If we’re gonna talk Deadlifting, we gotta talk about your butt. A lot.
We live in a butt culture. Buttocks, posteriors, derriéres, tushies, bums, behinds, and fannies everywhere. Don’t fret, more butt synonyms on the way - I promise. If you hadn’t noticed, it has become exceedingly fashionable and culturally desirable to have a shapely tuchis. And yes, we can all blame the Kardashians or the instagram “fitness” models, however it appears junk in the trunk is here to stay.
Despite the sharpened focus upon the booty, many are missing the true hero beneath the cheeks - one of the largest muscle groups in the body and, in my opinion, one of the most important. Sadly, even in our keister obsessed country, the glutes get left behind. Hah, butt puns.
Good ol’ Maximus get’s most of the notoriety however there is also the gluteus medius and minimus that helps make your butt a butt. Aesthetics are always a valid goal and working these muscles is great for growing and shaping your hindquarters, but we also like to be strong for life in general and the glutes play a major role in that. Let’s take a closer look at what other functions these magnificent muscles take on and how deadlifting fits into all of this.
Beyond aesthetics, having a strong heine is crucial in your everyday life. It helps you stand, sit, walk, run, crouch, bend, lean, and step. Truly, any movement that involves the lower body, those glutes are needed. Certainly not the most glamorous responsibilities of a muscle group, but when we examine what these basic movements are used for and how they help ensure a long and active life it becomes crystal clear, strong buns = happy life (#strongbunshappylife is my new motto.) As we age, a lot of these basic movements can become laborious/difficult if we don’t work at maintaining our muscle and bone strength. This is especially evident with our butts as it is the main workhorse of a bigger chain.
Your butt is the star player on a muscle system team called The Posterior Chain. also including your hamstrings and back muscles, this chain is responsible for a slew of important tasks, including the movement of picking stuff up. Or simply, Deadlifting.
FINALLY. We’ve gotten to the part where I explain why we deadlift! Great. Why do we deadlift? Is it to grow a large and luscious booty? Possibly to train picking up obscene amounts of weight? Maybe it just sounds cool?
No! We deadlift to strengthen our posterior chain, enabling us to do the very basic movements of life in the strongest possible way. It increases our longevity as humans and our active lives while taking preventative measures against lower back pain and hip issues that most face in their later years.
Lest I forget, there is a negative connotation associated with deadlifting that would appear hypocritical to everything I’ve talked about. People hurt their lower back doing it. I won’t deny that it can happen in some situations. What isn't always talked about is how poor form is often the cause of one of these injuries. As with any weightlifting exercise, poor form can lead to injury and is a safety risk. Deadlifts fall victim to being the most notorious, as they often involve much heavier weights.
I’ll end with this: We deadlift to improve our lives. The posterior chain is one of the most important muscles groups we have, dictating how we walk, run, sit, stand and everything else in between; basic movements that every person on earth does every single day. It helps prevent injuries by strengthening the lower back and surrounding core and yes, can be added to a butt blasting glute workout if your goal is some chunkier cheeks. I do understand that it can be intimidating, so below I’ve added pictures of different types of deadlifts to showcase how there are many options to bolster that bum.