Deadlifts are a great way for your whole body to get exercise, not just your legs. Deadlifts allow your body to become stronger and utilize every muscle in your body when performing the exercise.
Some people may just associate deadlifts with squatting or glute training, but it actually helps you to become stronger in a lot of different aspects of your training.
Using dumbbells is very beneficial when you are a beginner to deadlifts. Using a dumbbell will help you to understand how to correctly grip the equipment and you are able to choose what weight you want to use.
The same with starting any weight training, it is important that you choose the lighter weights to start with to prevent any injuries and introduce your body to using weights.
The more your practice deadlifts, the more improvement you will see in other areas of exercise. As your whole body will become stronger from doing deadlifts, you will feel stronger during upper body training and squats.
You will become more informed about equipment and you will have a better understanding of how to use dumbbells.
Find out more about how to deadlift with dumbbells below.
How Do I Correctly Deadlift With Dumbbells?
Firstly, begin with your dumbbell on the floor in front of you and stand with your feet slightly apart.
Your heels should be underneath your hips, so you aren’t looking to take a wide stance to perform the deadlift. Make sure that your back is straight and your chest is up.
Keeping your core engaged, exhale as you lift the dumbbell. Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you don’t want to damage any muscles by reaching too far away.
As the dumbbell passes your ankles, push your hips forward until you are standing straight. Hold the position for a second, and then inhale before lowering the dumbbell to the starting position.
It is important to keep your core engaged at all times to prevent any unwanted strain on your muscles.
It is also important to breathe properly during dumbbell deadlifts as it will improve your endurance capacity and will fully oxygenate your lungs and muscles.
Advantages Of Deadlifting With Dumbbells
Variation In Your Workout
It is important to have variation in your workout as this helps with developing your strength. If you are performing the same exercises every time you do a workout, your body will know exactly what is coming.
It is also important for you to have variation so you don’t become bored of the same exercise routine and lose motivation.
Improves Your Posture
Doing dumbbell deadlifts helps to improve your posture as you will be using your back muscles whilst performing a deadlift and the exercise requires you to have your back straight.
Deadlifts help work your muscles that keep your shoulder blades back so you will soon become accustomed to better posture.
Burns Calories
When people think of burning calories, they automatically think of cardiovascular activities like running or playing soccer, but deadlifts are a great way to burn calories as well. Deadlifts require a lot of oxygen to perform the movements and help reduce body fat which can help with other physical activities.
Disadvantages To Dumbbell Deadlifts
Equipment
To perform deadlift dumbbells, the exercise requires you to have dumbbells. You are able to use dumbbells in the gym, but if you want to do the exercise at home, you will have to find a good set of dumbbells which could become difficult if you are a beginner.
If you want to use dumbbells at the gym, it may become hard to fit into your schedule.
Risk Of Injury
As with any weighted exercise, dumbbell deadlifts come with risks of injury. If you are not used to weight training, it is important that you begin with lighter weights so you don’t injure yourself or cause any permanent damage to your muscles.
It is also important to perform the deadlift in a controlled manner as you do not want to strain your muscles.
Are There Any Dumbbell Deadlift Variations?
Yes! Here are some variations of the dumbbell deadlifts for you to try.
Dumbbell Sumo Deadlifts
The dumbbell sumo deadlift is a little different from the traditional dumbbell deadlift as your feet are going to be positioned wider than usual.
Aim for a stance wider than shoulder width. Make sure that your toes are pointed outwards, not forwards.
Keeping your back straight, inhale and bend your knees down to pick up the dumbbell that is placed on the floor in front of you.
Keep your core engaged and your chest and head up. Exhale and stand up, holding the position for a second before repeating the exercise.
Romanian Dumbbell Deadlift
With the Romanian dumbbell deadlift, you want to position your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbell in front of you whilst standing up straight.
Slightly bend your knees, inhale, and lower yourself down until you feel a slight pull in your hamstring.
Once you have felt the stretch in your hamstrings, exhale, and pull yourself back up to the starting position. Be sure to push your hips forward and squeeze your glutes as your reach the top of the lift.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, deadlifts with dumbbells are a great way to introduce weights to your exercise routine.
If you are already familiar with using weights, dumbbell deadlifts are a good variation to have so that you can improve your strength.
If you are looking for an exercise that burns calories as well as strengthens your whole body, then dumbbell deadlifts will be perfect for you!
It is important not to rush into choosing heavier weights as you don’t want to cause any long-term damage or injuries.
There are lots of advantages to dumbbell deadlifts as they work your whole body, but there are also disadvantages that can easily be overcome.
Finding the right equipment to use will might begin a challenge, but don’t be put off! Asking a professional for help will have all of your questions answered.
