower back. Most people work the hamstrings with leg curls (the hamstrings are a bi-articulate muscle, which means they pass through both the hip and knee joints), but unfortunately for a number of reasons, the leg curl won’t do the job for these posture issues (although still a good exercise when used in conjunction with various forms of the Deadlift).

Notice I keep saying “various forms of the Deadlift”? That’s because a true Deadlift is a very complicated exercise and probably shouldn’t be attempted until you are an advanced lifter. One variation, the “Stiff Leg Deadlift”, is much more effective at activating the hamstring, as well as being easier to do properly.

However, unlike the Squat where I gave you some instructional guidance, I’m not even going to try to teach you how to Deadlift through email, as improper form in this exercise is sure to end in injury. Find someone to teach you how to do it properly.

Just so you know what I’m referring to, a Deadlift is basically picking up a weight from the ground with perfect form (using the muscles of the legs and thighs, resulting in very low loads on the spine even at heavy weights). The Stiff Leg Deadlift is the upper part of the conventional Deadlift and doesn’t utilize the quadriceps to bend the knees. A Stiff Leg Deadlift looks a lot like someone bowing with a very straight back.

But PLEASE, do not attempt to learn this exercise without instruction. Although this is one of the most beneficial exercises you can do, it is also one of the most potentially damaging if you do it wrong. It takes most clients months to master proper form, and most of them don’t even understand what they’re doing wrong for weeks. If they hadn’t been supervised, and had attempted too much weight before their form was perfect, they could have easily damaged their backs!

A few more points. The Deadlift works more muscles than just the hamstrings. Done properly the entire posterior chain is recruited. This exercise will burn MAJOR calories for days after the workout, and will hit the muscles of the lower back more effectively than any other “Core Workout” including many newer trends such as Pilates.

Also, the Deadlift isn’t just an exercise, its a teaching aid. Once you learn how to Deadlift properly, you will have learned how to pick up anything properly. This is very important, because it’s not necessarily the weight of the object you are trying to pickup that will hurt your back, but how you pick it up. Once this motion is ingrained in your muscle memory, you’ll have a greatly reduced chance of hurting your back in the future.

You could also incorporate sprints into your workout, but that’s a topic for another article.

So there you go. Find someone to teach you the Stiff leg Deadlift and start looking better (through better posture), feeling better (with a stronger lower back), and losing fat (because this exercise is so intense and uses so many muscle groups).