Barbell Deadlift

Best Use For Improving Vertical Jump

The deadlift may just be the best overall exercise you can do. You can use it to build muscle, strength, explosiveness, or even burn fat. It recruits virtually every muscle in the body. However for vertical jump training it is best used for either maximum strength or for explosiveness.

Technique Tips

There plenty of things to remember with the deadlift and there are also a number of excellent articles around. However for those interested in keeping things simple (and really how hard should it be to pick up a bar? Er, harder than you think actually!) here are the key points:

• Keep your eyes up and the weight on your heels
• Take a deep breath of air into your belly just before you lift to help stabilize your spine
• Push through the floor with your heels
• Your hips and shoulders should raise at the same time
• As you approach the top clench your butt cheeks together to activate the glutes
• Finish by standing tall in an upright position with your glutes tight and shoulders back

Alternative Exercises

Some good alternatives to barbell deadlifts are

Snatch Grip Deadlift

Sumo Grip Deadlift

Trap Bar Deadlift