<p class="p1">Known as a staple strength move that has great crossover into our daily lives in terms of bending &amp; lifting the deadlift could be argued as THE original strength move since we have bent &amp; lifted like...... forever!</p>
<p class="p1">It’s relatively simple to understand in terms of functionality &amp; performance however lets analyse it in a little more detail &amp; see if we can better understand all its variations, what they can offer &amp; of course how a coach or trainer can make the best choice of variation with each client.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Historically pioneered possibly by German circus performer, Hermann Goerner of Pagel’s Circus, between 1910-1930.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Also referred to as the ‘father of the deadlift’ he rose to fame for his feats of strength<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
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<h2 class="p1">The 'original' Deadlift<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h2>
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<p class="p1">Originally named the ‘dead’ lift since it was a dead weight that was lifted from the floor. Thus requiring great leg &amp; back strength to generate the force required to lift it with no momentum.</p>
<p class="p1">Requiring good ROM was, &amp; is, a feature of this movement since the lifter is required to flex more at the knee along with the hip flexion/ hinge so as to reach down to the bar. In fact almost a slight squatting action with a greater forward lean / hip flexion angle than in a regular squat.</p>
<p class="p1">So a great move for strengthening the posterior musculature, development of tissue tolerance to loads being lifted &amp; the thoracolumbar fascia that can be utilised as a hydraulic amplifier (The Spinal Engine, Gracovetsky, 1988). This wonderweb of diamond shaped fascia allows the erector spinae to push against it contributing 30% more strength to the torso. Nice eh!</p>
<p class="p1">Deadlifts are therefore great for hip extensor, knee extensor, spine extensor strength.</p>
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<h2 class="p1">Romanian Deadlift (RDL)</h2>
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<p class="p1">This differs from the original Deadlift since it starts at top of the movement. The bar is lifted usually from a rack, starts at the upper thigh &amp; is then lowered to mid/lower shin before being lifted again.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">So it requires less ROM at the knee, so has less knee extensor influence therefore could be deemed safer or easier in terms of ROM.</p>
<p class="p1">Still using the hip extensors primarily, the RDL could put more stretch through the sciatic nerve due to less knee flexion. However this could be counterbalanced by less ROM at the hip.</p>
<p class="p1">Good for new lifters, lighter weight, less knee stress, more choice over ROM control.</p>
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<h2 class="p1">Stiff Leg Deadlift</h2>
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<p class="p1">Most likely to start as an RDL with the bar being lifted from the rack but could be performed after a regular Deadlift from the floor to get into the top position. Then the bar is lowered while the lifter keeps the knees extended/straight. The point being to gain more ROM at the hip for those hip extensors - glutes &amp; hammies. However the limitation here again could be if the sciatic nerve is tight.</p>
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<h2 class="p1">Sumo Deadlift</h2>
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<img class="size-medium wp-image-30722 alignright" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/alora-griffiths-7-ruqVJbHAo-unsplash-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" />
<p class="p1">A much wider foot position, deadlifted from the floor as &amp; with a narrow hand grip. Often seen in powerlifting as the Sumo position is slightly easier on the back due to less ROM required at the hip.</p>
However conventional Deadlifts are easier on the quads so this may indicate which to choose if a client has specific requirements in either of these areas.
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<h2 class="p1">Single leg RDL / Crane<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h2>
Same as RDL but balancing on one leg so a lighter load will be required by comparison. Also challenges balance due to asymmetry &amp; less neuromuscular feedback. So these could be a good choice for individuals looking to improve stability

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<h1>So what?</h1>
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The deadlift &amp; all of its variations are regularly in my own training programme because they are all such great, adaptable hip/knee/spine extensor developers. Programming a variety of versions of a movement can be both helpful &amp; more interesting for our clients. So unless they have a specific goal or problem that dictates otherwise it could actually be beneficial to try each.

However hopefully this blog helps clarify a few simple details that might contribute towards more informed programming for our client's when using this awesome strength move.

Remember there is no right or wrong movement just one they dont have the capacity for!

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<h2>References</h2>
BarBend. 2021. <i>The History of the Deadlift: How Did This Lift Become So Popular? | BarBend</i>. [online] Available at: &lt;https://barbend.com/deadlift-history/&gt; [Accessed 16 December 2021].

Gracovetsky, S., 1988. <i>The Spinal Engine</i>. Vienna: Springer Vienna.

Norris, C., 1995. Spinal Stabilisation. <i>Physiotherapy</i>, 81(2), pp.61-64.

Ross, J., Ross, J. and profile, V., 2021. <i>Water, Fascia Health and Concussions.</i>. [online] Trainoutpain.blogspot.com. Available at: &lt;https://trainoutpain.blogspot.com/2014/01/water-fascia-health-and-concussions.html&gt; [Accessed 16 December 2021].

Willard, F., Vleeming, A., Schuenke, M., Danneels, L. and Schleip, R., 2012. The thoracolumbar fascia: anatomy, function and clinical considerations. <i>Journal of Anatomy</i>, 221(6), pp.507-536.

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