Deadlifts: Doing them religiously

[Polymerase85]

I have not even started my EMT basic course yet, my class begins in a few days. But having worked as a mover in the past, I can't stress the importance of having a strong lower back for lumbar support and to prevent injuries.

I love the Deadlift. Sometimes if I'm feeling tired, I still go to the gym to do 4 sets of heavy deadlifts, and that will be my workout. If done properly, that should be more than enough for someone who probably doesn't get as much sleep as they would like.

Squats are great too, but for someone who is contantly picking stuff up, and putting them down, Deadlifts can prevent work related injuries if done properly.

 

[Brandon O]

Preach it. Everyone in this job should be able to pull 200+lb for good reps.

 

[46Young]

Deadlifts are great, and I would also classify them as the #1 exercise for EMS. A very close second would be any type of front squat, since virtually all of our lifting involves controlling the load from the front. Exercises that fit the bill are BB front squats (elbows forward olympic grip), single or double kettlebell front squats, Zercher squats, and goblet squats.

If I had to choose one exercise that gets the most bang for the buck, it would be the (full) clean and press. Why not do heavy deads one day, and for conditioning the next day do a complex of a clean, front squat, press or push press? You'll be panic breathing after only a few reps, even with as little as 95#!

Or why not try the Bear Complex? It'll quickly humble anyone. Observe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOP9J7QPwI

 

[Brandon O]

If I had to choose one exercise that gets the most bang for the buck, it would be the (full) clean and press. Why not do heavy deads one day, and for conditioning the next day do a complex of a clean, front squat, press or push press? You'll be panic breathing after only a few reps, even with as little as 95#!

While the clean and press is a noble undertaking, I don't know if I'd call it a great bang/buck ratio. (Geez, that sounds dirty.) Pretty high-skill undertaking to do it healthily, heavy, and in volume. For the average new EMT who wants to know how to get "in shape" for the job, deads are the best start... and gosh, maybe some kind of farmer's walk if I could pick an ideal number two. Lifting and carrying are what this job is about.

 

[46Young]

While the clean and press is a noble undertaking, I don't know if I'd call it a great bang/buck ratio. (Geez, that sounds dirty.) Pretty high-skill undertaking to do it healthily, heavy, and in volume. For the average new EMT who wants to know how to get "in shape" for the job, deads are the best start... and gosh, maybe some kind of farmer's walk if I could pick an ideal number two. Lifting and carrying are what this job is about.

Right, but anterior core stability is just as importand as working the posterior chain. This becomes evident when you're at the foot of the stair chair going downstairs, doing any head-to-toe pt lift from cot to bed or chair to cot, really whenever you're moving or holding a load from mid-thigh upwards. You'll feel you anterior core fire when coming out of the hole on a front squat, particularly with double kettlebells. That's the same feeling I want when stabilizing my core for a challenging pt lift. My point is that you need both the posterior chain and the anterior core to be strong if you want to keep your back healthy and move patients effectively.

If I'm lifting someone from the floor on a backboard, or perhaps from a compromising position like inside a bathtub or between the bed and the wall, I want my anterior core to keep my spine in peoper alignment. Deadlifts work this to an extent, but I feel front squats, elbows forward, work this much more intensely.

Whenever I lift a pt from the floor, the start looks more like the bottom position of a goblet squat, just with my arms extended downwards. Deficit deadlifts could work somewhat, but many patient lifts from the floor can and should begin with a much deeper squat than you would do with a conventional deadlift. Basically, you need an olympic wieghtlifter's mobility to get into a "third world squat," and the force to be able to control a load from that position. You may not be lifting from a full butt-to-heels squat, but it's desireable to have that capacity in reserve should your mechanics falter during a lift. You don't want to compensate for a lack of mobility there by hinging more at the hips and controlling the load much farther out. The lumbars don't like that.

Anyway, if the lifter can't do cleans, then just take a bar from the rack and do front squat/press combos, or front squat/press/back squat/press combo.

 

[VinBin]

I'm biased against most "crossfit" exercises and videos, and the Bear Squats look like a mediocre workout for general fitness (probably more towards endurance than pure strength).

But I would urge caution due to the extreme stress this exercise can put on the rotator cuff if done without very strict form. And that's not considering that if anything more than moderate to light weight is used, serious injuries can result due to fatigue (due to constantly transitioning from press to squat, etc).

 

[Brandon O]

Again, bang for buck. Unless I'm going to take my partner to the gym, the best I can do is recommend one or two things that they'll hopefully do and hopefully do right.

The technique we largely use out there is the sumo deadlift (with a double supinated grip). I don't care if you pull sumo or conventional in training (I prefer the latter) as long as you understand the technique for sumo, since it's what you'll need in the field.

Most stretcher lifting is from a much higher ROM than standard deadlift height, especially when done properly. On the rare occasions when you go lower, such as lifting a board from the ground, I would be expecting your usual lifting to carry over rather than specifically training for it.

The other lifting we do (stairchair, awkward lifts) are such uncategorizable, awkward, "odd object" lifting that the best you can do is probably general preparation. Grip, overall core, upper back, etc. Strongman-type lifting would be wonderful but that's certainly not an easy prescription for Timmy EMT, although you can steal some of their techniques pretty easily (e.g. using a knee to help boost the stretcher into the back). A progression of "potato sack" squats -> goblet squats -> front squats (thanks to Dan John) would probably be reasonably low-hanging fruit.

I have longstanding history with CF and have long since sworn off arguing this kind of thing, so I'm just throwing some ideas around here.

 

[NYMedic828]

Had to stop deadlifting and squatting over the last few months because my back was always sore and I couldn't run to get ready for fire academy.

Really wanted to make it to 5 plates. Once that academy ends I'm going to be lifting harder then ever.