Bill Starr explains why all lifters should do deadlifts. Then he explains how you should do them.
It seems that there are two distinct schools of thought when it comes to deadlifts. On one hand, there are those who believe that the lift is a necessary part of the process of getting stronger, while another group of coaches and athletes shun them altogether, stating that the slow movement does not carry over to high-sklll movements like the clean and snatch.
In many collegiate and scholastic strength programs, the athletes are not allowed to deadlift because the coaches consider it too dangerous for younger athletes—too risky to the lower back. This is still the opinion of many authorities in strength training: better to do an exercise that is safer than one that puts the body in peril. The truth of the matter is that any exercise can cause harm when it’s done improperly, and that almost any exercise can be beneficial if it’s done correctly.
I use deadlifts in all my strength-fitness programs. In fact, it’s one of the very first exercises I teach anyone, young or old, male or female, aspiring bodybuilder or fledgling Olympic lifter. I believe that it’s imperative to know how to lift a heavy object off the floor the right way because, throughout our lifetimes, all of us are required to do this thousands of times.