When it comes to compound exercises, deadlifts are often regarded as the most efficient. Deadlifts work muscles that you may have never known existed. It’s all about lifting the heaviest weight you can lift.
And, by including it in your workout routine, you can work on different groups of muscles simultaneously.
Once deadlifts become a part of your exercise regime, your stamina and efficiency will be transformed for the better. Not only this, but your body’s composition will also improve.
Weightlifting is known for having a significant impact on physical appearance as it grows muscles and, with the right diet, can help you appear more toned.
Of course, many athletes and casual gym-goers do not perform deadlifts for an aesthetic impact. Instead, it’s one of the best ways to build overall strength. The muscular appearance from lifting weights is just a part of the deadlift journey.
But, if you are more interested in the aesthetic results of lifting weights, then deadlifts should certainly become a part of your workout routine.
In today’s article, we will be discussing how deadlifts change your body. We will find out what body parts are most affected and how deadlifts can help you lose weight over time.
What Is A Deadlift?
Before we delve into the effects deadlifts have on your body, let’s explain what a deadlift actually is.
A deadlift is arguably one of the simplest exercises you can add to your workout regime. All you need is a weight heavy enough for you to work hard at lifting. This can be a barbell, dumbbells, or a weight of your choice. Then, you simply lift it from the floor until it reaches the same level as your hips.
The whole movement includes a slight bend at the knees as you pick up the weight. You need to hinge down from your hips until your torso is parallel to the ground.
Once in the right position, you lift the weight but your torso becomes back in line with the rest of your body.
As with any exercise and compound movement, it is important to perform a deadlift correctly with proper form. Otherwise, there is a higher risk of injury. So, before you perform a deadlift, ensure you have someone to check your form and posture so you do not get injured.
How Deadlifts Can Change Your Body
There are a range of physical benefits from performing deadlifts. Not only do they make you stronger but they can make you look more toned resulting in a more muscular appearance.
By engaging your core and working the muscles in your back, a deadlift can improve your overall posture. If you suffer from lower back pain, a deadlift can reduce such pain.
In fact, many individuals perform deadlifts as a strength training exercise to increase muscle in specific areas. Many times, an injury can be caused by a weakness in that muscular region and there are not many better examples of this than the lower back.
Deadlifts work many different muscle groups at the same time. Therefore, they help you tone your entire body.
By repeating the exercise and practicing the movement over time, you can build and grow all the muscles deadlifts work. This results in greater muscle mass and, a welcome side effect by many, greater muscle definition.
Where should you feel deadlifts? This compound exercise utilizes several muscle groups such as:
- The quads
- The glutes
- The hamstrings
- The calves
- The lower back muscles
- The mid-back muscles
- The adductor Magnus (inner thigh)
- The abdominals
- The traps
As you can see, deadlifts work muscles in the upper and lower regions of the body. If you’re looking for a muscular appearance, deadlifts are a great place to start. All of these muscles contract together and help maintain a proper posture.
Weight lifting and resistance training generally burns more fat than dieting alone or even dieting with cardio alone.
Because deadlifts use so many muscle groups, high levels of fat loss are triggered. This is because a large number of calories are burned during the exercise. The more energy you need to perform a movement, the more fat you will burn.
Moreover, if deadlift variables such as sets, reps, and the weight are planned correctly, then muscle growth will be an inevitability. Muscle growth boosts the resting metabolic rate (RMR) which means you will burn more calories even after your workout has been completed.
Whether you use dumbbells, a trap bar, or a kettle bar, any combination of a deadlift can have a positive effect on weight loss.
You just have to plan out the right sets and reps and lift a weight that is heavy enough so the effort is enough to burn plenty of calories. Remember also to take into consideration all the important factors such as age, weight and years of training to determine how much you should be able to deadlift.
As we mentioned, it’s not all about physical appearance. Deadlifts can help you become a lot stronger so you can lift much heavier items in everyday life.
Compared to many other weightlifting exercises, such as the chess press, the deadlift is arguably the best for gaining strength as well as a toned physique.
Strength training not only helps you look more toned, but it can reduce the risk of injury. Deadlifts, in particular, also provide a whole host of general and mental health benefits that can improve your overall way of life.
Other Deadlifting Benefits
There are almost an endless list of benefits when it comes to deadlifts. Here are a few more:
- They increase primary anabolic hormones that help stimulate fat loss and muscle growth.
- Can positively impact hormonal levels, such as testosterone, which can help in muscle repair and the growth of further muscle.
- The exercise can burn more calories than running, leading to greater fat loss.
- Can help you lose belly fat. However, this should be combined with a caloric deficit diet.
- Improves and increases cardio endurance.
In Summary
Deadlifts can safely be regarded as one of the best compound exercises for building strength, growing muscle, and losing weight. This exercise engages several muscle groups throughout the body while simultaneously burning a great number of calories.
There are many benefits to performing deadlifts from increasing core strength to improving overall performance levels. So, if you want to start getting stronger and lose some pounds in the process, deadlifts should definitely become a part of your exercise routine.
Increase primary anabolic hormones that stimulate fat loss and muscle growth
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