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...