There’s not a more functional or beneficial exercise to train than the deadlift. What is more
functional or beneficial than bending down and picking up something heavy off the ground?
While the conventional deadlift may not be for everyone, there are many alternatives such as a
trap bar, sumo deadlifts, or single leg deadlifts just to name a few. Deadlifting is an essential life
skill that everyone should possess and I firmly believe everyone should incorporate some form
of deadlift variation into their training.
Oftentimes (most times) low back pain or low back injury stems from low back weakness.
Certainly there are cases of individuals deadlifting too heavy too often which ultimately leads to
injury. But when done intelligently and with proper form, no exercise strengthens your back
better than the deadlift. A strong back is a resilient back. Here’s 3 simple ways to improve your
deadlift:
 

1) Block Pulls:

Raising the bar 2 inches from the floor forces you to lift the weight using
less leg drive as there’s less quad engagement when pulling from a higher position.
Contrary to popular opinion, I feel block pulls actually improve your leg drive as these
build strength in the initial pull phase of the deadlift. So when you do pull from the floor
and are using more quads, you’ll be able to get past that mid-shin sticking point where
many lifters fail.
 

2) Deficit Deadlifts:

Lowering the bar by 2 inches and pulling from a deficit makes the lift
significantly more challenging. While I always thought deficit deadlifts were done to
improve your leg drive from the floor (which in part they do as you’re able to engage your
quads more from a lower position) the real value in deficit deadlifts is to improve your
lockout. Pulling from a deficit creates a larger range of motion forcing your posterior
chain muscles to work significantly harder to lock out each rep. I never realized how
beneficial deficit deadlifts were for your lockout until I started using heavier weights (80-
90% of my 1 rep max). Trust me if you start pulling deficit deadlifts with 80%+ of your 1-
rep max for reps, you will understand why deficit deadlifts improve lockout.
 

3) Stiff Leg Deadlifts-

When performing a proper stiff leg deadlift, do not use any leg
drive/quads and think about using only your hamstrings, glutes, and low back to lift the
weight. Make sure to use less knee bend at the starting position, feel a stretch in your
hamstrings, and to pull through the stretch each rep while keeping your knees tracking
out. The stiff leg deadlift isolates the posterior chain musculature extremely well,
strengthens really every phase of the deadlift, and builds confidence as well.
If the goal is to deadlift more weight, I have found building strength in the different positions of
the deadlift with these variations to be tremendously helpful. One of the most valuable insights I
can offer is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and to DEADLIFT WITH INTENT. I have personally added over
100lbs on my deadlift in 8 months taking this approach. Not once did I strap bands or chains
over the bar either. Not to say you won’t get stronger by using bands or chains, I personally feel

they are just not needed. If you simply pull each rep with as much speed and aggression as
possible, you will undoubtedly get stronger over the long term.