Happy Friday Reader!

Let’s talk about a belief that I hear and see way too often.

“Deadlifts are bad for your back”

Maybe you’ve heard it from a friend. Maybe you saw a fear-mongering video online. Or maybe a doctor or urgent care provider said it after a bout of back pain.

Let’s break it down.

The deadlift is a fundamental movement pattern for a human being.

If you’ve ever picked something up off the ground, congrats. You just did a deadlift. Trying to avoid the movement entirely would mean never bending down to pick up your kid, laundry basket, or even a dropped pen.

Your back is constantly exposed to forces such as compression, shear, and rotation just by being a human in the world. You’re not avoiding those by skipping deadlifts.

But you can train for them.

So what about low back pain?

Research shows that 88% of Americans will experience back pain serious enough to disrupt work at some point. And yet, only 6% of those cases can be traced back to a clear cause like cancer or a fracture.

The rest?

Most likely musculoskeletal in origin AKA things that respond really well to strengthening and mobility work.

In fact, research shows that weaker backs are more likely to hurt than stronger ones.

This quote applies so well in this context:

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the load you’re not prepared for.”

Deadlifting doesn’t hurt people. Lifting loads and lifting in positions your body isn’t ready for does.

So how do you make your back more resilient?

You train it. You load it.

What is one of the most efficient and comprehensive ways to do that?

Deadlifts.

But here’s the key:

The dose makes the poison.

Lifting 100 lbs might be nothing for someone who can deadlift 500+lbs. But for someone who’s never lifted before or has avoided deadlifts for years? That same 100 lbs could feel impossible and that’s when issues pop up.

TLDR

Deadlifts aren’t the villain.

They’re a human movement pattern your body needs.

So train for it just like you would for anything else that matters.

Prepare your body, and your back will thank you.

Reader - know a friend that might find this helpful?

Just copy and paste this link to send it over to them:

​https://embarkphysioperformance.com/embark-blog​

All the best,

Zach

P.S. If this topic hits home for you and has been something you've been avoiding out of fear, pain, or bad experience, let me know. I'd love to talk it through with you and get you started on a path to overcome it.