This week I’m sharing 5 exercises that can be great deadlift primers. These can be done pre-deadlift as part of the warm-up, or on non-deadlift days.
#1) Goblet/Anteriorly Loaded Hip Hinges
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder/scapular stability, and is a great primer for hip hinging exercises. The weight placement really challenges the core muscles, and reinforces the 360 degree brace.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell (or other object) at chest level. For the duration of the exercise, keep the weight against your chest. Pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your feet should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your feet to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- Don’t just mindlessly drop down.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knees.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Single Leg Band Resisted Isometric RDL + Band Resisted Multidirectional Taps
This exercise, which happens to be a favourite of some of my clients, strengthens the posterior chain muscles, the muscles in the foot, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. This exercise is deceptively challenging, and you’ll feel many different muscles working.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a band around your ankles or just above your knees, and rest a long resistance band under the mid to back portion of your foot, and hold the band in both hands.
- There should be a significant amount of resistance in this long band. There should be resistance in the bands for 100% of the exercise. Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- Get into a RDL position by hinging/pushing your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- With complete control, perform taps in multiple directions. Aside from this moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise.
- For the duration of the exercise, on the planted side do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#3) Anti-Rotational Weight Transfers From Rear Foot Elevated RDL
This innovative and very deceptively difficult exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability (VERY anti-rotational in nature), strengthens the muscles in the foot and lower leg, and to some extent, the posterior chain muscles.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in one hand.
- Get into a RDL position, and elevate your back foot on a wall. This will be more difficult than when your forefoot is resting on a surface and is pressing down.
- Initiate the movement with your hips and push them backwards. Imagine a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Now pass the weight from hand to hand. The farther from the midline of your body the weight travels, the more challenging the exercise will be.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and posterior chain contracted.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Dead Bugs + Isometric Roller Press
Here is one of the most deceptively challenging dead bug variations that exists! This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, which is a key component of deadlifts. I’m performing dead bugs while steadily applying pressure against a roller with my thigh, and the forearm that is on the opposite side of my body.
My roller is fairly long so you may use a shorter roller, or another household item.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Press your hand and opposite thigh (just above your knee) into a roller. Maintain this pressure for the duration of the exercise.
- Fully extend your other leg and maintain this position for the duration of the exercise, or keep your knee bent at 90 degrees. For most individuals, I recommend starting out at 90 degrees.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Now contract your core muscles, steadily exhale through your mouth, slowly lower your leg and opposite arm towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset. Most people rush and do not do a proper reset and this makes the exercise quite ineffective.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- One key I like to look for is a wrinkled shirt. If your shirt remains wrinkled it likely means your body positioning is good, and that your breathing and bracing are on point. If you lose your body positioning and arch your lower back and flare your ribs, the shirt often smooths out.
#5) Anti-Rotational Single Arm Bent-Over Rows
This deceptively challenging exercise, which is VERY anti-rotational in nature, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, strengthens the muscles in the mid and upper back, and the posterior chain muscles.
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in one hand. Place your other hand on a bench or another stable surface. Your shoulder should be above your hand.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your feet should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your feet to the floor.
- Get into a RDL position. Initiate the movement with your hips and push them backwards. Imagine a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now perform a bent over single arm row.
- Once your arm is in the top position (do not allow your elbow to flare out) pause and really contract the muscles in your mid and upper back.
- Now for the tough part. Remove your hand from the bench and perform the lowering component of the row. Aside from the lowering arm, your entire body should remain in a fixed position. This part of the exercise is extremely anti-rotational in nature.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and posterior chain muscles contracted.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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