**Guest Post from Joe Meglio, head strength coach at Underground Strength Gym in Edison, NJ**
The deadlift is not just a great exercise for powerlifters and guys who want to get bigger and stronger. It is also a great lift for athletes who want to get stronger and build powerful legs.
You see, the deadlift is a great exercise to improve strength in the hamstrings, glutes and lower back, otherwise known as the posterior chain. A strong posterior chain is critical for athletes because this is your horsepower generator. The more horsepower you have, the more force you can produce. Producing force quickly is critical to jumping higher, running faster and being more explosive.
Now that you understand why the deadlift is a great lift for not only strength but also power, let’s go over different variations of the deadlift:
1) Trap Bar Deadlift
This is the “beginner” version of the deadlift because it is the easiest to teach but yet it yields great results.
2) Modified Sumo Stance
This is a great progression from the trap bar deadlift. Before you do this lift, make sure you have proper mobility and stability to get into this position.
3) Conventional Deadlift
This is the hardest deadlift variation to learn because it requires the most mobility to get into the proper position.
Contrast Training For Explosive Results
As mentioned earlier, the deadlift is a great lift to improve horsepower but the results can be enhanced more with contrast training. In a nutshell, contrast training means you will do a specific strength exercise followed by an explosive exercise with the same movement pattern.
The deadlift is a hip dominate movement so we want to make sure we are pairing it with an explosive hip dominate movement.
Here are some examples:
1A) Trap Bar Deadlift
1B) Broad Jumps
1A) Modified Sumo Stance Deadlift
1B) Medicine Ball Scoop Toss
1A) Conventional Deadlift
1B) KB Swings
The key is to keep the strength exercise to 5-8 reps and the power exercise to 3-5 reps. This will ensure that you are improving explosive strength and power. Don’t just take my word for it, go out and try contrast training in your next workout and let us know how you like it!
Editor’s Note: Joe Meglio is the owner of a 3X Bodyweight deadlift, puliing 600pounds while weighing 198. His deadlift specialization program “Deadlift Like A Man” is on sale for $27 until Friday. If you want 12 weeks of awesome, powerful training like the tips you read above, grab your copy today!
