Doing Deadlifts for Body-fat Loss

Lifting weights is often overlooked in favor of cardio for fat loss, but weight training can be just as beneficial, if not more so when it comes to shedding fat, according to trainer Charles Poliquin, creator of the PICP strength coach certification. The deadlift is one of the most effective fat-loss exercises, as it works multiple muscle groups, including your lower back, core, glutes and hamstrings and should be a staple exercise in your lifting routine.

  1. Calories Burned

    • An hour of vigorous weight training burns between 354 calories in an hour for a person weighing 130 pounds and 558 calories an hour for someone weighing 205 pounds. If you weigh less than 130, you'll burn fewer calories or more if you're heavier than 205. The main benefit of the deadlift, however, is that because it works so many muscle groups, you also get a large metabolic effect. After a session, it takes a lot for your body to recover and repair and rebuild broken down muscle tissue. This leads to an increase in metabolism and calorie burn. The more muscles you work, the bigger the effect on your metabolism post-workout.

    Sets and Reps

    • Using light weights and high reps is not the best means to achieve weight loss. The set-and-rep scheme doesn't actually have much to do with whether you lose fat at all. Heavy weights for low repetitions, such as sets of five to eight, are best for building strength, slightly lighter weights for eight to 12 reps build muscle and high-rep sets of 15 or more are best for muscular endurance. As the deadlift is a complex lift, doing fewer reps is best because keeping your sets shorter helps you to maintain proper form. Stick with a lower-rep range and perform multiple sets, such as five sets of five reps.

    Technique

    • Technique is paramount in any lift, but even more so with the deadlift. Your feet should be hip-width apart with your hands and arms just outside your thighs. In the bottom position, squeeze your abdominals and arch your lower back slightly so that your whole back is straight and then lift the bar by extending your knees and pushing your hips forward. Your back should remain flat the whole time -- if it rounds, you're either trying to lift too much weight or you need to work on your form. Pause with the bar on the ground for a second between reps. If you're still struggling, as a qualified trainer for help.

    Programming

    • Train using a full-body routine. Total-body sessions are best for fat loss, as they maximize your fat-burning potential and the metabolic effect, claims personal trainer Shin Ohtake of MaxWorkouts.com. Perform your sessions on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Saturday, deadlifting in the first and third sessions of the week. Put deadlifts at the start of your workout and follow them up with a squat or lunge exercise, a pushing movement such as a bench press or pushup and a dumbbell, barbell or cable row. Aim to lift a little heavier or perform extra reps each week, and if you plateau on regular deadlifts, switch to a different variation such as trap-bar or stiff-legged deadlifts. Combine your whole routine with a calorie-controlled diet.