The deadlift is a fundamental strength exercise for building full-body strength, power, and muscle, mimicking lifting heavy objects from the floor, and improving functional fitness for daily life and sports. It primarily targets the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back) but engages the core, traps, shoulders, and forearms, enhancing overall physique, posture, and core stability.
“Deadlifts will improve your back and core strength,” she said. “A stronger back means a more resilient back.” As noted earlier, the movement is a posterior-chain exercise, meaning it fires up the muscles on the back of the body.
You'll activate muscles in your hips, glutes, lower body, core and back. Specifically, the muscle groups worked during a deadlift include: Glutes (gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus and gluteus medius): these help extend and stabilise your hips in all deadlift variations.
The basic 5 weight training exercises that will make you strong, fit, and healthy are the squat, hip hinge, overhead press, row, and chest press. They work all major muscle groups in the body, including the core.
For a 70 kg man, a Beginner deadlift is around 70-80 kg, while an Intermediate lift is about 130-150 kg, and an Advanced or Elite lift goes from 180 kg up to 210+ kg, often measured as 1.5x to over 2x bodyweight for solid strength, with higher numbers indicating expert levels. Your goal depends on your experience, but lifting your bodyweight (70kg) is a good start, with 100kg (1.4x bodyweight) showing good foundational strength.
Yes, a 100kg deadlift at 70kg body weight (1.43x body weight) puts you in the novice-to-intermediate strength range. This shows you've built solid foundational strength and can progress to more advanced programming.
Well, from the Austrian Oak's own mouth, his best-ever back squat, bench press, and deadlift were:
Here are some of the most effective exercises known for their full-body engagement: Burpees: A high-intensity exercise that combines a squat, push-up, and jump into one dynamic movement. Squats: Whether performed with bodyweight or added resistance, squats engage the core, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
Full-body exercises refer to dynamic movements that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. These exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, or burpees, target various areas of the body in a single motion.
Walking is one of the best-studied forms of physical activity, with clear longevity benefits, Kraus says. And, he notes, while the guidelines urge a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes of such moderate activity each week, you start seeing life-extending benefits with your first brisk steps.
Deadlifts are one of the most effective exercises for developing total-body strength. Unlike lifts that isolate a single muscle, they engage glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core, and grip at the same time.
Planet Fitness is not traditionally designed for heavy powerlifting or Olympic lifting. Many locations lack conventional barbells and platforms, which are essential for traditional deadlifts. However, there are ways to perform deadlift-like exercises using the equipment available.
Increases Hormones
Instead, by doing at least 8 to 10 repetitions of Deadlifts with significant weight, you can increase the amount of testosterone and growth hormone produced by your body.
Deadlift: The King of all Exercises! The deadlift is the king and one of the best exercises in my option. If you want to build muscle, increase strength, burn fat and improve your athleticism it is one of the best movements that every lifter or athlete must do. - Walking around like you lift carpets for a living etc.
The underlying problem with the deadlift, in our experience, is the exposure to the lower back, especially with younger athletes, because of lack of ability to control and brace their trunk.
LOOK as Arnold Schwarzenegger - who is no stranger to deadlifting - enters the shot to the left of camera! FACT: When Arnold was just 20years old he held the Austrian Deadlift Record = Over 700lbs... This famous lift, which was over 1000lbs, brought out Arnold's love of pure strength.
The "5 5 5 30 rule" is a popular, simple morning workout routine popularized by Sahil Bloom, involving 5 push-ups, 5 squats, 5 lunges (per leg), and a 30-second plank done immediately after waking up to build energy, focus, and consistency by kickstarting metabolism and getting blood flowing with minimal time and no equipment. It's designed to overcome inertia, boost physical and mental readiness for the day, and serve as a foundation for better habits, making it ideal for beginners or those needing a quick start.
The big 5 lifts — deadlift, bench press, squat, shoulder press, and pull-up — are widely considered the best compound exercises because they are proven to maximise muscle growth, build strength, and improve functional fitness.
"I'd go for push-ups, pull-ups and dumbbell squats, assuming we have some dumbbells to use at home," he told Fit&Well. Combined into a circuit, these exercises will work every major muscle group in your body, providing a time-savvy full-body workout.
The 3-2-1 workout method is a balanced weekly fitness routine: 3 strength training sessions, 2 Pilates (or barre/sculpt) sessions, and 1 cardio session, plus a rest day, designed for building strength, improving mobility, and boosting endurance without overtraining. It's popular for its flexibility, allowing adjustments to the type of cardio (walking, cycling) and intensity, making it adaptable for different fitness levels.
Walking. Walking is simple, yet powerful. It can help you stay trim, improve cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, keep blood pressure in check, lift your mood, and lower your risk for a number of diseases (diabetes and heart disease, for example).
What are overtraining syndrome symptoms?
While Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson doesn't lift for max weight publicly anymore, he claimed a personal best of 450 lbs (204 kg), with sources suggesting his raw strength could project to around 430 lbs, placing him among elite powerlifters for his weight class, though unverified official competition lifts at that weight are lacking.
Some unconventional barbell training inspired by a true legend — John Cena, a man who put up absolutely ridiculous numbers: Squat: 611 lbs. Bench Press: 481 lbs. Deadlift: 602+ lbs.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Don't be afraid to fail anything I've ever attempted. I was always willing to fail. You can't always win, but don't be afraid of making decisions. You can't be paralyzed by fear or failure, or you will never push yourself.