The deadlift is the best way to strengthen your muscles, target most of the muscles in your body. But as the name suggests deadlifts can be dangerous and can cause injury if not performed correctly. There are two ways you can perform a deadlift, by bar or dumbbell deadlift. So, today we only focus on dumbbell deadlift and provide you the correct techniques on how to do dumbbell deadlift?
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Quick summary :
- Difference between dumbbell deadlift and dumbbell squats.
- How to do dumbbell deadlift.
- Which is a better dumbbell or bar?
- Routine plan for a week
- Frequently asked question
Dumbbell deadlift vs Dumbbell squats
Most people get confused between dumbbell squats and dumbbell deadlift because of the similar-looking activity( dumbbells held in both hands in the same position). Let’s clear the difference between both.
Dumbbell squats- The quick answer to this is that dumbbell squats start by doing the negative rep(holding the weight up ) first followed by the positive rep(releasing the weight downwards). Squats start with standing up and then lowering down the weight basically release the weight and pull the weight.
Dumbbell deadlift is a hip and knee dominant movement in which the angle of your knees and legs is 90 degrees or more if you are doing deep squats.
Dumbbell deadlift- As the name suggests it starts with the weight left dead on the floor and then pulling it upwards by pushing the floor with your legs. In dumbbell deadlift, you first perform the positive set followed by negative.
Dumbbell deadlift mainly targets your glutes and hamstrings area by maintaining the vertical angle without going deep and aiming for stretching out the hips more than going down.
How to do dumbbell deadlift?
Starting with a basic one.
Stand straight maintaining the normal distance between your feet and keeping the alignment of your feet straight. Putting a dumbbell in between your feet and performing the movement by keeping your back straight and flat, and head straight and strict. Maintain the minimum distance possible between your legs and doubles to maintain the balance and good posture.
Perform the movement by keeping the arm straight and hamstring bend at the angle of no more than 15 degrees to get the stretch in hamstrings and glutes.
Perform the exercise by pulling the dead weight upwards slowing and maintaining the good posture without a bend in back and arms. Then release the weight down by maintaining the 15-degree angle and then come back straight up ( Note: Always stretch your glutes when you end the movement by lifting the weight upwards, keep the Movement explosive to activate the glute muscles.).
Never go beyond your maximum reach when performing a dumbbell deadlift because it will result in bad posture and may lead to back or hamstring injury.
Side dumbbell deadlift
It is similar to dumbbell squats, side dumbbell deadlift is best for beginners who find difficulty in balancing the weight and keeping the good posture. If you’re are the one who finds any difficulty in maintaining the posture due to any issues then you should always go with side dumbbell deadlift.
. Without jumping straight to the heavy start with a normal weight.
. Maintain a normal distance between your feet and keeping the alignment straight. Put the dumbbells on the sides of your hips, also maintaining the close distance between dumbbells and your legs.
.keep the shoulders in front of the dumbbells by maintaining the good head and back posture. Perform the movement by picking the weight straight up followed by a 15 to 20-degree knee bend.
Always keep the dumbbells on the sides and arms straight.
. Perform the movement for 12 to 15 reps with slow movement and hip stretch. Don’t come all the way down if you feel pain in your back or your posture mismatch.
Which is better dumbbell deadlift or bar deadlift?
Often people ask this question that’s what is good for them between dumbbell deadlift and bar deadlift. Well, while the muscles targeted in both options are the same but the movement and weight may vary at times. Let’s know which option is best and why?
Deadlift mainly targets your hamstrings and glutes but if you’re doing it barbell then creates more tension on your lower back and can lead injury because the in barbell deadlift the whole is in front of your feet and sometimes basically with beginners it’s problem that they transfer all of the weight on their back with involving hamstring which creates an arc in the back and may lead to dangerous injury.
So, this means the dumbbell deadlift is better than the barbell deadlift?
Well, not a hundred percent. In dumbbell you get some benefits like – you can shift the dumbbells on side of your hips which prepare your back in maintaining the straight posture. That’s good but then what is its demerits? Does it have any? Well, the one cone with barbell deadlift is that it has limits i.e you can not go with heavy weights with dumbbells, it is only possible with barbell deadlift.
If you want to push your limits and an intermediate in deadlift than the barbell is the way to go. One other demerit of dumbbell deadlift is that it shows fewer results than a barbell deadlift because of the weight limit, but, is a great way to improve your posture and weight balance techniques.
The barbell deadlift is also good for people who have back or hamstring issues, dumbbell deadlift lowers the level of injuries which is better than merits of barbell deadlift
Frequently asked questions about the deadlift
Lower back pain after deadlift
If I have to put is simply the will be bending of your back or poor muscles mind connection ( where you lift your hips first and then pull the weight with the help of your back instead of pushing it with your hips and legs).
Technical problem To understand it in deep first you have to understand the working of the human body. It means when you lift any weight from the ground the energy starts flowing from your feet passes through your back then through your arms to the barbell. But, if your back creates an arch the energy flow disconnects and never reach the destination (i.e barbell) and you are unable to lift the weight because energy is not reached to its destination point.
How to increase weight in a deadlift
you can learn from a record holder of a maximum deadlift ever lifted (500 kg).
Best ways you can improve your deadlift ( not verified but works for me and my friend )
Work on volume- Never go for max one rep because it can cause injury and will never help you in building strength. Focus on your reps, go with 70 percent of your maximum range, and do 10 to 12 reps for every 4 sets.
Work on your speed- Follow the speed rule by pushing the weight off the floor quickly and releasing it slowly towards the ground. Working on your speed will definitely help you in lifting heavy. Always perform this with medium weight.
Strengthen your back- strengthen your back by doing different exercises like barbell rows ( upper back exercise) and some yoga poses will definitely help in maintaining the good form while performing the heavy lifts.
Week plan to dumbbell deadlift
Doing a dumbbell deadlift for 2 days or 3 days a week is good if you want to improve your deadlift or technique. But in a lot of gyms doing a deadlift more than once a week can drain your nervous system? Well, the answer to this is simple it’s no problem if you do deadlift one day or 3 days a week, it’s the intensity of weight you lift. So let’s discuss what’s good for you if you’re building your strength with dumbbell deadlift or barbell deadlift.
. Do the 60 percent of your max weight you can lift.
. Divide it into four sets for 8 to 12 reps.
. Doing it twice or thrice a week helps in building the strength and muscle mind connection which results in lifting more weight.
. Keep your deadlift first followed by other exercises.
As you cannot reach the max lift with dumbbell deadlift and it is more helpful in maintaining a good posture and technique, you can do it any day.
Note: if you are doing barbell deadlift twice or more in a week, include it in legs and back day because of the involvement of the same muscles
