Kathleen Zundell: Fitness Tips
Introduction to Deadlifts, Part 2 Print E-mail



Typically what happens is that as you attempt to drive the weight off the floor using mainly your legs, the fact that your hips are displaced so far behind the bar makes it difficult to extend them optimally given the load. The quads, on the other hand, since they're easier for most people to recruit and are in a better position to develop force, end up extending the knee, which causes the hips to rise while still somewhat displaced behind the rest of the body. This "hip kick," as it's known, further increases shearing force on the lower back region. Instead, what you want is a simultaneous extension of the hips, knees, and spine as you lift the weight off the floor.

With the squat, inadequate flexibility created challenges for proper form. The same is true for the deadlift. Tight hamstrings, for instance, will cause the lower back to round (because it disallows the necessary lordoctic arch and forward tilt of the pelvis, for you anatomy buffs). Likewise, tight calf and hip musculature can exacerbate what is already a pretty pronounced forward lean, subjecting you to the risk of kicking up your hips. Obviously then, at the risk of starting to
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