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MyFitnessPal Community

Deadlift for beginner

Ajirvin

I’m thinking of deadlifting. I’ve looked up information on correct form and all, but I’m curious about how much weight to start with. My upper body isn’t very strong. I can only bench like 35 pounds. But I know lifting that way is different. What do you recommend? I’m lifting to lose weight.

Replies

misnomer1

Star with a 20kg bar on a raised platform. You can use a squat rack and safety bar to raise the minimum height of the bar.

heybales

Ditto to starting with 45 lb bar.

Do like 3 sets x 10 reps nice and slow to confirm the form is correct and being learned by muscles and Central Nervous System.

2 or 3 times weekly while it feels lighter, increase 5-10 lbs every week.

Oh - lifting to lose weight will not succeed.
Exercise in general has side effect of water weight gain for many reasons - lifting included.
It also burns as many calories as walking fast.

You lose weight by eating less than you burn on average, and while lifting will help increase what you burn by a little bit - exercise is for heart health and body transformation - it can help fat only loss or help with muscle mass loss.

At least you are doing what can help retain muscle, but don't confuse the purpose of exercise and diet.

Merely saying because of your last sentence.
You diet to lose weight.

draftsman28

Start light and perfect your form, practice the hip hinge movement in a mirror if possible. Glute Bridges can also help you feel and perfect the hip hinge movement.

Ajirvin

Thanks for yalls advice! Im dieting with my exercise to lose weight. That sentence was just meant to say I’m not trying to get bigger. (Bc if this community category)

livingleanlivingclean

I would get some training sessions with a good trainer who can observe and guide you. What you feel and what you think you look like can be completely different!

Chieflrg

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

I would get some training sessions with a good trainer who can observe and guide you. What you feel and what you think you look like can be completely different!

This. You can also buy the book Starting Strength 3rd addition and it will give you every bit of info you need to deadlift as well as the other barbell(squat, bench, press, cleans) movements properly. It is written for newer lifters as yourself and is worth every dollar instead of winging it.

One gets better at deadlifting by deadlifting, not by doing glute bridges and other lifts that are less efficient at what your are trying to learn as a novice. Keep it simple.

Ajirvin

Do y’all think dumbbell deadlifts are the same as with a bar?

French_Peasant

Ajirvin wrote: »

Do y’all think dumbbell deadlifts are the same as with a bar?

They are slightly different, as the DBs will angle to the side as you rise, which makes it a slightly different movement, but still very effective. Also, I think there is a little less stability, which is a double-edged sword in the challenges it presents to your form. I started with 15 lb DBs and worked up to 55 lb DBs on a heavy day. Right now my grip is the limiting factor as your weaker hand gets no help/stability from the stronger hand.

aeloine

See if your gym has a trap bar. It's good for newbies who don't have the hip mobility yet. It's like a trapezoid cage with handles.

Ajirvin

I tried with dumbbells today. I had the girl working observe my form. She said my form was great. The only thing I need to do is get gloves. Hurt my hands more than anything. I didn’t really feel anything anywhere else.

aeloine

Ajirvin wrote: »

I tried with dumbbells today. I had the girl working observe my form. She said my form was great. The only thing I need to do is get gloves. Hurt my hands more than anything. I didn’t really feel anything anywhere else.

The callouses will come in time

French_Peasant

aeloine wrote: »

Ajirvin wrote: »

I tried with dumbbells today. I had the girl working observe my form. She said my form was great. The only thing I need to do is get gloves. Hurt my hands more than anything. I didn’t really feel anything anywhere else.

The callouses will come in time

LOL...I wear gloves, as my hands are in bad enough shape from gardening.

Maintaining lily-smooth palms probably compromises my grip, but the knurling tears the crap out of my hands. Tradeoffs.

Chieflrg

Ajirvin wrote: »

Do y’all think dumbbell deadlifts are the same as with a bar?

They aren't the same in the long run on efficiency standpoint, but can work for a while if db's are your only.option yes.

Being able to add weight for stress and adaptation will plateau, and eventually progress will stop.

Ajirvin

There is a bar there that I can use. I just tried with dumbbells bc they were easier to access.

Chieflrg

Ajirvin wrote: »

There is a bar there that I can use. I just tried with dumbbells bc they were easier to access.

Unfortunately easier is not the best when it comes to lifting. Glad you found a better option. Good luck.

stanmann571

Honestly, if you're doing light weight, a kettlebell is a better proxy than a dumbbell(or pair of dumbbells.

susanp57

When I started deadlifts I used the pre-weighted ez curl bars. It also saved me from having to wait on a rack.

heybales

You can hold the dumbbells out to front to clear knees just like deadlift, not out to side mimicing a squat form more.
Ditto to kettlebell, though grip may be more interesting there if not used to it.

Also to grip, hold arm up look at your fingers curled around invisible bar with wrist dead straight to forearm (which will happen) - you'll notice where gravity will cause the bar to lie (follow where forearm is pointing) - no where near laying in palm of hand, but in middle knuckle fold instead.

Sometimes gloves make the circumference too big, so keep trying without gloves at light weight.

aeloine

susanp57 wrote: »

When I started deadlifts I used the pre-weighted ez curl bars. It also saved me from having to wait on a rack.

Ditto

Ajirvin

I thought about using kettlebells, but my gym has limited equipment and doesn’t have them. Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m sore today, but not overly sore! Can’t wait to try again tomorrow.
I spoke with the lady at the gym and told her I was a little sore. She said 40lbs is too much. She said she uses 5 lb weights. Idk. I think I’ll keep the 40.

ritzvin

Chieflrg wrote: »

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

I would get some training sessions with a good trainer who can observe and guide you. What you feel and what you think you look like can be completely different!

This. You can also buy the book Starting Strength 3rd addition and it will give you every bit of info you need to deadlift as well as the other barbell(squat, bench, press, cleans) movements properly. It is written for newer lifters as yourself and is worth every dollar instead of winging it.

I 2nd reading Starting Strength. He goes into a lot of detail on form and specific things to watch out for.

RavenLibra

Review illustrations that show which muscle groups are in play with the lifts you are undertaking, make sure you hit all the muscle groups, otherwise you can create an imbalance that will lead to an injury. Deads are a great exercise as long as you apply other lifts to hit all the muscle groups. Adding muscle or retaining muscle is a long process, be patient, be methodical... and don’t forget to add flexibility training once again to avoid injury.

brendanwhite84

Ajirvin wrote: »

I thought about using kettlebells, but my gym has limited equipment and doesn’t have them. Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m sore today, but not overly sore! Can’t wait to try again tomorrow.
I spoke with the lady at the gym and told her I was a little sore. She said 40lbs is too much. She said she uses 5 lb weights. Idk. I think I’ll keep the 40.

Not to be a gatekeeper here (I haven't been lifting so very long myself in the grand scheme of things) but I have no idea why someone would deadlift with 5 lb dumbbells. I'd encourage you to keep going with the empty barbell for starters - I know women who DL 300 lbs.

Edit: 300 lbs being more than my 1RM lol

laur357

Ajirvin wrote: »

I thought about using kettlebells, but my gym has limited equipment and doesn’t have them. Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m sore today, but not overly sore! Can’t wait to try again tomorrow.
I spoke with the lady at the gym and told her I was a little sore. She said 40lbs is too much. She said she uses 5 lb weights. Idk. I think I’ll keep the 40.

40 lbs is definitely not too much, unless it's so heavy your form is suffering. Lift like you mean it!

ritzvin

brendanwhite84 wrote: »

Ajirvin wrote: »

I thought about using kettlebells, but my gym has limited equipment and doesn’t have them. Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m sore today, but not overly sore! Can’t wait to try again tomorrow.
I spoke with the lady at the gym and told her I was a little sore. She said 40lbs is too much. She said she uses 5 lb weights. Idk. I think I’ll keep the 40.

Not to be a gatekeeper here (I haven't been lifting so very long myself in the grand scheme of things) but I have no idea why someone would deadlift with 5 lb dumbbells. I'd encourage you to keep going with the empty barbell for starters - I know women who DL 300 lbs.

Edit: 300 lbs being more than my 1RM lol

ditto. The empty bar should be more than light enough at the beginning working on form. (And your gym probably also has at least 1 short bar somewhere that's only ~25 lbs if you did want to go lighter).

Starting with dumbbells while trying to learn proper form for a barbell is probably not a great idea (and the only reason to go with weight lighter than the bar would be to work purely on form). If desiring 0 added weight when working purely on form, a broomstick is traditionally used.

Anyone in reasonably not horrible shape should have more than enough strength as beginners to at least deadlift the equivalent of a few bags of groceries without taxing themselves.

QuikDogs

I self identify as a powerlifter...lol

Start with just the bar on risers or a lowered squat rack's rails. If you want to deadlift that is. If you don't care, then use a kettlebell or dumbbells or whatever you want.

But the deadlift, done properly, is the King of exercises. You'll use every muscle in your body, and all your nerves will be firing. You'll sleep GREAT afterwards.

Try to find someone who knows what they are doing to help you out. You can also watch any YouTube by Silent Mike...his thing is deadlifts and he knows his stuff. I know him personally, and he's got some good videos for beginners.

Starting Strength is a great read, but I found it pretty dense and not understandable when I was just starting out.

(my street cred = 59 yr old female powerlifter, deadlift PR 292lbs conventional/270 sumo, bench 110lbs, front squat 132 lbs, back squat same)

ritzvin

Also- deadlift is a really, really good lift to do if you are a runner. Weak hamstrings can lead to more injuries and difficulty on uphills (running mainly works the quads - very little for the hamstrings unless you do a LOT of hills)..

QuikDogs

ritzvin wrote: »

Also- deadlift is a really, really good lift to do if you are a runner. Weak hamstrings can lead to more injuries and difficulty on uphills (running mainly works the quads - very little for the hamstrings unless you do a LOT of hills)..

I wish I had $5 for every runner that told me they can't deadlift because (1) they will bulk up too much and (2) they have a bad back or something.

I can't stand the "I will bulk up" argument esp from women, seriously do you even know how HARD I work at this? Presuming you will bulk up without really trying is at best dismissive.

I just came back to add though, I did not get much real hamstring development until my coach added in Romanian deadlifts. But now my lovely thighs have gained almost an inch. I am getting stronger every day.

Johns_Dope_AF

Trap bar deadlift

Ajirvin

I’m already flexible, but I definitely am working on flexibility too. I do yoga 2-4x a week, and I do cardio 6x a week. I also do body sculpting, total body workout, and a couple of other classes that my gym offers.