The deadlift is without question,
one of THE very best exercises you can do. There are a ton of different
variations of the deadlift a person can do. I've got a good one
for you to try out!
This version of the deadlift turns
everything 90 degrees. Literally!
Note that you should be comfortable
with the standard deadlift before trying this one. And definitely
start LIGHT when you try it for the first time. You're going to
be doing a deadlift in an awkward position and we don't want any
injuries.
But the nice thing is, BECAUSE you're
doing the deadlift in a strange position like this, it's going to
really build up your core to deal with exerting tension in awkward
positions such as this. GREAT for injury prevention!
Instead of lining up with the bar
in front of your legs, you will instead straddle the bar (one leg
on either side of it). Because of this change in your position,
your grip on the bar will be a bit different...you'll be gripping
one hand in front of you and one hand behind you.
This lift is also known as a "Jefferson
Lift" - after the guy who first publicized it way back when.
Here's what it looks like - standing
on either side of the bar and gripping in front. In this case, my
left is gripping the bar with a palms-forward grip.
You'll notice (when you watch the
video especially) how the bar is at an angle and not completely
perpendicular to my foot placement. This happens naturally because
of your body position during the lift. You can start with the bar
perpendicular and it'll naturally rotate.
I'll be gripping the OTHER hand with
a palms-backward grip (like the mixed grip on a regular deadlift).
When you grip the bar, you'll be able to feel how it's more natural
this way. Grip just outside the smooth center section of the bar.
So squat down and grab the bar behind
you with the reverse grip.
Keep your lower back tight and arched
and squat down low. Keep your core TIGHT! Start deadlifting the
bar up from there.
Come all the way up until you're fully
standing. It looks uncomfortable but as long as you don't stand
up too fast, you'll be just fine :)
Once you've done your reps on one
side, angle the bar the other and change which hand is at the front.
In this case, I'm switching to gripping with my right hand at the
front.
That's the view from the other direction!
I'm going to also include a bunch more views in the section below
so you get the best idea of how the exercise is done. It is a VERY
different position to be doing the deadlift in and we want to be
sure you don't get any injuries.
Nick Nilsson is the Director
of Online Operations for Staley Training Systems. He
has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and
has been inventing powerful new training techniques
for more than 18 years.
Nick is the author of
a number of bodybuilding eBooks (listed below) all available
by clicking
here and has written for a variety of publications
including Men's Fitness, Reps, Musclemag, Bodybuilding.com
and many others. He can be contacted at nick@staleytraining.com.
