deadlfts... just when I thought "I got it!"

[Q.]

I've always been concerned with my form doing deadlifts because it felt like I was using too much back. I do Romanian deadlifts, too, but I'm talking about just the regular old deadlifts.

This past week, I finally got to where I felt like it was truly a "pushing up" motion with my legs and almost no "raising up" motion with my back. That's what I felt the exercise should be!

Then I happened to be looking at the ExRx website and noticed that it lists "Erector Spinae" as the target muscle group for the exercise! Now I'm confused... is this primarily a back or a leg exercise???

Q

[Bill Hartman]

The back is functioning primarily in an isometric fashion but it is loaded rather heavily. There would be very little, if any, active lumbar extension.

The great thing about deads is that it trains the entire posterior chain simultaneously.

Try not to think of it as either/or. It loads a great deal of musculature from your traps to your calf musculature (to maintain balance...balance training anyone!)

Bill

[GqArtguy]

Its a ham and glute exercise, the lower back is a stabilizer not a primary mover. The feeling that resembles pushing through the floor, and not feeling very much back is exactly how it should feel. Read the exrx classifcation carefully:
TARGET
Gluteus Maximus

STABILIZERS
Erector Spinae
Trapezius, Middle
Trapezius, Upper
Levator Scapulae
Rhomboids


Synergists
Quadriceps
Adductor Magnus
Soleus

Dynamic Stabilizers
Hamstrings
Gastrocnemius

Antagonist Stabilizers

Rectus Abdominis
Obliques

[Q.]

Originally posted by GqArtguy:
Its a ham and glute exercise, the lower back is a stabilizer not a primary mover. The feeling that resembles pushing through the floor, and not feeling very much back is exactly how it should feel. Read the exrx classifcation carefully:
TARGET
Gluteus Maximus

STABILIZERS
Erector Spinae
Trapezius, Middle
Trapezius, Upper
Levator Scapulae
Rhomboids


Synergists
Quadriceps
Adductor Magnus
Soleus

Dynamic Stabilizers
Hamstrings
Gastrocnemius

Antagonist Stabilizers

Rectus Abdominis
Obliques

Thanks guys!

GqArtguy,

That "pushing through the floor" was what it felt like when I finally felt that I got it right so that's good to hear from you, too.

I meant to include the URL from the ExRx site that I was looking at the first time but, since I didn't, I'll do it here:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BDeadlift.html

Apparently, they list different "target muscles" on the same exercise depending on where you approach it from. Check it out again:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BDeadlift.html

I never questioned that a bunch of muscles were involved in this exercise, only that the Erector Spinae were the primary ones involved. I had always thought it was more in line with what they list in the second URL.

I think the mystery is solved... those ExRx folks are just trying to confuse me!

Q

[Jean-Paul]

Here is the graphic for it:

[Q.]

Originally posted by Jean-Paul:
Here is the graphic for it:

... and you used the one from the ErectorSpinae page. Gee, looks just like the one from the GluteusMaximus page!