Looking to build power? Want to build strength? Dedicated to getting lean? If so, there’s one move that you must be sure you’re adding to your workout program.
That move?
The deadlift.
Sometimes neglected as many favor the squat as their power building move of choice, deadlifts are just as good, if not better. If you aren’t making deadlifts a focus and priority in your plan, you’re missing out.
Simple as that.
Here are five reasons why deadlifts will help you build a powerful physique.
They Get You Lean
In order to look powerful, you need to attain a certain degree of leanness. You can have a high amount of muscle mass, but if you have a thick layer of body fat covering all that muscle, you’re just going to look big.
The really powerful trainees are those who have muscle – and you can clearly see it.
Since deadlifts work so many muscle groups at once, they’re great for boosting your metabolic rate, helping you burn fat 24 hours a day.
They Work Both The Upper And Lower Body
Another reason to train deadlifts is because they’ll hit both the upper and lower body at the same time. Few moves can say this.
Deadlifts hit your posterior change exceptionally well, so you’ll be working everything from your hamstrings to your traps.
Those who tend to focus a little too much on the front of their body with their training will never develop a truly powerful physique. Balance is key.
In addition, you’ll also receive excellent core strengthening benefits from including deadlifts, which you can then transfer over to other exercises you perform, increasing your total lifted loads for those movements. This in turn will lead to even further muscle development.
They’ll Shape A V-Taper
Deadlifts are superior for helping you create that strong V-taper look as well. This is thanks to the fact they’ll widen your lats and with their fat burning potential, help slim down your waist (provided you wear a belt to keep your waist from getting too wide).
The greater your V-taper, generally, the more powerful you’ll look.
They’ll Seriously Strengthen Your Grip
Another big way in which deadlifts can help you build a powerful physique is through the indirect benefits of grip strength. Hoisting a barbell with a maximum weight on the bar is going to get your grip strength stronger, which can then transfer over to other pulling movements you’ll do such as weighted pull-ups and bent over rows.
If you currently find that you’re not maxing out on those exercises because your grip strength is simply lacking, you’re going to reach new potential after bringing deadlifts into your program plan.
Note that to optimize your grip strength, focus on training the deadlift without lifting straps up to as high of a weight as possible. Then utilize the straps as you strive to hit your maximum load.
They’ll Train Your Central Nervous System
Finally, the last reason deadlifts can transform your workout program is because they’ll help train your nervous system. When it comes to lifting heavy and thus, developing a powerful physique, one of the key things you need to do is improve your nervous system output.
Those who have good CNS output have more overall physical drive to hoist the heavy weight, which then in turn helps with both strength and muscle building.
If you aren’t ever training your CNS through very heavy compound lifts, this element of your fitness level will be lacking and will hold you back in just about every other lift that you do.
So there you have the many reasons why deadlifts are the exercise to include in your workout routine if you hope to build a powerful, aesthetic physique. They’re hard, but they’re very much worth the effort.
