Is Deadlifting Dangerous?

Are you looking for a way to improve your mood, burn calories, and boost your energy levels? You may want to try weight training. Incorporating weight and resistance into your workout routine is an incredibly effective way to get and stay in shape, whether you're 23 or 93 (via Healthline).

One of the best weightlifting exercises you can do are deadlifts. Deadlifts are a total body exercise, targeting your core, glutes, hamstrings, back, and quads, according to Women's Health. But because deadlifts require you to hinge at your waist and hips while picking up a weight, they can easily cause injury if you're not careful. Certified strength and conditioning specialist and owner of Champion PT and Performance Mike Reynolds told Men's Health, "Your body has to be able to get in the positions to use good form — and then you actually have to use good form — or else the deadlift can easily injure you."

While deadlifting isn't inherently dangerous, injuries do occur. According to a 2018 study in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, lower back, hamstring, and knee injuries are among the most common. However, many of these injuries can be mitigated by using the proper form and appropriate amount of weight.

Perfecting your form is key not only for avoiding a painful injury, but also for achieving maximum results (via Mayo Clinic). You should also start slow. You may want to feel like Wonder Woman or Superman with heavy plates packed onto the end of a barbell but this is not the best strategy. "As a beginner, you should start practicing with a light weight, making sure you have good form. If your back rounds, lower the weight," personal trailer Emily Servante advised in an interview with Cosmpolitan. "As your strength increases, so will the weight you're able to lift."