Besides squats, deadlifts are the king of mass-builders. If you really want to add lean muscle and strength to your physique, you need to deadlift. Deadlifts are a compound exercise that require the use of all your major muscle groups. No other exercise does more for your entire body than the deadlift.

10 Benefits and Reasons to Deadlift:

1. Core Strength

The core is made up of muscles in the upper and lower back, your hips, your buttocks and your abdominals. The deadlift directly targets all those muscles when performing the exercise. A strong core helps with posture, balance and power. There’s few, if any, exercises that engage your entire core like the deadlift does.

2. The Posterior Chain

The posterior chain is some of the most important muscles for any athlete. The posterior chain is made up of muscles in the rear of the body, including the hamstrings, glutes, lower back and calves. Many trainees ignore these powerful muscles. Having a strong posterior chain can make or break a bodybuilder’s contest placing or an athlete’s power and explosiveness. No muscle is better at engaging the posterior chain than the deadlift.

3. Better Posture

Performing the deadlift can correctly strengthen the spine, which improves posture. Deadlifts can also strengthen the core, which is also a muscle responsible for posture as well.

4. More Muscles Worked

Deadlifting works more muscles simultaneously than any other movement, even the squat. If you don’t have much time to exercise or just looking for a quick full body workout, the deadlift should be at the top of your list.

5. Grip Strength

Trying holding the bar during a heavy deadlift. Your grip will start giving out. Your forearms have to work extra hard so your fingers don’t slip from holding the bar. Doing this repeatedly will help your forearms, wrists and fingers adapt to heavier weight, which will improve your overall grip strength over time. In terms of pure grip strength, no exercise comes close to a deadlift.

6. Functional Strength

When you perform physical labor or everyday tasks, you can mimick the movement of the deadlift. Have you ever picked something heavy from the floor? You are using the same muscles from deadlifting as you would lifting up a heavy object from the floor. Your real life applications can become easier over time.

7. Improved Cardio

Like squats, deadlifts will severely tax the cardio respiratory system if done with enough intensity. This will really increase your cardio conditioning and make other exercises or fitness goals easier.

8. More Testosterone & Growth Hormones

The body produces testosterone and growth hormones based on the amount of muscle fiber recruited. Since deadlifts recruit the most muscle fibers, more testosterone and growth hormones are being increased in the body. More testosterone and more growth hormone means more muscle and strength, among other benefits.

9. Variation and Versatility

You can do so many different deadlift exercises. Besides doing the conventional deadlift, you can do the Romanian Deadlift or the Stiff-Legged Deadlifts, among other movements. Each exercise puts more emphasis on certain muscles, which is useful for a wide range of differing goals.

10. Minimal Equipment

All you need is a bar with some weights. Other exercises require full machines or a bench and a rack of dumbbells. You are doing so much more with minimal equipment. This is very cost-effective for a home gym or just from a pure convenience factor.

It is crucial that you start doing the deadlift in your weekly workout routine. However, please exercise extreme caution when doing this exercise. This is a very advanced lift and there are increased injury risks when performing this movement. Make sure you NEVER sacrifice form for weight. Also, make sure you are doing 2-3 good warm-up sets before deadlifting with heavy weight.