Is There An Alternative to a Deadlift?

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  • Lady_Bane
    Lady_Bane Posts: 720 Member
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    When I tore my rhomboid, I found that back extensions did the same main muscles I was looking for from the deadlift. I do both now, but it is still great to do back ext.
  • 2getgeorge
    2getgeorge Posts: 81 Member
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    if you have issues with deadlift with bar only, work your core first.
    you can do weighted hyperextentions, planks, superman stretches, glute bridge, cable pull throughs and bent over (90 degrees) barbell rows to strengthen the muscles before you deadlift. you can cheat a little using a weight belt.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    if you have issues with deadlift with bar only, work your core first.
    you can do weighted hyperextentions, planks, superman stretches, glute bridge, cable pull throughs and bent over (90 degrees) barbell rows to strengthen the muscles before you deadlift. you can cheat a little using a weight belt.

    Thanks for the suggestions. I am doing those things, with DL being the main exercise. I can also do DL with no weight, or with barbells (light weight) and build up. Now it's become a mental exercise, more than physical, which makes it interesting and something I want to master.
  • honeyallen
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    I think sumo deadlift is different from the other deadlift as in that pelvis is not as tilted so your lower back is worked less. This alternative exercise also works the quadriceps and adductors more intensely than the classic version. Try this, it will work.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    just learn to deadlift properly.

    most people with "bad backs" have weak backs, and thats why they hurt......
    the first few times I did deadlifts I did them terribly wrong, and thought they were dumb.
    135 pounds hurt my back.

    now I pull 400+ pounds every single week. no pain. very little soreness.
  • thesatch88
    thesatch88 Posts: 27 Member
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    Thanks. I've been practicing with no weight, just getting used to the move and how it's supposed to feel. I think on the very first one I did with just the bar, I was raising with my back, not with my hips. I think I understand the move now after watching about 25 YouTube videos. I'm going to try it with very light weight, maybe no weight on the bar. I really want to do this right. And, everything I keep reading, this is THE exercise of the century. So, I want to give it a go. Even if I just do it with no weight for a week or something to get the move down, I will. I want to protect my back from damage. I was doing the move this morning, and I think I can feel how it's supposed to work. My legs are tiny, so I almost don't need weight. I just need to get used to the move, and add a tiny bit of weight as it feels good. I'm not going to rush on this one.

    your problem may stem from using little to no weight as well. You need a medium amount of weight to offer enough resistance so that you arent moving too fast. it shouldnt be difficult, but it shouldnt feel like nothing, which is what the bar is going to feel like. Also, if your back is bending during a deadlift, you are doing it wrong or it is too much weight. Strengthen your core, stay tight, and practice your form on a medium amount of weight and I think you will have more success. Right now though, rest your back, take an anti-inflammatory, supplement glutamine, and please dont go do squats as they require a tight core as well, which with an injured lumbar spine could be very painful.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    Back is fine now. I'll be doing DL on Friday. Probably a little more weight. But, I'm working on form, nothing else right now. My squats today went really well. That was a good sign that I think I feel how I'm supposed to hinge at the hips. I felt like I was nailing it. I'll get it down.
  • waronmyfat
    waronmyfat Posts: 322 Member
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    kettle ball swing is one of those exercises that targets everything but doesnt really do diddly squat.. its just been made popular by cross fit.. stick with your deadlifts

    Oh+No+You+Didn%2527t.bmp

    haha OH YES I DID
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    Until you know the actual cause of your back pain you should avoid anything that might aggregate it. Forget taking advice from Internet forums and go get checked out

    or go get acupuncture just to relieve the pain. but don't lift until you know you're better or else you could make it worse. Back troubles rarely go away, lets hope you just tweeked it with bad form.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    Until you know the actual cause of your back pain you should avoid anything that might aggregate it. Forget taking advice from Internet forums and go get checked out

    I'm not a fan of docs. Waste of time and money. Do you really run to the doctor and say, "my back hurts"? Lol. That seems ridiculous to me.

    Unless you have something real, like peeing blood, I don't see the point. Western docs are *kitten*. People run to their doc for everything and I don't understand it. Maybe I just have a bad doc. I don't know. I'm looking into that trust me. But, my back is fine. Weak, but fine.

    Thank you for the concern though. I do appreciate it. I just spent a lot of money on medical this year, and they find anything. What I've learned is unless the vital sign show something, they just stop looking. So, "my back hurts" is too general and they'll charge me $85 to tell me to take ibuprofen and rest and come back in about a week,,,and another $85 to report that I feel better. It's a joke. If I say, my back hurts, and my pee is red. They'll take that very seriously. If they take my blood and see something off, they'll take that seriously, but aches and pains, they just tell me to rest, or whatever. Is that not normal?

    Understood. What I've learned is that getting to the bottom of certain difficult to diagnose ailments (such as back pain) sometimes requires major time, research, and effort on your part in addition to professional help. I wouldn't expect to go into my doc's office and state "my back hurts" and expect any miracles. You need to be extremely specific with everything. Do a ton of your own research before even heading to the doctor's. Now, If you tweaked your back using just the bar I'd *guess* that either you're doing something incredibly wrong with your form or more likely you have some existing issue with your back. However, I can't see you performing a dead lift. I don't know you and I haven't met you. I can't look at your back and ask you to perform range of motion or any other number of tests. This is why you need to seek GOOD, professional help.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,720 Member
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    I saw at my gym doing lower back on the lat pull down station. He would grabbed the bar and just lay down from a seated position. Looked much safer than dead lifts.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    I saw at my gym doing lower back on the lat pull down station. He would grabbed the bar and just lay down from a seated position. Looked much safer than dead lifts.

    That would be quite similar to back extensions. Neither are a replacement for dead lifts.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    Until you know the actual cause of your back pain you should avoid anything that might aggregate it. Forget taking advice from Internet forums and go get checked out

    I'm not a fan of docs. Waste of time and money. Do you really run to the doctor and say, "my back hurts"? Lol. That seems ridiculous to me.

    Unless you have something real, like peeing blood, I don't see the point. Western docs are *kitten*. People run to their doc for everything and I don't understand it. Maybe I just have a bad doc. I don't know. I'm looking into that trust me. But, my back is fine. Weak, but fine.

    Thank you for the concern though. I do appreciate it. I just spent a lot of money on medical this year, and they find anything. What I've learned is unless the vital sign show something, they just stop looking. So, "my back hurts" is too general and they'll charge me $85 to tell me to take ibuprofen and rest and come back in about a week,,,and another $85 to report that I feel better. It's a joke. If I say, my back hurts, and my pee is red. They'll take that very seriously. If they take my blood and see something off, they'll take that seriously, but aches and pains, they just tell me to rest, or whatever. Is that not normal?

    Understood. What I've learned is that getting to the bottom of certain difficult to diagnose ailments (such as back pain) sometimes requires major time, research, and effort on your part in addition to professional help. I wouldn't expect to go into my doc's office and state "my back hurts" and expect any miracles. You need to be extremely specific with everything. Do a ton of your own research before even heading to the doctor's. Now, If you tweaked your back using just the bar I'd *guess* that either you're doing something incredibly wrong with your form or more likely you have some existing issue with your back. However, I can't see you performing a dead lift. I don't know you and I haven't met you. I can't look at your back and ask you to perform range of motion or any other number of tests. This is why you need to seek GOOD, professional help.

    Thanks. I'm fine. I did squats today and id great. I was just using bad form and tweaked something. It's fine.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    Just to add I second not going to the doctor for everything. I've tweaked my back before on deadlifts too. Pretty much to the point of sharp back twinges when I woke up but I just took a week off and its fine now. I also took about a month off deadlifts too. What I do now is I rarely max out (as in one rep maxes) or go for high reps on it. I also don't deadlift often because I don't feel like its necessary to do it all the time.
  • maqsmj
    maqsmj Posts: 697
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    Squat maybe. I tweaked my lower back doing practice deadlifts with the bar only. I knew this would happen. Involving my spine in an exercise like that is just dumb. But, I'm using a new program that requires a Deadlift routine. As soon as I picked up the bar to practice form, my lower back hurt. I adjusted and I think did it properly, I probably should have just stopped. Anyway, are squats a good alternative until my back heals? I'm going to try again, I'm not giving up. But, I need to heel first. It might be ok by the time it's time to do them again in about a week.

    with all respect if you want to add real mass on your back you will need these 3-4 excercises , DEADLIFT hands down, if you dont know how to do them , youtube so you think you can deadlift and they will teach you how to do it, bent over rows, shrugs , and chin ups

    Thanks. I've been practicing with no weight, just getting used to the move and how it's supposed to feel. I think on the very first one I did with just the bar, I was raising with my back, not with my hips. I think I understand the move now after watching about 25 YouTube videos. I'm going to try it with very light weight, maybe no weight on the bar. I really want to do this right. And, everything I keep reading, this is THE exercise of the century. So, I want to give it a go. Even if I just do it with no weight for a week or something to get the move down, I will. I want to protect my back from damage. I was doing the move this morning, and I think I can feel how it's supposed to work. My legs are tiny, so I almost don't need weight. I just need to get used to the move, and add a tiny bit of weight as it feels good. I'm not going to rush on this one.

    watch so you think you can deadlift, and so you think u can bech and so u think u can squate on youtube, they will give you all the information on how to do it right, and for your information any average man can deadlift 90 lb with no questions