A question I was asked recently was, “Why do you prefer teaching deadlifts before squats? Many of your articles and videos you mention this but do not explain why this is the case?” This is a very good question and there is a good reason why I often do say this, although I will say it is not a hard and fast rule I always stick to as there are many times I do teach both movements at the same time. Perhaps one of the main reasons is that I see so many people with injuries and problems with the hips, knees, and lower back and usually the movement that creates the most pain and discomfort is the squat. However, the deadlift at times is equally as painful to learn yet I still persist in teaching this movement so this is not the only factor. In this article, I will explain the multiple reasons behind this philosophy and begin to see the long term benefit from learning this way.
Try These Deadlift Variations To Find What Works Best For You
Without a doubt the Deadlift is one of the best exercises you can ever use in the gym. Whether you are a keen sporting athlete, someone recovering from injury, or even an 80 year old looking to maintain quality of life this exercise provides amazing benefits and is something we use everyday in life. Outside of the gym it is simply known as “bending”. For this reason we tend to refer to this as a foundational movement pattern first and an exercise second. As much as the benefits from learning and developing your skills with deadlift are amazing it also comes with high risk if performed poorly. Injuries such as herniated discs are so common with this movement with many of these occurring outside of a gym and from daily activities like picking up a pen off the floor. There are so many versions of this exercise it is important to know which one is best for your body right now. This article we will explain everything you need to know about deadlifts and which version works best for you.
Why Romanian Deadlifts are The Key to Treating Hip & Back Injuries
Anyone who has read any of my previous articles about injury in the hip or knee region will know how much I emphasize using the Romanian deadlift (RDL) to correct movement dysfunction and muscle imbalance. The deadlift is such a great way to improve hip mobility while simultaneously improving core stability of the spine and gluteal strength of the hip. While the traditional deadlift is a great exercise, the single leg deadlift takes the movement difficulty up a notch or two as the stability and strength with the hip, knee, ankle, and feet are challenged to their full potential. Just like the single leg squat, this exercise demands perfect position for movement, as any deviation from optimal alignment will often see a person fall over to one side. In this article, I will explain exactly why this exercise is so good for treating nasty hip injuries like femoral acetabulum impingement (FAI), and lateral pelvic tilt, but also with back injuries like herniated discs, and SIJ dysfunction. I will also provide you with some excellent progressions to use to further enhance its relevance to sports and daily life. It really is the ultimate lower limb exercise to use in your training and should make up the foundation to build your workouts upon.