Screaming optional.Photo by Cronfeld.

The Deadlift is the best exercise free weight exercise for lower body growth. The exercise works your quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, abs, traps, and upper lats. However, Deadlifts are extremely taxing on the body and mind and so many recreational lifters do not perform this hardcore movement. I personally believe that every man, woman, and child on this planet should be performing the deadlift.

 Here are 10 reasons to start deadlifting :

1. You pick stuff off the ground on a daily basis
2. You pull stuff out of the trunk of your car
3. You lift things and carry them up stairs
4. You walk on a daily basis
5. The most common injury for middle-aged men occurs in the lower back
6. Works your abs better than a sit-up
7. Works more muscle groups than the squat or the bench press
8. Safer on your joints than the squat or the bench press
9. You need to lift up your couch when you move out of your parent’s basement in order to save money on movers
10. The exercise will quadruple your natural testosterone and GH levels.


Ok, so what exactly is a deadlift? 

A deadlift is a movement where you pick up a barbell off the floor. Simple? Yes? Not really. There is a lot that goes into this seemingly easy movement, and, honestly the best way to learn is by actually performing the movement. Here’s how you do it:

• Stand with your toes underneath a barbell.
• Grip the barbell.
  The best grip is to have one hand with an underhand grip, or palms up, and other with and overhand grip, or palms down.
• The starting position of the deadlift is extremely important.
  Your lower leg and upper leg should form a 90° angle. In other words, your quads should be parallel to the floor.
  Your back should be straight. The beginner mistake is to have a slight curve down on the upper lats. To fix this, raise your chest and look straight ahead. Maintain a straight back throughout the entire movement.
  Make sure your shoulders are right above the bar. You should be able to draw a straight line from your shoulders to the bar.
• Take a deep breath, and pull the bar off the ground.
  The bar must come straight up off the ground. Remember that imaginary straight line we drew from the bar to the shoulders? Well, follow that same line of movement.
  Lift with your legs and lower back, not with your arms. You arms should not bend at any point in the entire movement.
  The exercise ends when you’ve straightened out your entire body. From this point, curve your lower back slightly back to finish up the pull.
• Now return to starting position.
  The biggest mistake is to bend at the waist to drop the weight back on the ground. This is wrong. Go back down the way you came up.
  Start off by bending your knees, and pretend as if you are sitting back in the chair.
  Maintain that straight line motion as you steadily return to starting position.
• Take another deep breath and repeat as desired. 
Suggestions for Practice:
  Re-read my description.
  Practice with an empty bar first.
  Watch as many YouTube videos as you possibly can from as many different angles as you possibly can.
  Practice with a friend.
  Take a video of yourself and review it.

Sources:

• 
Deadlifts: The King Of Mass-Builders?
• 

New Bodybuilding Study on the Benefits of ‘Deadlifts’