2019-04-01 Women's Health

APRIL 2019 WOMEN’S HEALTH / 6 5

BUT WHAT ABOUT MY BACK? Forget what you’ve heard—or assumed. Deadlif ts can actually decrease pain in some

people with low-back issues, per The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. (The move activates key trunk

muscles more than the commonly prescribed stability-ball exercises for low-back pain.) Deadlifts can also help

ST reduce the risk of pain starting in the first place, says Tenney, by strengthening the muscles that support the spine.

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Tighter Core

Deadlifts beat the plank

when it comes to training

the deepest muscle in the

abs, according to a study in

the International Journal

of Spor ts Physical Therapy.

Known as the transverse

abdominis, it acts a s an

internal corset, keeping

your torso strong and firm.

Extra Confidence

“There’s a transformation

when women start picking

up heav y shit,” says Ten-

ney, explaining that dead-

lif ts lead to some of the

biggest improvements in

women’s self-esteem and

sense of strength. “You can

get to a place where you are

deadlifting more than your

body weight, which is a cool

thing in itself.”

Easier Fat Loss

By working every muscle

and jacking up your

heart rate, deadlifts burn

major calories both in the

gym and after you cool

down, through excess post-

exercise oxygen consump-

tion (EPOC), says physical

therapist and strength

coach Mariel Schofield,

DPT, C SC S. EPOC refers to

the energy your body uses

in the recovery process.

Glorious Glutes

Deadlifts are a hip-dom-

inant move: Your glutes

and hamstrings are doing

the brunt of the work with

each rep, Tenney says. That

means they should be a

mainstay of any butt work-

out—adding size and shape

to the area for a visual perk.

Easier to get into, this squatty

deadlift targets your quads more

than conventional deadlifts do,

according to research from Califor-

nia State University at Fullerton.

By spacing your feet farther apart, you

put even more emphasis on the glutes as

opposed to the quads.

An ideal variation for at-home work-

outs when you have only dumbbells.

It’s also great for newbies who might

not be able to deadlif t 45 pounds (a

bar’s weight without plates) yet.