Comments on: The Best Muscle Building Exercise…If You Had to Pick One

By: Monday, February 22nd « CrossFit Midland

Monday, February 22nd « CrossFit Midland — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:33:35 +0000

[...] Snatch Grip DL: The Best Single Muscle Building Exercise [...]

By: Do More, Suck Less » weight gain update

Do More, Suck Less » weight gain update — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:32:43 +0000

[...] The Best Muscle Building Exercise…If You Had to Pick One [...]

By: DR

DR — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:53:11 +0000

Mike – T-Nation has an article today that might help clear this up.

Specifically it discusses the pros and cons of O-lifts specifically looking at injuries & muscle imbalances, etc…

I think that we can apply it to DLs

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:52:00 +0000

@ Chris – You are still just lumping in “explosion to produce power” with “jerking the weight quickly”. Jerking any weight around without proper tension will produce injury. If saying the word “explosive” makes someone “jerk” the weight….then yes, they should not try it that way. If it makes others who don’t jerk produce power, then they know what they are doing. Force = Mass x Acceleration is true, just like Work = Force x distance and Power = Work/Time…leading to Power = Force x distance/time or Power = Force x Velocity. You want bigger/stronger/powerful muscles…you increase the workload of those muscles with increases in mass, distance and/or acceleration.

I’m not saying you are wrong, you are just not 100% right either….this is not black and white, there are shades of gray. But if you want someone to tell you are completely right, then I suggest going to Westside Barbell and having this discussion with Louis Simmons…see what his thoughts are. I’ve said all I need to say.

By: Chris K

Chris K — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:00:07 +0000

The correct form of deadlifting(and every other exercise known to man) is not unloading the targeted muscles, (save Rest-Pause Protocal) as setting the weight down and then “exploding” into it would do. Even a 3 second rest (unloading) can result in a 50% recoverly of slow twich fibers. The deadlift is a great exercise, maybe the best overall, but there is zero margin for error. And attempting to move quickly is an error, period. Again, F=MA says it all.

By: 42 Health and Fitness Tips For the Fall | The Intelligent Workout

42 Health and Fitness Tips For the Fall | The Intelligent Workout — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:37:29 +0000

[...] #33 – The snatch grip deadlift is the best single exercise move you should be doing. Check it out here. [...]

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:46:01 +0000

@DR – sorry, next time all yours! lol.

@ Chris – I understand your point of telling a person who has no experience in proper exercise form to lift anything with speed and reckless abandon is not going to help them (and probably will cause injury). However stating that anyone else is a “fool” (which I took as to mean myself as the author of the article) to advise such in any other circumstances, is not the most effective way to get that point across.

By: DR

DR — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:08:51 +0000

Mike…you stole my thunder.

BTW, I would be honored to have Arthur Jones call me a fool. HIT was one of the most useless training programs ever invented.

By: Mike OD

Mike OD — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:57 +0000

@ Chris – “The first couple of inches in the lower turnaround of both kinds of deadlifts “
Considering a “real” deadlift is putting the weight down and picking it up again…..that point is only applicable to a “straight legged DL” that does not go down to the floor….which this article did not implicate at all.

“Or as Art Jones (Nautilus inventor) said,”If anyone tells you to move fast while weight training, smile and walk away, for you are talking to a fool.””
So any professional coach that teaches an Oly lift is a fool? I think not….but then again that is coming from a guy who invented machine based workouts…which IMO is not optimal if you are concerned about have proper muscle balance, ROM and want to remain injury free.

“People throw their backs out everyday in the shower picking the soap up off the floor too quickly.”
Who are these “people”? The average person who is overweight, inflexible and rounding the lower lumbars with every bend? Find people who know who to DL correctly and then show me their lower back injury rates in the shower…..I’m sure there won’t be many.

Exercises are not dangerous…..exercises done incorrectly are. Do NOT confuse a person jerking a weight up and down rapidly with no attention to form with a recommendation to lift a weight correctly at any pace. Control and form are the 2 most important places to master any movement and any one that is new to exercise movements should get a trainer to show them how to properly do it.

I base my observations by years of making my living as a professional trainer with no lower back injury to clients of any age and ability (and I have had 65+ yr old grandmothers performing a DL safely…and building stronger bones in the process).

By: Chris K

Chris K — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:10:56 +0000

The first couple of inches in the lower turnaround of both kinds of deadlifts (strainght and bent legged) is potentally very dangerous. Injury can occur to the spinal area if a person attempts to torque the torso rapidly under heavy stain. Even without heavy weights, whenever the spine is in flexion, this produces closure of the anterior vertebrae opening. This can result in disc tissue degradation. Moving fast excourages spinal flexion and torsion. People throw their backs out eveyday in the shower picking the soap up off the floor too quickly.