Exercise Scientist Is WRONG About Deadlifts 

strength makes everything easier no matter the age.

50 year old here. I'll say the same thing I said on the video in question. I quit deadlifting for several months last year due to reading stuff like this. At the end of that period, I had back, hip, and shoulder pain ... seemingly without any source. I decided to start deadlifting again this past Oct, and 3 weeks later felt like a million bucks. Set a 395 PR last week at a sub-180 body weight, and didn't die. Deadlifts 4 Life.

Thanks for doing a video on this. My head nearly exploded listening to McGill saying that.

Visited an orthopedic surgeon on a consultation for torn meniscus in my knees April 2023, he quickly after examining me recommended surgery, he’s done thousands, recommended that I stop any squats because “squats are the absolute worst thing you could do for your knees no one should ever squat,” according to this doctor, who was in his early 60s, 300 pounds 6 feet tall had to sit for almost the entire examination, even when manipulating my knees was in a seated position. Examined me for 15 minutes, didn’t stand up other than walking into the room to sit down in his chair. I opted not to have surgery after consultation with another orthopedic surgeon, who totally approved of everything that I was doing. I’ve been squatting and dead lifting consistently since 2018, knee pain (and severe, chronic back pain) preceded lifting, I did modify squatting after the incident that initiated the doctor visits (an awkward knee twist exiting the squat rack) to only box squats, knee pain is almost entirely gone.

Im 53 and new lifter. I credit squats and deadlifts with relieving my back pain. I had lumbar arthritis and spinal stenosis that was aggravated by 35 years working construction. Squats and deads havee given me my life back. Plan to do them as long as I can

I saw that video. I'm 62 and can still Deadlift 500 and I'm looking to break my best of 515. I will never eliminate Deadlifts. Stay Strong!! Semper Fi

I saw the McGill video last week - I generally disagree. I'm 69 and only been deadlifting 4 years. I hit a PR of 425 last year and I am excited about going higher at some point, if I can. I'm not looking to reassess when I can do it safely. At this age, goals are a great thing for mental health and physical wellbeing.

I'm really tired of all these "longevity" hucksters. I plan on deadlifting until the day I die.

The point isn’t mute, it’s moot.

I'm so pleased that you reviewed that video. I watched it on Saturday and yesterday when I done a deadlift at 80kg and I weigh 60kg and I'm a novice 55 Yr old female. All I could picture was micro tears in my back 😮 I feel better now you have put it in perspective 😊

I love how he says anyone who sets a personal best has microfractures, whether it's 315 or 1000 Lol.

I'm an older lifter, coming 73. I had some trouble from time to time with straight bar deadlifts. Since going to a trap bar, I've tolerated deadlifting very well. It is not exactly the same movement, but close enough for this old man. There is a primal thrill making a heavy weight com off the floor. It happens that today was leg day. I did both squats and trap bar deadlifts, then came home and cleared out the snow from our long driveway and deck. Strength training is the closet thing there is to a fountain of youth.

THANK YOU. This conversation needed this added nuance.

42 years old, 5’7”, 185 lbs here. Starting SS 6 months ago. I started DL’s at 185lbs x 5 and have advanced to 315x5. I only DL once a week now but am still making gains and always feel fresh and ready. It’s my favorite exercise as it’s just so alpha…and it makes everything else feel easier by comparison.

Past a certain age we lose 2-4% of our strength per year! That's an implosion. So, assume for discussion you're 60 years old and you deadlift 315 lbs for a 1x5 working set twice a week. And imagine for discussion you didn't even increase that weight, you simply maintained that weight for years. Given that your age related baseline strength _should_ be falling off a cliff, maintaining that weight actually means you are getting stronger relative to your age! In other words, even maintaining 315 lbs over the years means every workout is effectively a new PR.

I watch Dr. Attia regularly, and I saw the whole interview with Dr. McGill, widely known and respected as the "the back doc." And I cringed a little when I heard him say that. I'm almost 65 (signing up for Medicare this week), and I still deadlift. Granted, I train deadlift only every other week, and I don't go lower than 5 reps. On the off weeks, I do accessory lifts (band distracted deadlift, cable pull through, shank lever, RDL, box step up, etc.) and mobility work, mostly DNS hip movements. Though not the best tool for aesthetics, I deadlift for the axial stimulus to keep healthy bone density and hormone levels. Also, as Dr. Attia mentions, I do them as an audit for my rest, recovery, nutrition, and mobility protocols. I don't wear a belt, but I use straps on my working sets so that I can focus on my form and also because I ruptured a biceps tendon years ago and don't want to reinjure it. I haven't pulled a max single since I was 58, and I'm fine with that. If programmed intelligently, I see no reason to stop deadlifting in one's 60s or even 70s and 80s.

It boils down to don’t ego lift listen to your body.

My knee and back pain improved tremendously once I started squatting and deadlifting regularly. I’m in my late 40’s. Maybe I’ll shoot for a 1000lb pull in the next lifetime.

The analysis is quite general and a few things should have been looked into here. 1. Usually people who are built to deadlift, i.e. long arms, long legs, short torso, etc. seem to recover faster from deadlift workouts and have the ability to deadlift more frequently than others who are not built to deadlift. A lot of that has to do with the angle of torso angle and distance of the moment arm on the lower back with recovery. 2. A lot of injuries occur with overtraining and doing too much of high volume. I'm 45 years old and deadlifting frequently over 600lb probably once or twice a month and the beginning of last year I had a lot of hip issues which now have gone. Difference I did was adjust the training volume to a lot lower it considerably as opposed to keep ramping it up, but still make sure I deadlift once a week as recovery is now optimum.

Gosh, is getting out of bed in the morning really worth the risk 😂

I am having a hard time focusing on my other work outs because all I think of is when I am deadlifting again. Having my errectors pushing on my shirts is an addictive feeling.

Deadlifts are the great boogeyman for non-lifters, just ahead of barbell back squats. It's because of misinformation and maybe lack of form education early in their lifting careers for the few or them who have ever done them. Sometimes this misinformation has credentials behind their names, which is unfortunate. At some point, they will not go up if you don't try very hard, and I think there is a certain subset of people who are allergic to trying hard, and spend all of their cognitive ability rationalizing why doing what they do (and staying weak despite a long training history) instead of trying hard at something is actually better.

I'm 46 and my mobility is a lot better when I'm deadlifting and squatting. If I go more than a couple weeks without deadlifting my aches and pains creep back. I was really disappointed to see that on Dr. Attia's channel.

I believe McGill is making the point that people who pursue deadlift or squat PRs for the rest of their lives take a risk that they will injure their hips or back. They should keep their ability to squat and hinge for the rest of their lives for functionality and quality of life though. This can be achieved by means other than training heavy PR bi-lateral barbell squats and deadlifts. If heavy barbell squats and deadlifts are not required for your sport or occupation then you have to evaluate if you need to do them. You should consider alternatives that get the results you want without the mileage these exercises may cause for you. Try trap bar deadlifts, single leg straight leg deadlifts, farmer’s walks, split squats, etc and see how you feel.

Moot Point vs.Mute point is an error; it does not exist in standard American English. With that said, it's understandable why these terms get confused so often. Moot refers to something being unimportant or irrelevant, while mute means to be completely silent.

At 60, I´ve been lifting literally for more than four decades. I´m one of those guys with a "personal best" to pursue. This is what gives me motivation. The professional powerlifter lives on another planet and I can´t compare my humble goals with what they do. My worst injuries were not weightlifting-related, by the way. I´m convinced the older lifter must avoid too much inflammation and not necessarily high loads. I really think that being strong has to do with goals...otherwise, it becomes like being happy: what is it specifically? Thanks for the video.

I've been off dead lifting and training in general for a number of years, I'm 61. Here lately I've been noticing some hip mobility issues. Today I deadlifted, 5x5 ended up about 215# not super tough, or super easy. Hips already feel more stable. First set felt very stiff and awkward, but by the third set I was loosened up and able to get more hip and less low back into it. 200# is a lot less than the 500# I used to do, but just give it time.

Dr McGill is the most recognised expert in the world ref the above subject working with the best athletes in the world.. Surely he knows what he is talking about...

Most people I've seen who've espoused that "deadlifts are risky or dangerous" usually have poor form themselves...

I deadlift heavy once a week and do light RDLs for 6-8 reps on another training day. I’m 47 and always feel better and more mobile deadlifting.

Thank you soooo much for addressing Dr. McGill's comments. We needed to hear more than just what was said in that video. BTW, I love the numbers of comments here from older lifters like myself. It's encouraging.

Strength is just one variable. Ability and effort with volume is the only thing that needs to be gauged. Your argument for these big compound movements is for yourself and those who trust you enough to follow your advice. Doc McGill is probably one of the most published spinal specialist’s alive today. His advice is extremely practical and as Doc Atia said there’s other ways to accomplish the same training pathway. It’s force production that you’re after and that’s what translates into movement with more ease and then applied to whatever skill you choose. Pick something that has low risk, high upside and allows you to assure your body can continue to flourish. BTW… your clip of the older lifter pulling 385 had poor form. Poor but typical. Knock the weight in half and regain good movement patterns. 200 with good form is far better the a star on the fridge.

Soon to be 65 squat and deadlift alternating about once every 9 -10 days,, if I train squat i'll do a light dl supplemental and vica versa

I'm a micro-man. 5 foot 3," 115 pounds. 48 years old. Deadlifts make me feel taller. They solved all of my office work-related cranky back issues. I can sit in whatever position I want. I can sleep in whatever position I want. These things were not true in my 20s and 30s. Deadlifts make me feel stronger, more upright. I never deadlift to failure because my body tells me that would court injury. I don't care what my one rep max is. That means nothing to me. This is a fundamental movement. Learn to deadlift. Be strong for your age and frame.

I don't agree with everything our good Dr say. I say deadlift if you want to play with your grandchildren in the future. Too many people are too weak in their old age. I plan on not getting weak in my old age.

Excellent video, thanks for posting!

Totally agree. I'm 60yo, 60KG and right now straight leg deadlifting 90KG 3-4X/wk. Is that too often, I don't feel bad doing it, so its probably OK. I do like walking down hills backwards, easy on the knees and sprinting up them.

Great Video , I appreciated your point of view 👍🏽

I watched that video last week and it pissed me off too. I’m 63 and I deadlift every 7-8 days and I go up in my heavy set about every 30 days. You should go look at my comment on the video. McGill is already showing signs of sarcopenia……and dementia!

@7:00 - "moot point", not mute, common mistake Those saying that McGill was just talking about heavy lifters, go listen to the original clip for full context because that isn't what the discussion was about, it's called - "Do the benefits of deadlifts and squats outweigh the risk of injury? | Peter Attia and Stuart McGill" (BTW, links in the description please) Good video. I watched that clip and was just left a little frustrated, Peter asked him if he personally should continue squatting and deadlifting, keeping in mind that he's just lifting to stay in shape, not to "lift heavy" or chasing PBs. And McGill basically just replied with these "...well there's so many people that get hurt from deadlifting heavy, powerlifters, kids chasing PBs..." and summed it up with "...and that's why you shouldn't squat or deadlift"(paraphrasing). He NEVER even touched on Peter's specific circumstances and basically just said not to do them because [powerlifter-adjacent examples]. I hate it when people like this do such things. I don't think I'm going out on a limb saying that Dr Stuart McGill probably knows WTF he's talking about in general. Which makes this stance so confusing. Maybe he's just arrived at this point via a very healthy dose of confirmation bias(by way of his own patients, the majority of which presumably don't fit the circumstances that Peter outlined)?

Hey thanks for the awesome analysis! You have my subscription

This was incredibly in depth and simple to understand at the same time. Great advice!

Respectfully, but honestly, having watched many of McGill's videos, I've noticed that he'll contradict what he's said elsewhere, I presume just because he needs to seem agreeable. I suspect had Attia opened with "Every master should DL regularly and shoot for new PRs while maintaining good form. Your thoughts?", McGill would have heartily agreed and amplified the point with the same spinal prop.

Seems to me, the real issue might be the frequency and intensity of these movements…..I’ve noticed that deadlifts are pretty tough on me…..I barbell deadlift every other week and then in between, I do a lighter single arm deadlift. I’m still feeling a stretch in my hams & glutes, and it seems to help me police my intensity of the movement.

To prevent unduly stressing the lower back, do you recommend squatting and deadlifting during the same session and if so, in what order? On the other hand, if we should deadlift and squat on different days, what should we consider when choosing how far apart in days/weeks to perform these two exercises?

I watched this entire session from Attia & McGill. I was like oh crap am I bound to hurt myself? I've been deadlifting off and on for decades. Yes I've tweaked my back on occasion. Probably more due to not regressing the movement or not being ready or not doing the movement more correct. Appreciate your insight. Yeah I'm an old dude probably not looking to do 600lbs+ anymore but I do wanna include deads as part of my routine

How do you define heavy? Is it singles or under 5 reps?

Finally! Thank you!

Can’t imagine what this dude thinks happens to someone if they do an atlas stone melody

💯Correct ! I am 67 and just train by feel, and keep on adjusting.

Big Peter Attia fan here, and I had the exact same reaction to this segment. Defies belief that deadlifts produce the same levels of stress in older adults who are lifting to achieve/maintain a base line level of strength vs world record holding power lifters. The loads and training intensity are so different. I am also not going to walk up hills backwards. That sounds like an excellent way to crack my skull open.

I currently have trained 2 ladies (72) and (68) each deadlift 1x5 per week (135-150 lbs).

43 years old. Try and have my workouts focus on one compound movement per day plus accessory movements. I cant do squats 3x per week but i can squat, deadlift, row, bp, and mp each once a week and feel great.

A major problem is the state of intervertebral disks. The workings of which are extremely complex. Due to lack of nerve supply to them it is difficult to know what is going on with them.......

What passes for medicine nowadays is an absolute joke: "Wear a mask" "Don't squat and deadlift" GTFO!

Good vid. I like a lot of dr McGill s work but yea he was way off on this one. I’m 54 and still setting pr’s squatting in the 5 and deadlifting in the mid 6’s my back has never been stronger and never have back pain. I do a lot of stretching and mobility (this was more important as I got older for sure) and usually a lot of daily walking although the winter months admittedly set us back and we hate it. Stress fractures happen in every part of the body with repetitive heavy lifting it’s also how our bones and ligaments get stronger. But yes dialing back for periods is definitely necessary when constantly going heavy and setting prs or the accumulation of them ‘can’ eventually be a detriment

I do generally agree though that it seems best for me at least to wait a full week between sessions. My leg tendons feel strained if I try to go more often.

I saw the Attia/McGill clip last week. McGill makes a false choice. There is plenty of safe margin for reasonable training goals. Maybe the M.D. part of his name makes him super conservative in his public comments. Thanks for the great analysis. Love the channel.

Can you do squats / deadlift 3 times a week if you only do 2 sets each day and reps of 12.

Your advice is spot on! I personally use cycling as my cardio exercise 2 days a week to counterbalance the 2-3 gym strength sessions.

Thanks! I am a 50 year old lifter. I deadlfit 405-425lb for reps once a week. I don't worry about personal bests, as I don't think they are very helpful for strength and increase risk of injury. I have no plans to stop doing my favorite lifts. I appreciate the confirmation because I saw the video admonishing deadlifts.

Are sandbags good for deadlift??

The starting question for that person he mentioned with back pain. Is how about you fix the back pain then see how lifting can go. PR and back pain is probably a recipe for injury. Maybe some scans, or range of motion tests with pain checks. Fix the injury then go for it. But i'm not a lifter. Just a regular be better than last time person. Or maingainer. i sit way too often for work and my low back is tight. Watching pat McNamara and how you can progress to do other things and still be active and strong. The idea about range of motion and various movements to strengthen things to not hurt. Most power lifters are not about range of motion or off axis things. Atlaspowershrug is all about old lifts and one armed things. Those are about core and stability then building on top of that. Not the other way around. Deadlift is probably not the way to strengthen you back. Or is it? Let me know.

For the sake of argument, if you are limiting this to the average trainee out there going to a box gym or training in their garage or whatever, there are many better exercises that will actually get them to what their vague goals actually are in probably 80% of cases (lean, athletic, healthy). For instance, if the person is a little overweight, they could start by learning the kettlebell sport long cycle. Yes, it would likely take a month or two to get them up to speed safely, but after that the injury risk is pretty low and the protection to lower back they get will help them in the deadlift anyway. If a person just wants to get stronger in general, why not clean pulls instead of deadlifts? Better chance for hypertrophy and engages lateral chain in a more natural way, I would argue, with less chance of injury. I would argue the average person only should do deadlifts when they hit bottlenecks in exercises like the above. Why do them if QLs/hamstrings are not a bottleneck at a more complex movement pattern? I say this as somebody who likes deadlifts. Don't take it the wrong way. I just agree that most people would benefit from them in small doses. Lastly, for all the people in that "average gym goer population", you have to consider how many of them are runners, play basketball, etc. Those people, if they are any good at their sports, already know not to deadlift very often. I just don't see the population of people who could benefit from them to be as high as the hype. Most people are not strength athletes, and not even all strength athletes will do deadlifts.

I am 6 months into Starting Strength. One thing I do think SS needs to do a much better job with is how to program the range from intermediate onwards. Especially for older lifters like myself. Because the SS approach is "always add" there is no concept of simply maintaining strength. Personally, I can see the day when I have acrued enough knowledge about how to do the lifts and press that I won't need SS any longer and can simply find a gym with a squat rack and do my thing.

I was at Costco and helped an older couple lift some bags of salt for their water softner into their cart because they couldnt lift it. A while ago before that at Kroger, I also helped an older lady put her cat food in the trunk of her car out of her cart. Deadlifts and longevity certainly go hand and hand.

There's risk in everything. After balancing risk with benefit, I choose to keep strength training till I drop. I've had more injuries from everyday activities than I've ever had from lifting. I have learned to keep reps at no less than 2 or 3. Grinding out a PR rep always seems to bite me.

I gave up the super heavy stuff when I stopped competing, but I still see value in squats and deadlifts, assuming you’re doing them wisely. There’s this old adage that squats cause knee pain, and deadlifts cause back pain- they certainly can, but they can also HEAL and PREVENT that pain.

I'm so glad I watch this video I had to stop dead lifting before I even really began! He really made me scared about the idea I'm 140 pounds female and was dead lifting 135

My first meet was last November. PRd on squat and deadlift. Was def sore the next day.. started training the following Monday. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Thank you Sir!

You are Dead Wrong. Those experts are 100% spot on. I never dead lifted or did squats and had a 36inch vertical jump. Bench Pressed at the combine 225lbs for 17 reps at 6ft 192lbs body weight.

I think Peter Attias framwork when he posed the question is the best mindset for people who just care about health and don't have any athletic goals. Another valuable thing you learn as you train more is proxies for lifting values, if I can romanian deadlift 405 for 10 then I know I can for sure deadlift 500 for 1, and I get less wear and tear and more hypertrophy, but sometimes I do need to check I can do a full lift.

I am a Masters 1B powerlifting athlete, and I am very competative powerlifter while chasing PR's. It's all about programming and load management that reduce the risk of injury and not the movement. I hope to remain a competative powerlifter and live a healthy lifestyle for the next 40+ years.

Excellent reply!

I used to have back pain in my 40s, been deadlifting overx10 years now, back pain gone, I lift heavy like a powerlifter but do not compete. Older people are given wrong advice about training and nutrition such as taking it easy and avoiding protein. I am 60+ and the healthiest/strongest I have ever been with heavy lifting and meat based diet. Those who talk about longevity tend to ignore QUALITY of life, I know many elderly who had/have longevity but no quality of life.

Great explanations, 100% agree

It looks like the Doctors are talking about the possible negative results of deadlifting vs other exercises an older age . I think i missed it, can someone direct me to the part of this video where he directly comments on this? I mean, last time i checked doesn't matter how strong i am if my joints don't work because i can't generate any force without bending something.

53 years old here. Did squats 2x/week + DL once for like a year or two, with the occasional 5 days/week. Not a big deal. Just don't go heavy each time. Just alternate between volume vs intensity, a few "special" alternate workouts (box squats, lighter weight DL but with pauses at the knees or maybe bands, etc) and you'll be fine.

Every man should feel the power that his body can reach at least once in his life. You owe it to yourself - and that means training hard, eating a bunch, and sleeping well.

Great video, coach!

I do trust john meadows (rip) on intervals. He's stated some times you can hit a muscle three times a week. Some times just once. or once every 5 days. What's right? Seems complex and changing all the time. How about if it hurts slow it down. reps, intensity, failure. For him it was about size and working it too often hurt size development. what do you want. mixing it up is pretty much agreed upon. Rep counts and intensity is a bit more vague.

I saw this video of theirs when it appeared and just by looking at them I could say they don't know what deadlift is

I am a 59 year old veteran🇺🇸…My last deadlift was over 500 pounds and I did not feel good at all…I consistantly pull over 400 pounds every week…I bench well over 225 twice a week…Close grip 225-315lb is my range…Bench press range is 225-320lb…Slingshot bench press 300-350 plus pounds…Taking advice from a doctor who is NOT a lifter is your first mistake…Listen to your body…At times I will deadlift anywhere from 425lbs to 555lbs…This depends on how I feel…If I feel 80% I do about 450lbs…If I feel great and everything works well I can try 560 or beyond…I can still do reps with 600 plus pound rack pulls with complete comfort @ 59 years old…I am a natural weight lifter who has never used any performance enhancing drugs…I am possibly planning on getting more weight plates but, need to pay more bills first…I have done 635 pound trap bar deadlifts well into my 50’s…Folks have the hardest time getting rest …That is when you heal…Consistency is the key…Keep on lifting🐻

Everytime I’ve ever deadlifted I efffed my back up. I’ve had lifting coaches help me on form and I know what I’m doing….There’s so much you can do to work your back without them but if it works for you go for it.

I am 47. I do deadlift, front Squat, low bar squat, on different days once a week. On each of those days I also do an upper body push and pull. My back feels great. I am constantly getting stronger and putting more weight on the bar. Feels great. Depending on the day it takes 45 minutes if I am feeling super rested and energetic to an hour twenty if I feel beat. I have no clue how anyone is serious about longevity if they are not going to work the biggest muscles in the body? Walking up a hill? I am not trying to be the old guy that strains to walk up a hill. F*** off with that lol

Thank you for this. I felt the same way. I find McGuill too biomechanically focused on his anatomy knowledge,just loving his own long explanations...and not in tune with holistic factors in someone's life. He often says back pain isn't something older Patients deal with. I work directly with patients over 70 and MANY have significant lower back pain. Never has that pain been from doing hip hinge deadlifting movements.

Just found you. Like your videos!

Thanks for the rebuttal to this video. Debating about adding deadlifts back into my routine but I’ve done work the last month to strengthen my core & to use proper technique. It seems like 400lb would be ideal to be strong to be useful but not “risk” hurting myself

Another thing that bugs me about the discourse around squats and deads is that injury almost seems like game over. It’s all about avoiding injury, treating a tweak like it’s the boogeyman. Obviously we don’t want injuries and everyone’s going to have a varying capacity to deal with varying injuries. But one of the most empowering things about training in my experience is learning to address and overcome injuries. The squats and deadlifts that “hurt” me are the same tools that healed me. I just had to do my due diligence - work on weaknesses, refine technique, take bracing strength and recovery more seriously, etc. They were learning experiences, practice in patience and I feel more confident lifting heavy now than I ever did before a couple of tweaks. Again doesn’t mean train like an idiot because injuries are okay, just means there’s a middle ground between ego lifting and being terrified of any possible tweak

How about doing trap bar deadlifts using the high handles every 4 days? As long as the weight is below about 90% of 1 rep max and volume is not too high, I think most older healthy guys should be able to cope with it.

I have been a trainer and exercise physiologist for over 10 years. I am very cautious and continually impressed by Dr. McGills prescriptive effectiveness and commentary based in research. The "back pain" population, as discussed by Dr. McGill, has better exercises than dead lifting. It is interesting to discuss but dangerous to encourage or prescribe exercises to everyone to do deadlifts in this population...walking backwards uphill fatigues the quads and with cuing emphasizes glut activation and stability. The # of steps total is loosly associated with benefits...the time volume + walking intensity does however.. You may get some undesireable legal exposure from your viewers on this one by encouraging compound lifts in the majority of people. Data is available on injury risk and deadlifts in the back pain population. Older lifters with back pain are likely a special population with increased risk and suseptibility.

Great argument

I can see what he's saying, in his example, his client was injured so what he said kinda makes sense. In my opinion, Romanian or stiff legged deadlifts are most likely better alternatives for the vast majority of people who are just looking to be fit, healthy, strong etc. Deadlifts make you stronger at deadlifts, so it's of course the best option for powerlifters/strongmen. But if you just want a stronger posterior chain, which is the main purpose of hip hinges, why not stick the "safer"/less fatiguing and pretty much equally as effective alternatives?

Well, both of them revealed that when they were doing them heavy when they were younger, they were programming wrong. You kind of touched on it. As intermediate lifters they were programming PRs like they were just starting the NLP. Their deadlifting wasn't wrong, they're programming was. Deads are fine if you program correctly.

The issue with deadlifting is not necessarily injury risk, it's fatigue. For an advanced lifter without goals of competing in powerlifting, it has minimal scenarios where it belongs in a program. Technique and nervous system adaptations come quickly, lasting strength comes from building muscle tissue, and the deadlift is not an optimal tool for this. There's a few scenarios where regardless of your training experience, I could justify a deadlift in when you don't have powerlifting aspirations: 1. You just like doing them 2. You're time constrained in the gym 3. You don't have a strong deadlift and have some emotional reason for wanting this; at this point the fatigue issue hasn't come into play yet My strength levels in the deadlift are very elite. I only do them for my ego and am happy to admit this if it keeps a single person from deadlifting without thinking about "why".

It’s one thing to use these tools to STRENGTH TRAIN but, it’s another thing to chase numbers. When you chase numbers and get to limit loads it can be problematic. These lifts are tools in your toolbox. Training them as a strength coach and not a powerlifter.

Yes I saw the Stewart McGill video and disagreed with him for basically the same reasons. Statistically, he could not possibly have a sample size of elderly lifters that deadlift competitive levels that allow any conclusions to be drawn. His conclusions are anecdotal. I am 72, weigh 160 and deadlift 5 x 5 at about 245 lbs. I love it. Form is everything.

I was really shocked. Somehow McGill is okay with lifting heavy, 100 lb logs off the floor, but somehow deadlifting is going to ruin your health. The also totally ignored that on a proper program you aren't trying to hit a max every workout. The comments on that video, so many people acting like if you squat or deadlift that your body will explode.

I blew out T12 on the 3rd rep of 585 beltless warming up for 700 for a triple, it's 5 years later and I'm trying to get 140 lb past 700 in the next 5 years. I lost my belt competing in another country and started just going beltless probably way too heavy way too fast but things were moving really good at the time. Pulled 540 a few weeks ago 5 years after the injury, ain't no end plate fracture gonna end my fucking career. Make it there or not, I'm gonna giver another go. Got an awesome coach though, my coach has me doing zero deadlifts for a year, just rehab getting prepped to ease back into it. Can't be wrekless at age 35 after a blow out like that. Listen to the body, have a plan, prepare and execute and if it's not in the cards, know when to shut it down. Worst case, I have fun trying, best case, 840 lbs in 2030. Also looking back, if I had my belt on I'm not sure it would have ever blown up to be honest. We'll never know.