The Thread about Dead(s)............

[Backlash]

I think it depends on whether you do deads sumo or conventional. I do sumo and it hits my legs more than conventional does, IMO. (Still hits erectors of course, though I never really felt it much in my lats, maybe cause my hands are close together).

I think weighted pullups are the best back exercise, though no one back exercise is enough, they all hit differently.

 

[JKurz1]

Suprised at the responses.....just last week everyone was saying deads werent the meat and potatoes for BACK............now, it appears they are..........not sure

 

[Backlash]

Different people responding then, probably. I doubt a lot of people changed their minds in a week.

 

[GOHVYORGOHME]

I love deads!! I have been doing 5x5 and adding only about 5-10 lbs a week. It's just now getting tough at 345. My lower back is fried for about 2 days after a good dead w/o. I couldn't imagine doing my deads at the end of a workout after BB rows and such.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

Suprised at the responses.....just last week everyone was saying deads werent the meat and potatoes for BACK............now, it appears they are..........not sure

so much for an accurate survey..lol Anyway i have always done BB rows but since ive added deads about 8 months ago i can only say that my overall back has gotten thicker!! Im sure walkingbeast will comment here that deads have not given him any significant mass in his back ( and i know he hits them very heavy)..I always pull from the floor and work towards heavy triples and doubles..regardless of the outcome of this thread i think everyone should give them a try then make a judgement as to whether or not they do any good..To me theyre gold!!!

 

[Debaser]

Romanian deadlifts are the best variation IMO, because they hit the lower back and hamstrings harder (yet still safely).

The best exercise for traps are row and shrug variations.

The best exercise for lats are chins (more notably palms facing each other).

Like I said, deadlifts are great, but they aren't magic. They're more of a lower body exercise than a back exercise. Don't forget which muscles are actually moving the bar...your upper body is merely "holding" the bar. Thanks in part to casualbb for helping me to realize this sooner. I used to be hard-head about deads myself.

 

[Tweakle]

imo the best variation is the one that lets you move the most weight & for me that's trap bar deads and I'm with DC & IA on this one, there's nothing a polite set of shrugs can do that pulling 600+ off the floor for reps wont. If you're deadlifting less than 4 plates then shrugs are a useful addition to build up the support muscles but why bother when deads work so much more muscle. In this case I'll listen to the 'big guys'

I agree they're not a good lat exercise, but theyre the best thing I've found for midback and trap size.

 

[Debaser]

I used to think that too. But here's how you need to look at it.

Which do you think is more conducive to chest growth:

1. A full range weighted dip, with a proper eccentric phase and all that.

2. Getting into a static dip position, with more weight but no movement--merely supporting the weight.

Now really, a shrug movement (I do incline shrugs myself) actually uses the traps as a prime mover to elevate the scapula (or retract, depending on what you're doing). A deadlift is more like #2 for the traps, in that the trapezius is merely supporting the weight, and not moving it.

 

[Tweakle]

the traps are working all the time to pull the shoulders back when you're deadlifting, whereas in an isometric dip lockout the pecs are hardly involved, but I see your point.

Don't agree but I see where you're coming from, personally I've never got anything from shrugs. alternating trap bar and stiff leg deads has really thickened up my midback but if incline shrugs are working for you then that's all the really counts!

 

[WalkingBeast]

Deadlifts seem to have only helped my lower back size and strength, and increase my traps. But thats about it. I love them as far as one of my favorite lifts to perform, but for all of my upper back size, lat pulldowns,dumbell rows, barbell rows, chin-ups, low cable pulley rows,T-bar rows have been the beef of my upper back routine. I never got any measurable upper back increase from deads even with the dramatic increase in strength over 2 years time. I was already plateaud when I started the deads however, but now my routine is going to be changed. I plan to focus more on upper back specific work and deadlift less frequently for a while. After pulling my back out, slightly, again a few days ago, deadlifts seem to be tearing me up more, then the good they are doing at the moment. I may take a break from them for a while and just tear up my upper back with t-bar rows and the other exercises I mentioned. Thats when I put on my back size. Since I am able to sustain my deadlift strength over long lay offs from the exercise, Im thinking of just doing weighted hyper extentions for some maintenance, while I practice squatting and possibly build my strength on that for a while. I can always go back to deads later and come back stronger.