Free Fat Loss Course

Content provided by Dr. John Berardi of Precision Nutrition

Last time I walked into the diet and weight loss section of my local bookstore – I couldn’t believe what I saw.  Hundreds of stupid diet books – each of them making the fat loss process seem more vague and confusing than the last.

It made me realise why fat loss is such a miserable struggle for people.  And why most real people just give up after a few weeks of trying to follow one of these programs.  You see, losing fat is nowhere near as difficult as most people – including many experts – make it out to be.

I’m going to show you how simple it really is.  Because I want you to build up the confidence of knowing that not only is the fat loss process clear and simple, but that you’ve got what it takes to be successful. 

But first, let’s talk about why fat loss seems so hard.

One of the main problems?  Too much information.  If we were to stroll – together – through the aisles of your local bookstore or review the Diet Book section of Amazon.com, not only would we have a good laugh, we’d likely become a little jaded.  I mean, go type “diet books” at Amazon you’ll find over fifty thousand options. I’m not sure about you, but that’s enough to make me uncomfortable.  But not only that, it starts to feel like “what’s the point?”  “I’ll never figure this out on my own.” which is sad, really because fat loss doesn’t need to be this complicated.

 

So here’s the truth. When it comes to fat loss nutrition, there are only five important things you need to think about.  Only Five.  And everything else? They’re just distractions.

First – to lose fat, you have to gradually DECREASE your calories.  In other words, you have to start eating less.

Second – to support your muscle tissue, you have to gradually INCREASE your protein.  In other words, eat more lean meat, chicken, fish, or whatever lean vegetarian source you choose. These foods help speed up your metabolism, help you feel full, and provide important amino acids.

Third – to create the right environment for fat loss, you need to gradually DECREASE your carbs.  In other words, eat less sugar and starches – like processed gains. Eating too much of these foods can wreak havoc on your bloodstream, increasing hormones that lead to fat gain.

Fourth – to make sure you’re losing fat in a healthy way, you need to gradually INCREASE your veggies. You can think of it this way: start replacing your grains…with greens. If you do this, you’ll be getting more fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

And fifth – to support your metabolism, you need to gradually replace your bad fats with healthy ones.  By adding things like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish oils, you’ll speed your metabolism and lose more fat than ever before.

Nutritionally, that’s it.  Calories — down.  Protein — up.  Replace some carbs with veggies, and replace the bad fats with good ones.  Pretty simple . . . right?  However, improving your diet isn’t just about knowing what you should be eating.  It’s also about taking an honest look at what you are eating, right now. 

What about you?  Do you think much about what you’re eating? Whether you’re getting proteins, fats, or carbs? And, if you do think about those things, how does your diet compare?  Now, as you start to become more aware, you’ll likely find that there are some aspects of your diet you want to change.  And the question then becomes: how do you actually do that?  In other words, how do you actually do it in your life – with your food preferences and tastes . . .your schedule. . .your hobbies. . . job, school, kids, spouse, whatever, and all without becoming one of those weird “dieting” people.

But here’s the thing.  It’s always bothered me a little — when nutritionists spend all their time talking about the so-called “macronutrients”.  Because, the truth is, we don’t eat calories, or proteins, or carbs, or fats.

We eat food.

So the question is: if you really want to lose fat, what food do you actually eat?  And here’s the cool thing – this part’s really easy too, especially if you break it down one meal at a time.

So let’s use breakfast as an example.  Now, you’ll often hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Whether that’s true or not is up for debate. But I like breakfast. So let’s start there.  And let’s start with this question: “If I want to lose fat, what should I eat for breakfast?”  Well, first, let’s quickly go over some breakfast options that won’t help you lose fat. Here are a few examples.

• the “on the go breakfast” – like a bagel and cream cheese.
• the “restaurant breakfast” – like eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast.
• the “at-home breakfast” – like a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice.

So, why aren’t these breakfasts great for losing fat?  Well, let’s look to our checklist from yesterday.

• In most of these examples, the calories are too high – especially the restaurant breakfast.
• In addition, the protein is too low – particularly the at home breakfast.
• Also, the carbs are too high.
• None of the meals include veggies.
• And finally, none of the meals contain healthy fats – and some of them contain too many unhealthy fats.

Now, before moving on, I should mention one other type of breakfast – the “nothing breakfast” – which is exactly what it sounds like; you eat nothing.  Of course, with this breakfast the calories are way down.  But it’s also missing all the nutrients that support your lean tissue and speed your metabolism.  Moreover, skipping breakfast almost always leads to some sort of overeating later in the day. That’s why skipping breakfast is usually a bad idea.

Here’s the bottom line.  In each of these breakfasts there are some fundamental flaws that will prevent you from losing fat. In fact, with most of them, you’ll probably end up gaining fat.

So the question is this: if you want to lose fat, what can you eat for breakfast? Well, I’m going to give you some real easy, tasty examples.

First, let’s look at a “breakfast at home” option.  You have a few minutes, you want something delicious, and you want to do your best to lose fat. Well, here’s a good breakfast for that.  A nice omelette, a little side salad, mixed nuts, some avocado, and a touch of extra virgin olive oil dressing. It’s super easy, and super tasty.  Want the recipe? No problem.  Just contact me via email freetobeyou@optusnet.com.au and I’ll send it to you.

Now if you’re crunched for time and have to run out the door as soon as you get dressed, you might not be able to make the breakfast at home option.  But you’ll still want a healthy, “on the go” meal that’ll give you energy – and help you lose fat.  It’s called a “super shake”.  And it’s made with strawberries, blueberries, a splash of almond milk, a little bit of protein powder, some greens (e.g. Vital Greens), and a couple of ice cubes.  It’s quick, it’s incredibly easy, and it tastes amazing. Best of all, it’ll help you lose fat.  Again, if you want the recipe, contact me via email and I’ll send it to you.  In fact I can send you recipes for fat loss for all your meals.

Whoever told you that making healthy, fat loss meals was difficult doesn’t really know what they’re doing.  This stuff is really easy and totally do-able no matter what type of lifestyle you currently live.  And it’s not just breakfast.  There are ways to make any meal healthier, faster, and better for fat loss. 

But here’s some important advice: take it easy.  If you want to lose fat today, don’t try to change every meal and snack you eat at once, because that’s too hard.  It’s too much to change.  But for now, just focus on improving one meal.  That may seem small. But, really, it’s a huge step toward fat loss, and one many people never take.  In fact, making one small improvement at a time is what I have my clients do.

What About Exercise?

Now.  We are going to discuss how to exercise for fat loss.  Because, if you want to lose body fat, exercise is critical. It doesn’t matter whether you want to lose 5 or 25 kgs.  Exercise is the common denominator.

But here’s the thing. Just like with nutrition, so much is written about exercise that it can seem like you’re doomed without the perfect program.  Well that’s just more nonsense I’m sick of hearing.  Fat loss comes from doing just a few simple things.  And my goal today: teach you what they are so that you can start doing them right away.

The first thing you need to know about exercising to lose fat?  You need to do something, and you need to do it now. Simply put, you need to get moving.  Now I bet you’re wondering: “what kind of exercise is best?”  Well, when exercising to lose fat, there are two specific goals.

The first is to burn calories and the simplest way to do that is Aerobic exercise – like walking, jogging, running, or riding a bike.  But here’s the thing: if you only do aerobic exercise, you may also lose muscle mass. That’s a problem because it’ll lower your metabolism.  But more to the point, with aerobic exercise alone, you probably won’t end up looking as good as you can – as fast as you can.  So you’ll also need to do some exercise that preserves muscle, to stay strong, look good, keep your metabolism high and burn fat faster.  And that means resistance exercise – like weights, body weight training, or circuit training.  In the end, if you want to lose the most fat and look your best, you have to do some calorie-burning exercise and some muscle-preserving, or even building, exercise.

So now that we know what kind of exercise to do, let’s talk about how much.  I’m going to give you a really simple answer here: 5 hours a week.  That’s what works with my clients, and there’s strong research to support the recommendation, too.  In fact, a study with the University of Wyoming looked at 1500 people who exercised regularly.  And the key result was this: those who exercised at least 5 hours a week were happiest with their bodies. While those that exercised less didn’t get the results they wanted.

So here’s the key takeaway: the ideal amount of exercise is around 5 hours per week, on average.

Now, some people are doing almost 5 hours per week already. So, if you’re close to the magic 5 hour number, just pump up the volume a little, or maybe change the kind of exercise you’re doing.  But, the truth is, most people do a lot less.  Sometimes no exercise at all.  So, what should they do?

Well, let me first tell you what they shouldn’t do. They shouldn’t jump to 5 hours right away.  Because, for most people, that’s too much.  Instead, it’s best to ease them into it, asking them to do just a little more than they’re currently doing.

Not only is that easier for them – it’s the right thing to do.  In fact, it’s the only thing to do.  This expectation that people can make massive, instant changes to their lives — and make them last — is the biggest reason people fail to lose fat and keep it off.  If you’re doing nothing right now, just focus on moving a little more and exercising an hour or two each week.  And if you’re doing more exercise than that already, just gradually increase your volume until you reach five hours each week.  And make sure you’re doing both calorie burning exercise (like jogging) and muscle-preserving exercise (like training with free weights.)

At this point, I want to share with you the single most important thing you will ever learn about exercise for fat loss: it’s a concept called “Progressive Overload.”  In plain English, it means: consistently challenging yourself to do a little more, or a little better.  For example, let’s say yesterday you went for a 10 minute jog. Well, then today; go for 11 minutes.  If in your last workout you lifted 30 kgs, then today; lift 32.5.  That’s progressive overload. Every time you do physical activity, you write down what you did, and the next time, you do more, or do better, even in the smallest ways.  It’s a really powerful – and unbelievably easy – technique.

So let’s recap.  The simple keys to exercising for fat loss are:

• First – get moving – do some exercise and do it right away
• Next – mix calorie burning exercise (like jogging) with muscle preserving exercise (like training with free weights)
• Next – work your way up to 5 hours of exercise per week
• Finally – track what you do, and challenge yourself to do a little more, or a little better, each time

As long as you do those 4 things, you’ll lose fat quickly and for good.  Of course if you have no idea where to start or what exercises to do or how to do them correctly, well that is something I do for a living and can assist you if you need.  Just get in touch and we’ll make a time.

Supplements

So let’s talk supplements.

The last time I checked, there were over 40,000 nutritional supplements for sale in the US alone. While I know that certain supplements can be useful in a fat loss program, frankly, I think people overestimate their importance.  So, I’m going to make things very simple for you.   I’m just going to come out and tell you exactly what supplements to use when it comes to fat loss.  And guess what? There are only four of them.

The supplement industry, particularly in the US, is like the Wild West: lawless, unregulated and filled with characters of ill-repute. That’s changing, but it’s changing very, very slowly.  Still to this day, products are mislabelled, meaning things that are on the label sometimes aren’t in the bottle, and things that shouldn’t be in the product somehow find their way in.  That’s not good.  And on top of that, companies regularly sell supplements that haven’t been tested to see if they actually work, or worse, that they’re safe for regular use.  Also not good.

So if it’s such a big mess — and it is — then what exactly do we do?

One approach, and it’s a perfectly legitimate approach, is to simply take nothing.  The truth is — you don’t need supplements.  After all, they’re supposed to supplement other things, like the food you eat and the physical activity you do.  And lots of people have gotten in shape over the years taking nothing at all!  Taking no supplements at all is okay. You have my permission.

But here’s the thing: some supplements have tons of research behind them — publicly available research that anyone with an internet connection can read.  Of course, to read it, you’ve got to wade through a ton of scientific jargon, but it can be done — in fact, people do it all the time — and that’s where good advice comes from, legitimate research and evidence.

So, the two strategies that make sense are: 1) to avoid supplements altogether, or 2) to examine legitimate research and use that to decide.  Now, let’s look at what’s behind door number 2.

After all the research that been looked at, there are really just 4 supplements recommend – supplements that can reliably help with a fat loss program – while still being safe to use on a regular basis.  Here they are:

First, there’s fish oil.  You may have heard a lot about Omega-3’s – and fish oil is the key source.  There’s tons of research, fish oil’s great for fat loss, and it’s even been shown to improve mood and motivation.  I personally recommend choosing a fish oil that was extracted from 'wild caught' fish from the ocean as opposed to farmed fish as farmed fish are often pellet-fed and don't have the same nutrient balance and potency as fish from the ocean.

Secondly, there are multivitamins.  As you’ve probably heard, the modern diet often leads to small deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals.  These deficiencies can slow your metabolism and impair your ability to burn fat – among other things.  And a good multivitamin can help fix that.

Third, there’s protein powder.  Protein powder’s not entirely necessary if you get enough protein from the foods you eat, like lean meats, chicken and fish.  But since most people are crunched for time, they find themselves eating too little high quality protein.  That’s why adding some quick protein can be really, really helpful.

And finally, there are greens supplements.  If you get enough veggies, a greens supplement might not be entirely necessary.  But most people simply don’t eat enough vegetables, and are missing out on the micronutrients they contain — many of which help you lose fat either directly or indirectly. And a greens supplement can come in handy here.

So there you have it, 4 supplements for fat loss.  That’s it.

Now, rather than go into details about how much to take of each, and all that stuff, I have a really useful Supplement Cheat Sheet, which you can request.  I’ll email them to you and you can print it out for yourself.  In it, there are explanations on exactly how to use each supplement.

Right about now some of you are starting to put your hands up. “But what about this supplement? What about that supplement?”  Here’s my answer.  If it’s not one of those 4, it doesn’t make the cut for fat loss.  So if you have a question about a supplement that I didn’t talk about, just know that if it’s not one of those 4 — fish oil, multivitamin, protein powder, greens supplement then you are probably wasting your money.  They may make a small difference but will never compensate for improper nutrition and insufficient exercise.

Getting It Done.  Less Is More.

Now, before we wrap up, I want to make one last point.

Everyone wants the magic pill. So let me pose a question: if there was such a pill, a pill that you could take every day to be in the best shape of your life, would you take it?  Of course, right?  Well let’s look at something.  Here are some statistics on how often people take life-saving medication, for things like cancer and diabetes.  People will take a pill that will literally save their life only 55% of the time, on average.  What does that mean?  It means that in reality, you wouldn’t take the magic pill, even if there was one!  Or, at least, you’d only take it half the time.  What you may not know is that compliance – people’s willingness to do what they know they should — is a critical problem.  Even for doctors prescribing miracle drugs.

Here’s a stat for you.  Self-directed fat loss programs fail a staggering 98% of the time.  And everyone knows this. You may have tried and failed yourself once or twice.  And if not, you definitely know someone who has.  This fat loss thing – it’s not always easy to do on your own.  Yet people also lose fat successfully all the time.  They’re a small percentage, but when you actually count them up, it’s a pretty big number of real people.  Thousands of them, losing fat, getting in great shape, and staying that way.

So if people are losing fat, then what’s the difference between those who make it, and those who don’t?  Well, one thing successful people do is find help.  They find a coach who’s helped other people like them, and they do what the coach says. Or they find a friend who’s lost fat and do what they did.

They do something — anything — to find a real human relationship with someone who knows what to do and has really, obviously, done it. And then they do it too.  You see, mentorship and support are absolutely essential to fat loss. Those who have it, succeed.  Those who don’t, fail.  So the simplest thing you can do to ensure success is to find someone to teach you how.  But why?  What do people get from a great coach or a great mentor that they wouldn’t get otherwise?  Well, there are a few things.  But, for now, I want to share the most important one.  So pay close attention here.

You see, the human brain is made to analyse things, which is great.  But analysis leads to inaction.  A great coach, on the other hand, is trained to simplify things to the point where you feel confident enough to skip the analysis.  And actually start doing.

Here’s an example of what I mean.  If you browse around the web, you can access everything ever written on the subject of nutrition, from cooking to nutrient biochemistry.  And each thing you read will lead to another, and another, and another, until you’ve amassed a library of information.  But you can’t act on a library of information. And when you try to act, you often find there’s simply too much.  This is what every great coach understands.  And it’s where everyone who goes it alone seems to fail.  I see it all the time.  People kick off a new fitness program by trying to go to the gym every single day.  They try to eat nothing but perfectly healthy meals.  They add in a handful of new supplements.  And so on.  But by Week 2 they’ve realized they can’t do it all and still have a life.  And soon they’re back to where they started — except now, with a little less confidence in their ability to ever lose fat again.

In stark contrast, people who succeed with fat loss usually start with one simple thing.  For example, for the first 3 weeks do nothing but take fish oil and a multivitamin.  That’s it.  Each day.  It takes about 60 seconds, and you’re done.  Here’s what I know.  I know that if I ask a client this question:

On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that you can do what I’ve prescribed every day for the next 30 days?

… and they answer anything less than a 9 — they’re going to fail.

So, if someone answers anything less than a 9, I give them a little less to do, and I ask them the same question:

On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that you can do what I’ve prescribed every day for the next 30 days?

… and I keep subtracting, and I keep asking, until I get either a 9 or a 10. At which point, the client usually says, “Are you kidding me? Is this a joke? Of course I can do that.”

And you know what I say then?

“Let’s begin.”

Take my word: you can’t do it all at once.  But you don’t have to.  So just let go of that expectation right now.  Instead, pick one proven behaviour to start with.  Make a good fat loss breakfast this morning. Or even simpler, practice by taking fish oil and a multivitamin each morning or increase your water consumption by 1 litre a day.

Ask yourself this: how confident are you that you can do it every day for the next 30 days? If it’s not a 9 or 10 out of 10, make it easier until it is (e.g. increase your daily water consumption by a cup!).  Then do it every day for 30 days.  Then, and only then, do you add another simple but meaningful habit. And then another one.  The same way you would learn maths, or learn to talk, or learn anything, you’re going to learn to get in shape.  In fact, I’ve got a help sheet showing you exactly how to get started. I strongly recommend you give it a read, and more importantly, give it a try.

Remember, 98% of self-directed fat loss programs fail, because people try to do too much at once.  But there is a better way: you do less, you do it longer, and you get lasting results that aren’t possible any other way.

It’s that simple.   You decide.  You can make fat loss complicated – and most likely fail.  Or you can make it simple, use the strategies you’ve learned in this article, and see impressive success.

I’d like to say a big thanks to Dr John Berardi and the amazing team at Precision Nutrition for providing the content for this article.  I have recently commenced acquiring certification in the Precision Nutrition methodology and once completed will be qualified to coach clients on specific nutritional strategies to accelerate health, fitness and aesthetics goals achievement.  In the meantime challenge yourself to start practicing some or all of the ideas shared in this article to get rid of unneeded body fat.  Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or require more specific information or support.

5 Questions for Fat Loss

Most people have heard about how to eat for fat loss. But they just can’t figure out what to at when it comes time for a meal. And that’s largely because they’re asking themselves the wrong questions.

That’s why I’m posting this simple cheat sheet. It helps you ask the right questions at the most critical time – when it’s time to pick up the fork and spoon. To get the most out of this cheat sheet, simply print it out, fold it up, and make sure to ask yourself the following questions before your next meal.

Q1. Are you eating too much food?

When fat loss is your primary goal, you should stop eating when you’re about 80% full. This will leave you satiated but not belly-rubbing full. So, for this next meal, do you plan on eating a little less than you normally would?

You can eat from a smaller plate than usual. You can leave a little on the plate, instead of finishing everything in front of you. Or you can stop at one serving instead of going back for seconds.  Whatever strategy you use, make sure you’re decreasing your calories compared to what you might normally eat.

Q2. Are you eating enough protein?

Your protein intake determines whether you’re going to lose body fat or lean muscle. (Obviously, we want to lose the first and keep the latter.) So, for this next meal, is there enough lean protein included?  Men should eat about 2 palm-sized portions and women should eat about 1 palm-sized portion.

You can choose from sources including: lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, lean game meats), lean vegetarian sources (tofu, tempeh, legumes), or powdered protein supplements.

Whichever type you choose, make sure you’re eating more protein than what you might normally eat.

Q3. Are you eating too many sugars or starches?

Too many starches and sugars in your diet can prevent fat loss (or even cause fat gain). So, for this next meal, are there too many starches, particularly processed ones like bread or pasta? Men should eat less than 1 fist-sized portion and women should eat less than ½ fist-sized portion. Also, the amount of sugar should be minimized.

Starches in the diet include grains, pasta, potatoes, rice, bread, and other carb-dense foods. And added sugars can be found in pop/soda, fruit juices, salad dressings, desserts, sweet snacks, and more. Again, you don’t have to cut these out completely. You just have to be sure to eat fewer of them than usual.

Q4. Are you eating enough vegetables?

By replacing your grains with greens, you’ll still feel satisfied at the end of a meal while also

increasing your intake of fiber and other important vitamins/minerals. So, for this next meal, are you eating enough vegetables? For fat loss, men should eat about 1 cup while women should eat about ½ cup.

While most people think of salads when veggies are brought up, many other options are available.  Baked, grilled, sautéed, or steamed veggies all count. As do foods like pesto or even kale chips.

Regardless of which veggies you choose, make sure you’re eating more than usual.

Q5. Are you including enough healthy fats?

Highly processed fats, often found in processed foods, can ruin your health and lead to fat gain. However, a healthy mix of other naturally occurring fats is important for fat loss. So, for this next meal, are you eating some healthy fats?

You can choose from sources like olive oil, avocados, raw nuts (not roasted), raw seeds, and omega-3 rich fish oils. Whichever type you choose, make sure you’re adding healthy fats to your diet while replacing the unhealthy ones.

What's the big deal about deadlifing?

Many of my clients know that I'm a big fan of the deadlift and its variations in my training programs.  Along with squats, it is considered by industry experts as one of the single greatest, most beneficial exercise available.  Whether I have someone begin with a basic bend movement or have more advanced people hauling in excess of 50% of their body weight off the floor, I've seen only good things come of it.  This is of course assuming proper technique is taught and practiced.  Below is an exerpt from an interview with Coach and Powerlifter Eric Cressey by Myles Kantor.

What are the unique benefits of deadlifting?

First, I’d say that (along with box squats) it’s the single-most effective movement for training the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, adductor magnus, and lumbar erectors). The posterior chain is of paramount importance to high-level performance; watch the best sprinters run, and you’ll see that they seem to just “float”—and it’s because they’re running with their hamstrings and glutes. In contrast, watch a guy who runs with his quads, and you’ll see that his hips are bouncing up and down; there’s a lot of wasted movement. The glutes and hamstrings are all fast-twitch fibers with a lot of strength, speed, and size potential—potential you’ll never realize without deadlift variations. 

Second, strengthening the posterior chain with closed-chain movements like deadlifts also reduces injury risk. Weak hamstrings are a serious risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, patellofemoral pain, and a host of other problems at the knee, hip, ankle, and lower back. Conversely, leg curls simply won’t get the job done, as they don’t require co-contraction of the glutes and hamstrings, are open-chain, and occur in a fixed line of motion. Our body is far smarter than some piece of selectorized equipment.

Third, deadlifts enable a lifter to train hip and knee extension together without learning the full Olympic lifts, which have a big learning curve. 

Fourth, deadlifts enable a lifter to use more loading, thus ensuring that more motor units and, in turn, muscle fibers will be recruited all over the body. The more fibers you recruit, the greater your stimulus for growth. And, if you’re looking to shed body fat, the post-exercise oxygen debt will be larger from recruiting more muscle mass, meaning that your metabolic rate will be really jacked up for longer after the end of your training session. 

Fifth, you can train deadlifts several different ways. Light weights (~30% 1RM) with high velocities develop speed-strength, mid-range loading (45-70% 1RM) develop strength-speed, and circa-maximal weights enhance maximal strength. Pulls at 90% can have tremendous benefits in terms of both power and maximal strength development.

Sixth, deadlifts are quite possibly the best exercise for enhancing rate of force development (RFD)—also known as explosive strength. This refers to how quickly you can develop tension in a muscle, and is obviously of tremendous importance to athletic success. Movements that are initiated from a dead-stop are superior methods of enhancing RFD; box squats and Anderson squats are great as well. Olympic lifts can be tricky in this regard, as the first pull is actually somewhat slow compared to what you’ll see in a speed deadlift; Olympic lifters are more interested in setting themselves up for the second pull.

Seventh, as noted earlier, deadlifts have a better functional carryover to real world performance than leg curls, glute-blasters, and all the other silly machines out there.

Eighth, deadlifts are unparalleled in their ability to wallop loads of muscle mass on your upper back. The better my pull has gotten, the bigger my upper back has grown—and by accident! It’s actually gotten to the point that I’ve had to bump up a weight class because my upper back, hamstrings, and glutes have grown so much from pulling that I have been forced to do so!

Ninth, deadlifts train supporting grip like nothing else. If you can’t grip it, you can’t deadlift it.

Tenth, believe it or not, deadlifts can be a tremendously valuable corrective training exercise if coached correctly. I’ve used them in the correction of IT [iliotibial] band friction syndrome, lower back pain, lateral knee pain, groin pain, and a host of other torso and lower extremity problems. The secret rests with the proper execution of the exercise. 

It seems many people stay away from deadlifting because they associate it with danger, especially back injuries. How much of deadlifting's dangers are inherent versus dangers caused by improper form? 

I’m a firm believer that the overwhelming majority can do variations of the deadlifts safely. As long as proper form is in place, and people aren’t attempting unreasonable weights, this movement will improve health and performance. If you really think about it, is deadlifting that much different than picking up your groceries or your child? The problem isn’t the exercise; it’s the exerciser’s technique, or trainer or coach’s coaching. 

In many cases, people lack the flexibility to pull from the floor. In these individuals, I devote more time to improving dynamic flexibility and have them do rack pulls (bar is elevated) to start to “groove” the technique. I’ve had several clients over the age of 70 and even 80 safely perform deadlift variations—and they all remark on how much easier it makes activities of daily living. 

Speaking of technique, what are some easy ways to injure oneself doing deadlifts improperly? 

• Initiating the lift with the elbows flexed/bent (they should be “taut” the entire time)
• Pushing through the mid-foot or toes (should push through the heels)
• Starting with the hips too high (using the lower back instead of the hamstrings and glutes)
• Starting with the hips too low (trying to squat the weight up instead of deadlifting it)
• Allowing the hips to rise faster than the shoulders (should come up together to keep the stress on the legs)
• Not finishing the lift (The hips should be fully extended; you should be standing completely  upright at lockout. This can be fixed by just having someone squeeze their glutes and push their hips into the bar.)
• Hyperextending at the lumbar spine at lockout (you shouldn’t be leaning back; it’s a sign that you’re moving too much at the lumbar spine and not enough at the hips)
• Rounding the spine at any time (The spine should remain neutral at all times; if you look like a scared cat, you’re doing deadlifts incorrectly!)

As with other lifts, individuals eager to increase their deadlift often overtrain the exercise. In this vein, Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell has remarked that "the deadlift is very taxing on the central nervous system" and that "Most lifters deadlift too often and too heavy." What do you consider to be overtraining the deadlift?

This is a very loaded question that I could spend all day answering. In a nutshell, I’ll just say that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I’ve made progress on my deadlift by ignoring it altogether, and I’ve made progress training it twice a week (once for speed, once heavy in the 3-6 rep range, plus an additional heavy pulling session on speed day once per month). Beginners need to pull more frequently to continue to improve on technique. More advanced lifters don’t need to pull as frequently to increase their deadlift, but they can still benefit from incorporating deadlift variations in their programming frequently.


So hopefully you are all sold on the benefits of deadlifting.  If anyone wants me to show you the correct technique for deadlifting, then just get in touch and I'll take you through it.

Romanian Deadlift - With Barbell

Try this exercise to strengthen nearly every muscle in the back of your body as well as your core and grip strength. Consider this a great way to reduce back pain, burn fat, build muscle and increase bone density and flexibility for people of any age and gender.
 

Difficulty Level :  Advanced   Muscles :   Hamstrings, Glutes Modality :  Strength Equipment :  Barbell Pre-Requisites : Must have adequate core strength as well as adequate extensibility in the hamstrings to perform this exercise in neutral spine with minimal compensation to the kinetic chain. Preparation : Begin with barbell on ground, knees bent 5 degrees, feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the HIP joint maintaining neutral spine and grab the bar at a width that would allow the forearms to be perpendicular to the bar if the elbows were flexed at 90 degrees. Slightly retract scapulae (shoulder blades). Movement : Contract glutes, extend hips to straight position. Lower down to starting position, following desired REP TEMPO.