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2003/04/23, 06:22 PM
Recently, there have been a lot of posts regarding the squat and the deadlift. This is a good thing, in the sense that more and more people are learning the benefits of these incredible lifts. So, I thought I’d clear up a few items. “But rev8ball,” you might say, “I don’t need to be able to pick 650 pounds off the floor! What can you tell me?” That may be true, but when it comes to form, believe me when I say that I know squat.
Both of these are considered full body and compound lifts – yes, even the squat, if done correctly. But let’s look at each one individually.
First, the squat - let’s start at the top: the bar should be placed on your shoulders where comfortable. For many people, it’s that little groove that’s below your traps and above your scapula. You can even go lower, which will improve your leverage, but not so low that it forces you to bend forward. Try to keep your elbows as much under the bar as possible; the further out behind you that your elbows point, the more forward force is placed on your waist. Your head must be in an upright position; find a fixed spot on the wall directly in front of you, and never take your eyes off it during the entire lift. Keep your back straight/arched and tight, as well as your abs. Shoulder width for your foot spacing is a good place to start, but people have their own preferences. A wider stance allows you to bring more of your hips in to play, while a very narrow stance focuses on your quads (but at the same time, puts more stress on your lower back). As you start your descent, lower yourself as if you were sitting down in a chair; in other words, push the glutes back. By doing this, you will keep the knees from going forward, which, in turn, makes your shins leave their 90 degree position, which, of course, takes your whole body out of midline and screws up your center of gravity, also placing additional strain on your lower back. The bottom of the lift is when your upper legs become parallel to the ground. I don’t care what you’ve heard in any other fitness book from armchair “experts” – there is no need to go lower than this, unless you are training for an Olympic lift. After reaching the bottom, it’s now time for the push home. Don’t think so much about pushing with your feet as much as pushing the bar up (which is what we are trying to do). This will help keep your body straight and help prevent it from leaning. At the end, do not lock out your knees. Again, this will just knock your whole body’s form out of whack. A very important note: this lift is not accomplished by using just one muscle group, either. Remember the “full-body workout” remark? When done correctly, the squat will include (on the ascent, for example) the calves, hams, quads, glutes, lower and upper back. Even the arms are included: what do you think holds on to that bar for dear life? Think of that chain of muscle groups like an electrical circuit firing off in the correct order. This will help you get the most out of the exercise.
On to the deadlift. This is actually quite a simple exercise: Bend over and pick up something from the floor. But there is a method to the madness. This time, we start from the bottom. For a traditional lift, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, with your shins touching the bar. Squat down and grasp the bar about 4-6 inches out from your footing; most people prefer the over/under positioning of the hands. Make sure that you keep your shins as close to 90 degrees to the floor as possible, thereby preventing you from leaning forward and adding stress to the lower back. Keeping your back straight/arched and tight, and your head always level, begin the big pull. It’s a little easier to understand the lift if you look at it this way: your upper body is pulling the weight off the floor, while your lower body is pushing your upper body to stand up. Focus on the correct firing order, like mentioned above, and the bar will move correctly. Always keep the bar as close to the body as possible (scraped up shins and thighs are part of heavy deadlifts). Also, upon the ascent, never let your butt rise first or above your shoulders. If you do this, you are basically turning this into a Good Morning lift, and putting waaaaaaaay too much strain on your lower back. Do not use your biceps to pull the weight; they are much smaller muscles that your back, etc., and you will easily tear them trying to turn this heavy lift into a curl. Finally, keep your abs tight, and never relax your chest and shoulder girdle. When you get to the top, there are three big no-nos that people who don’t know what they are doing always perform: do not lock out your knees; do not lean back once the lift is completed; and do not roll your shoulders back. All that these movements will do will be to knock you out of balance and place unnecessary stress (and possibly damage) smaller and more vulnerable muscle groups. Now, lower the weight in the reverse of what you just did, making sure to keep tight form and control, and not the letting the weight drop.
To some, these two sound awfully simple; to others, much too complicated to even attempt. They are a little bit of both. In theory, both the deadlift and the squat are very simple movements… basic physics. However, they can be tough, and when done correctly, and with some sufficient pounds, these lifts (which I call “Hell on Earth”) will give you fantastic results, as well as improve almost every other lift that you do. I hope that this helps, and clears some things up. As always, email me here at FTs if you have any questions…
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Michael
"Trample the weak; hurdle the dead!"
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