Deadlift Progressions for Youth Athletes

Deadlift variations are a great exercise to help young athletes learn how to recruit the powerful fast twitch muscle fibers. They are very economical in the sense that they affect so many muscles that are necessary for building youth speed. For instance, it strengthens the hamstrings,glutes, and spinal erectors. Let's just say it is a total body strength exercise because you have to have strong hip stabilizers,stomach muscle stabilizers, and upper back activation to get optimal stimulation from the exercise. There are many things to consider to affectively use this exercise.

Stance-

The stance we teach is to have the feet directly under the bar. The bar must also be as close to the shins as possible in order to minimize the distance the bar travels. That means less work for the athlete. The shoulders should be over the bar and back should be flat or slightly arched. We want the hips to be high enough that the athlete does not squat the weight up. But low enough that the movement is initiated with the glutes and hamstrings. The chest should be up, which will be much easier when the athlete pinches the upper back, and keep his head up. The feet should be flat and coaches should cue the athlete to drive through the heels to make sure the posterior chain muscles are recruited. Also, let the athlete know the elbows should be held straight without locking them out. The last thing you want is to have bent elbows to put the athlete in danger of bicep injuries and joint pain. The athlete must learn that the deadlift is a hip movement and not a squat. Cue the athlete to snap the hips into the bar.

Ideal Muscle Activation & Warm-Up-
The glutes must be activated as they are heavily involved in this movement. Many athletes try to avoid these activation drills as they think they look girly. But if your glutes are not activated your hip extension lockout will be done by the back. The back is meant to be stable, so the last thing you want is to make it mobile. I have had enough back injuries from poor form and lack of glute activation that I know better than to skip these drills.

Mobility in the hips is also crucial to be able to get in the proper position to perform the exercise. Execution is always better than quantity. Also, address hamstring flexibility if it is an issue as that can cause the athlete to have a hard time with bending low enough to make sure the posterior chain muscles are ready to explode into action. Don't take the warm-up lightly as it can be crucial in injury prevention. Make it fun by adding a new variation every once in a while or adding games into the movements. It does not have to be it's own workout, but make it long enough to get the job done. I have gone anywhere from 5 minutes to 12 minutes. It will depend on the restrictions of the athletes and what area they need help in the most.

Weight Progression -

Don't be too anxious. It is better to take your time and make consitent gains. Many times rushing the process can lead to injuries and plateaus as well as burn out. Personally, I tell my athletes a 2.5 lb increase weekly means at least a 100 lb increase by the years end. Trust me if you can deadlift 100 lbs more than you did a year ago you will increase your speed provided you are not fat. Let's think of the process being a crock pot instead of a deep fryer. When you cook in a crock pot you know it will be a long process, but you also know that you will enjoy the food more if you wait. We usually start the first week at about 65% of the new max that the athlete performs on a montlhy basis. I am not saying that you should have young athletes perform 1 rep maxes as their central nervous system is not efficient enough to do that. We do however, attempt 5 or 3 rep maxes on a monthly basis. It helps the athletes see their progress and trust the program which they often times is so boring. Results will always take care of that as it gives a reason to keep pushing themselves. We will go into more detail with how we progress in our upcoming Middle School Football Training Manual.

Attitude

I get amped when the young guys are doing deadlifts as it takes me back to the days that I prepared for my season and I know it will make them much better athletes. You must teach the athletes that this exercise is not meant to be gentle. We build their toughness by telling them to be aggressive with the weight without sacrificing form. Maybe, it is just the atmosphere. If you can't get hype with some second coming playing or Da truth on the speakers maybe you chose the wrong sport. Teach the young athlete to leave it on the field when it is team versus the bar. And the bar should never have a chance if you are training them right. I expect my athletes to get stronger and faster. Maybe, they see the excitement in my eyes when they step up to the bar or it might be the fact that I lift with them as well. The athletes should always see the coaches laying it on the line as well. It is not about always being able to lift the weight as it is your athletes seeing you grind just like they do. I am about to jump out off this computer screen thinking about it.

Floor Height-
The biggest mistake that coaches make is to think that because their athletes do not have the mobility or flexibility to perform a conventional deadlift off the floor they should not deadlift at all. That could not be further from the truth. We have mats that we use to help bring the bar higher up, so the athlete is able to perform the exercise until their mobility improves. We start taking off the mats one mat a time when we see improvement in form and mobility. Take your time as these young athletes can make incredible gains in strength even with the higher mats. We must remember that this is still a new stimulus that requires central nervous system effeciency and compund exercises releases a great amount of growth hormone. All you have to do is watch these athletes grow as they eat more. Let me know if I missed anything or if you have further questions.