FLEX
116 MUSCLE & FITNESS^ /^ AUGUST 2019
DEAD
EASY
Since man started walking on two feet, he needed to pick up
heavy rocks, wood or people with both hands - so the deadlift
is nothing new. But the form we use today is said to derive
from the Romans who perfected it as a way to lift up the
dead and wounded from the battlefield - hence the
name. They hinged, loaded up the legs and lifted
the corpse in one harmonious motion.
If you want to build brute strength or improve your
sports performance, this is the one move you should
add to your sessions. I try to include it every time, mixing
up lighter weights and multiple reps to perfect form,
or single lifts at max capacity. Either way, I know that
when I’m training for a competition if my deadlift
isn’t right, nothing else will be either.
But don’t just take it from me. My friend and fellow
Icelander Benedikt Magnusson holds the raw deadlift
world record with a lift of an insane 460.4 kg and says:
‘‘The deadlift is the most important move to perfect.
Without it as a foundation, you’d never be able to
lift atlas stones or sandbags, throw weight over
a bar or flip tyres. Getting your form right is
not easy, so take some time to set up correctly
and try the following variations to keep
switching things up for your body.”