So this week we had a client that was seeing a chiropractor and was informed that there was a particular exercise that no one should be doing. And based on the title of this post you already know what the exercise is. But we train a number of our clients with deadlifts. And we don't have DC after our names. So what does this mean? Well since Breaking Bad is done I know you've got nothing else to do but stick around and find out the truth. Which is that deadlifts are not bad. Nor are deep squats. Or bench presses. Or biceps curls in the squat rack. (I threw that last one in as a trick to see if you're still paying attention. I do my biceps curls on the Olympic platform) In fact there is no such thing as a "good exercise" or a "bad exercise". There is only exercise done with proper form or improper form. Simple as that. Because here's the thing...we all deadlift anyways. A deadlift is basically a hinging movement at the hips. So whereas a squat would involve most of the bending to happen at the knees a deadlift involves most of the bending at the hips. Imagine all of the times you may hinge (deadlift) in a day: * picking up your suitcase off the belt at the airport* taking a bow as conductor of the symphony orchestra* closing your gar door when your arms are full of groceries But I would go further than to simply disagree with the premise that deadlifts are bad for you and should be avoided but they are good for you and should be in most people's programs. Why are deadlifts important? Because they promote the ability to remain in extension. Flexion on the other hand:* usually...

  And now here's the final installment in the 3 part series 10 Things to Avoid Doing During Your Workout.  8. Elevating your heels during  squats. Have you seen this done in the gym? Maybe you've done it before as well. You perform a squat and realize that your heels lift off the ground as you reach full depth. So you've got two options. One is to limit you range of motion to only go as low as your heels stay in contact with the ground. The other option is to put a shim under your heels so that they are always in contact with something as you lower yourself. And since you're not a wuss you opt for option #2. Because in order to get the best leg development you need to go full depth you need something under your heels to do so. But here's the problem. As you lower yourself into a squat your body is going into pronation and flexion. You are reducing the force of the lift through your joints and muscles. This energy is being loaded up to be released during the upwards phase of the motion. As you lower yourself the hips flex, the knees flex and the ankles flex. And as you stand up the hips and knees extend. During the upward motion the ankles plantar flex. And during the descent it dorsiflexes. When you put a plate or a shim under your heels you put the ankle into plantar flexion. As you start the descent of a squat you need the foot to go into dorsiflexion which is the opposite of the set up you've just established.And the body works as a series of chain reactions. So as one group of joints and muscles loads up under force this triggers the neighbouring joints and muscles to prepare...