Trainer, author, and fitness model Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES, knows that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldn’t prevent you from being on top of your game. He’ll help to answer the tough training questions that come with age so you too can be Fit Beyond 40.
Deadlifting is an essential strength training standard. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can only approach the lift one way, using the old school barbell. I know plenty of men who were self-proclaimed “powerlifters” who kept up their same approach to the movement beyond its ability to actually help them achieve their training goals as they changed from being as strong as possible to being as healthy as possible as they got older. On the other end of the spectrum, using a kettlebell is the easiest and most natural way to deadlift, but you can only load so much weight. However, if your gym has another strength training implement, the trap bar, using it may be your best bet for a healthy hinge lift using a heavier load.
The beauty of the trap bar is that you can grab the handles at the sides of your body allowing you to position the load further back in your stance, which is much easier and more natural to lift than having the load in front you, as it is when you perform a standard barbell deadlift.
To set up, stand in the middle of a loaded trap bar with your shins lined up at the center of the bar (not behind it, like you would using a barbell). Push your glutes backward as far as possible, while hinging at the waist. Then bend your knees so you can get down and firmly grab the handles. Your back should be flat and not rounded. Keep your head in a neutral position. Squeeze your shoulder blades and turn the pits of your elbows forward. Lastly, be sure that your hips are lower than your shoulders to guarantee your glutes and hamstrings are generating the power, not your lower back.
From the starting position all you must do is stand straight up, explosively as possible. Squeeze your glutes and hold your position for a few seconds. Move more slowly and controlled as you lower the weight back down to the floor. Push your glutes back as far as you can, then bend your knees until you lower the weight to the floor.
The first error to watch out for is hiking your hips up from the starting position. When that’s done you lose the tension in your legs and your back does most of the work. The second error is bend down and over even further from the starting position to use momentum and elastic energy to drive the load upward. You’ll lose all the tension you’ve built up prior to the lift. Lastly, don’t let your knees cave in or flare out. Keep your knees tracking in line from your feet to your hips.
For the older man who wants to build explosive lower body power, the trap bar is a godsend. I like it because it feels easier on my back, which you should always work to protect when you lift. I think the trap bar makes the deadlift a lot more fun to do, too. To start out yourself, try 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps.
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