Welcome, all you deadlift heads to the ultimate tribute to the King of exercises.
Recently I have been challenged to create this list by a good friend of mine who also loves to deadlift. Being inspired by one of my favorite articles 55 Reasons Why the deadlift is King, I decided to expand on this in Go for 100 Reasons!
Some of these will be similar to the article that inspired me, some will be new, some will be rational while others will be absolutely crazy.
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Let’s not waste any time and get right into the hundred reasons!
100 Reasons Why You Should Always Be Deadlifting
1: You can literally strip away all of the parts of an 18-wheeler, just leaving the axle and wheels, and use that to make seriousssss gains.
2: The deadlift is the king of all exercises. No one has ever called it anything less. It literally works for every single muscle group. People don’t call it the prince of all exercises. They call it the King. It’s like comparing Batman and Robin. Where every other exercise is Robin. If you consider yourself more of a Robin, I’ll stop you right there; hit the return button on your keyboard.
3: Girls love a guy that has super strong glutes and hammy’s
4: Guys really, really love a girl that has super strong glutes and hammy’s!
5: The deadlift Is the absolute best exercise for developing the posterior chain which allows you to be more powerful and functional.
6: A large amount of back pain comes from weak, underdeveloped glutes. Not only does the deadlift strengthen the glutes, it also teaches you to stabilize the spine by contracting in strengthening your core muscles.
7: The deadlift is a full body exercise. It works out every muscle in your body from head to toe.
8: Who needs to do cardio when you can hide your belly with an extremely tight lifting belt? Talk about creating a V-Taper! ๐
9: Speaking of cardio, Deadlifts are my favorite kind. I have never sweated so much or been so out of breath compared to a heavy deadlift day!
10: If you are a relatively short person, you will feel much more superior compared to the average tall person! Thanks, physics, and levers! That is unless you are talking about Hafรพรณr Jรบlรญus Bjรถrnsson (6 ft 9 in) or Brian Shaw (6 ft 8 in). But I am convinced they are both aliens, so they don’t count.
11: No matter how many times you have deadlifted in your life, you will always be itching to improve upon it.
12: Two simple words, GRIP STRENGTH! Now you won’t feel embarrassed when the cute girl asks you to open her jar of peanut butter.
13: As a personal trainer, getting someone to deadlift properly will always be satisfying for me. Most people don’t have the hip mobility, ankle, or thoracic spine mobility required to do this properly. This will keep me busy for a long time.
14: Your testosterone run spikes up to 13,246% compared to your normal levels when you are hitting a one rep max on the deadlift! You will be single handedly able to end wars with these Zeus-like testosterone levels!
15: For you ladies, you will feel like Superwoman. It basically comes with mind control abilities over any man in your surrounding area when they see you deadlifting.
16: People say that lifting weights does not release endorphins like a runner’s high. I have to disagree, as I have had some of my biggest highs from doing one rep maximum deadlifts! Not only that, I don’t have to run 10 miles to get it ๐
17: Deadlifting will help nearly every athlete in their respective sport because it is so dynamic.
18: For all of you bicep lovers out there, the deadlift puts extreme stress on the biceps. This is because half of your arm would fall right off without constant tension in the biceps. My curling strength has gone through the roof ever since starting
19: Deadlifting helps you poop better. This is because deadlifting helps increase intra-abdominal pressure, which stimulates peristaltic contractions. These will help you poop to your Max potential. There isn’t anybody that would not like to poop to their maximum potential.
20: Doesn’t matter how old you are; you can always be making gains on the deadlift!
21: The deadlift is an extremely intense exercise, therefore burning tons of calories. Is extremely beneficial for weight loss due to its calorie-burning effects.
22: The deadlift is also one of the best exercises for building muscle because it works for so many muscle groups. Increased muscle mass helps with metabolism and fat loss.
23: The Deaflift is my favorite abdominal exercise. I have never had a more defined midsection since after starting deadlifts.
24: Some people consider the latissimus dorsi the most important muscle group of the body. Deadlifts hit the lats from multiple different angles. And you think redbull gives you wings, think again!
25: The deadlift teaches you how to keep your entire body tight through every part of the exercise. Learning how to stay tight transfers over to basically every other lift. PR’s here we come!
26: The deadlift is simply one of those exercises where you have no excuse not to do it. That’s how beneficial it is. Not even if you are missing a leg!
27: Learning how to deadlift properly teaches you a very important motion: the Hip-hinge. Learning to Hip-hinge without falling into lumbar extension is very important and the deadlift teaches this. Learning this motion is the secret to any big lift such as the squat, deadlift or hip thrust. Learn more about the importance of the hip-hinge here.
28: A lot of people complain that the deadlift causes them back pain. This is only because they are doing it correctly. Learning how to deadlift correctly has been the only thing that has cured my back pain, not the other way around.
29: The Deadlift is the best exercise for better posture. It teaches you to pull in your gut, lift your chest and retract your shoulder blades. After a few months of doing the deadlift, you will notice that you are walking taller with your chest held high. I’m pretty sure this is what Superman did to pull off his posture.
30: The deadlift is perfect for people that are short on time. If I only had 30 min. to get a good workout, there is no question I would gruel out half an hour of heavy deadlifts. That’s definitely the most bang for your buck!
31: The deadlift is the best exercise for hard gainers because it stresses the largest amount of muscle groups and will be responsible for the quickest gains. If this kid was talk to deadlifts instead of curl yellow cans, he would basically look like Arnold.
32: Your back will never get as wide and thick as it can without doing deadlifts. Cable rows and Lat pull downs are great and all, but they should only be secondary to deadlifts.
33: The same thing goes with abdominal exercises. Crunches, leg lifts, and planks are fantastic exercises. Most people think they are the best for your midsection because they feel the “burn” while doing them. Learning to brace and breathe for a maximum deadlift will stimulate your abdominals more than you ever could with these isolation exercises.
34: For all of you want a big bench, you need to realize every pushing movement requires at least a little hip extension. If you want to bench big, you better put that bar on the floor!
35: There’s nothing more fun in life than making beginner deadlift gains. Do you all remember what it was like? You increase so much weight so quickly you thought there was no way you will pull 500 pounds in three months. Sure, the progress slows down, but the sessions only become more fun!
36: If the size of the calluses on your hands explains your stage in your lifting career, deadlifts are level GOD.
37: The highest amount of growth hormone is released right after resistance training which recruits the most muscle fibers. There is no other exercise that recruits more muscle fibers then the deadlift. You can basically claimed that you are taking HGH, although I would keep that on the low low.
38: Don’t worry, ladies, no matter how much HGH and testosterone you get from deadlifting, it won’t be enough to make your muscles TOO big.
39: You don’t need too much space to do deadlifts.
40: You don’t need that much equipment to do deadlifts. All you need is a good barbell and plates.
41: Actually, scratch that; all you need is a friend. The heavier, the better!
42: You can improve on your deadlift 1 million different ways. Some of the biggest gains I have seen were from simple tweaks to my form.
43: I am not sure if this is a thing or something I have noticed. My sex drive is always significantly higher when I do a routine with lots of heavy deadlifts. Maybe this is all in my head or maybe it has something to do with the testosterone release. Either way, I am not complaining ๐
44: The deadlift helps increase Intraabdominal pressure and a strong pelvic floor. This equates to being able to deliver babies easier for women. If you have built up a strong that left by your third trimester, you’re more likely to have fewer soft tissue injuries. You can also push the baby out easier, leading to a less agonizing and long childbirth.
45: For us guys, this equates to less time having your hand literally squeezed off by your significant other during childbirth. Remember that if you lose one hand, deadlifting is going to be much more difficult.
46: Deadlifts should be done by all marathon runners to improve velocity, kick, sprinting power, velocity, and efficiency.
47: No matter how many shrugs you do, you will never be able to develop a thick upper back and traps without the deadlift.
48: It’s known that powerful that lifters have enough hip mobility to do the splits.
49: Stabilizing a neutral spine throughout the entire range of the deadlift builds an extremely stable and strong lumbar spine.
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50: By having strong and stable lumbar spine muscles, you prevent lumbar discogenic problems. These include a bulging disc, spondylolisthesis or a herniated disc.
51: Deadlifts are the exercise that builds 3D delts. This is due to the extreme stress that is put on them when holding 600 pounds. Without this shoulder tension and stability, your arms was fall right out of the sockets. Trust me, it’s not those 20 pound lateral raises that are building Boulder shoulders.
52: Speaking of shoulder health, Deadlifts are extremely beneficial for the stability of your scapula and rotator cuff’s as well. The stabilization of the scapula while towards the bottom of the deadlift is a fantastic exercise that over time will help strengthen the rotator cuff.
53: The deadlift is the only exercise that can make you pass out, vomit or bleed from your nose. But those things don’t matter if you get the weight up.
54: The deadlift has been compared to mystical animals such as unicorns or centaurs. This is because seeing a perfect one is very rare, but you will know when you finally see one.
55: Reaching a perfect looking deadlift is a never ending chase. Although the exercise initially seems extremely basic, it is the most complicated exercise I have ever done and will ever do in my life. People say to me, it’s just picking something off the ground right? One of the reasons I love the deadlift is due to its contrast between simplicity and complexity.
56: The deadlift is the most functional exercise out there. You will be hip-hinging to pick stuff off the ground for the rest of your life, you want to make sure you’re pretty good at it.
57: The deadlift is 1000 times more functional than anything that can be done on a stability ball, bosu ball or dynamic discs. This is unless you can figure out how to pull Max weight on one of these contraptions.
58: Losing strength and power are two of the most critical aspects of aging. Losing these two who lived really limits your ability to live because you won’t be able to get off the toilet, walk up stairs or get out of your car. Deadlifting is the best exercise for holding on to strength and power throughout your whole entire body. In another word you could call it the elixir of youth ! โ๏ธ
59: Do you want to get an absolutely shredded back? I will let you guess what exercise you need to do…
60: Performing deadlifts is the best supplementary exercise to increase your squat, the other king of all exercises.
61: I believe eating clean and heavy deadlifts can replace testosterone replacement therapy. But I am no doctor, so… Take it as it is.
62: If you don’t deadlift, what the hell are you going to do when the time comes that your friends are stuck underneath the car and you can’t save them? I am not a statistician but I’m guessing this will probably happen at some point in your life.
63: Guys don’t mess with other guys that deadlift.
64: Other girls are more jealous of girls that do deadlifts because they are more likely to steal their boyfriends due to their perfect “posterior chain”.
65: Lifting maximum weight through a solid base of support makes it so your core muscles can contract a lot harder than any “functional” training unstable surface can..
66: Not only is it a better core workout than regular crunches, you also look like about this while doing them as opposed to crunching in the corner.
67: Feeling the perfect flow of a deadlift might feel better than sex. Is almost like you’re in the matrix, nothing is real and you finally see the light.
68: People in the gym might think you are a magician when you clap your chalky hands together, create a plume of powder, and stand there with six plates on each side in the blink of an eye.
69: People usually don’t mess with you after your deadlift day because white powder is all of your clothes and you have a crazy look on your face from the pre-workout you recently consumed.
70: The ultimate true measure of strength. Since it is the lift you can easily lift the most weight with, this makes it true. I wish everyone would stop asking “how much you bench?”.
71: There is some primordial instinct to grunt, and pick something heavy off the ground. I know we are living in a modern society but sometimes it’s fun to go caveman. Don’t judge me
72: There’s something about wearing lifting straps around your wrists that make you look cool. Maybe it’s just me, but when I see someone wearing straps I think “he deadlifts, respect”.
73: I love deadlifting so much that watching this video on how barbells are made by Rogue fitness gets me semi-aroused.
74: One of the best parts of being a deadlift enthusiast is proving people wrong when they think is the worst exercise for your back. Thanks Tony for this article.
75: There are so many different variations of the deadlift that it never gets old.
76: There are so many different grip variations to get used to and try out including double overhand (grip strength), over under and the intimidating hook grip. Mastering all of these has been a pleasure
77: Watching people cry from exhaustion when I put them through a big pause rep and slow negative deadlift day.
78: Having the strength to pick up your girlfriend easily
79: Being able to surprise your boyfriend by picking him up and throwing him down. I bet he didn’t see that coming!
80: Deadlifts can make you feel like one of the biggest and strongest guys in your gym, especially if not too many people deadlift in your gym or you go to planet fitness
81: At the same time, Deadlifts can make you feel extremely small when comparing yourself (a deadlift enthusiast) with someone who actually competes. Yes, Larry, I’m talking about you. Why do you have to go and be so strong? You’re making me look bad in front of my girlfriend
82: Although they are technically considered training legs, I don’t dread Deadlift days like I dread a regular leg day.
83: There is something about the sound of the weights hitting the floor that is so satisfying. If you deadlift for long enough, I promise this sound will start coming to you in your dreams.
84: If your gym does not let you drop the weights, this is not the gym you should be training at. Years down the road you will look back and think dead lifts for opening your eyes to a better gym.
85: Is one of the only exercises that makes good sense to do barefoot. Something about having your feet touch the cold floor without shoes is satisfying. Being one with the earth and one with the bar is a saying I have been saying for… Like 3 seconds now, I just made that up. Not bad though!
86: Finally reaching a 2x bodyweight deadlift is one of the most satisfying goals you’ll ever reaching your life. If you reach 3X, you will probably live a life like Hugh Hefner. At least that’s what I’ve heard.
87: Most experts agree that there are only about five absolutes worldwide. (source)
- Gravity
- The Earth is round
- Humans need oxygen to survive.
- The Human Body needs food and water to survive.
- Oh, and everyone NEEDS to deadlift
88: Practicing deadlifts with great form can help six anterior pelvic tilt problems.
89: The deadlift gives you a much more powerful Hip thrust. This is the best thing to transfer to a strong clean and snatch.
90: Deadlifting lets you brag to your friends that you are stronger than them. Especially if these friends are pure bicep and chest bros.
90: Nobody will ever make fun of you for having a weak handshake ever again. You have the grip strength of a boa constrictor.
91: Attached to the grip strength like a boa constrictor, you will finally have forearms that are sizable in that you can be proud of.
92: That moment that you discover Zercher Deadlifts..
93: The ability to switch things up from regular deads to sumos, deficit deads, and trap bar deads to rack pulls. You will never have a boring day when you are doing deadlifts.
94: I had never slept better than when I started incorporating heavy deadlifts into my routine. There simply exhausting, and it’s the best sleeping pill that I have ever taken.
95: When you finally play sports again, you will realize how much faster you are than you used to be. I discover this personally from playing baseball. Don’t be surprised if people start calling you the flash. โโ๏ธ โโ๏ธ
96: Girls are 21 times more likely to be attracted to a girl that deadlifts. Don’t ask me about it, it’s just science!
97: Girls are about 37 times more likely to be attracted to a guy that deadlifts. Once againโฆ Science
98: Couples that both the deadlift are 100x more likely never to separate. That’s just the statistics
99: Wow, you must really love deadlifts as much as I do if you made it this far. That alone proves that they are the best exercise.
100: I don’t understand why you’re still reading this and not lifting the bar off the ground in the gym. Do I really need to tell you more reasons?
Tyler Read
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