Stength -- DEADLIFT

The Deadlift (DL). The DL is a fundamental exercise for the development of total body strength, and manipulation of the many DL variations provides a means for sport-specific application. The DL and its variations are widely accepted as one of the pillars of “total body strength” development. DL’s focus on a variety of muscularture consisting primarily of: hamstrings (biceps femoris/semi-tendinosus, semi-membranosis), hip and knee extensors, spinal erectors, quadratus lumborum, abdominal (core), and other primary “mover” muscles of the back. The use of the DL should be based on the goals, needs, and abilities of the athlete (Waller). Specifically, the application of the RDL allows athletes to establish and develop the correct body positioning that is essential in the progression for teaching weightlifting, which can be accomplished though the use of the teaching progression (Waller).

HOW DOES THIS TRANSCEND INTO SPORTS AND FUNCTIONAL FITNESS
The DL is what we refer to as a posterior chain movement - this references to the back of the body. The Big 4 sports in the United States all involve running or some sort of forward propulsion (skating). What we need for all of these is the ability to extend through the hip. Increasing the maximal strength of this movement as in the DL has a correlation to one's ability to produce force with that same movement. This doesn't mean that you are going to carry your 1RM weight onto the football field and DL during plays. It means that the work you put in to your training is going to enable you to recruit or use your hip extensors more effectively at game speed. The glutes and hamstrings are larger muscles than the quadriceps are, right? Would you rather rely on your quadriceps to carry you or the larger, stronger muscles of the posterior chain?

If there is only one lift that I could do for the rest of my life...it would probably be this!

Deadlifts
1x5 @ 225#
1x5 @ 265#
1x5 @ 315#
1x5 @ 350#