Deadlifts! Here is my client Lyndsay doing deadlifts from blocks. Deadlifting is a great exercise for various reasons including various benefits. How do you decide whether you should be deadlifting or not?

Usually it comes down to strength and mobility. Simply being able to pick the weight up isn’t good enough. Can you pick it up with your spine in alignment? Can you start from the bottom position with your spine in alignment? If the answer is no to 1 or 2 of those questions you’re simply not ready or you are too weak for the chosen weight you have attempted to deadlift. With those who have trouble from the bottom position I would recommend using a rack pull from pins or a deadlift from blocks like Lyndsay is demonstrating here. If you have zero experience deadlifting you will be better served with the RDL to begin with.

This done properly will have more impact on your training and will teach you how to properly stimulate your posterior chain (spinal erectors, hamstrings, gluteus etc). Once you have mastered the RDL with dumbbells / barbell then try from the floor with the standard deadlift. If a neutral spine is unachievable simply use the rack pull or deadlift from blocks. The strength benefits long term will always be better if you start with correct technique. Building a deadlift on perfect technique is essential.

Far too many gym goers rush in with bad technique on the major lifts to try and get big and strong. Building a deadlift on bad technique is the equivalent of trying to build a house on quick sand. Build technique first and the rest will come with time and effort!