Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, the newsletter that pays like $100/month in subscription fees for fitness apps we don’t actually need so you don’t have to!

Anybody know any finance coaches? Yeesh.

We have an exciting new segment for you this week: Whoop Wednesday! We also hit you with a full breakdown of the deadlift.

Let’s dive in!

Whoop There It Is

We didn’t buy a zoo. But we did break down and buy a Whoop. More accurately, our Editor/Compulsive Spender In Chief, Colin bought a Whoop.

Remember that feature we did on fitness trackers not being very accurate and probably not worth the money? Neither do we. Moving on.

Each Wednesday we’ll share the data gleaned from the tracker and see if we can suss out any interesting insights.

Whoop Wednesday

For instance, on Sunday night I received a push notification from my sleep coach letting me know if I wanted 100% sleep I should get in bed by 8:20pm.

Succession was on so I obviously didn’t do that. But I did still achieve an 84% sleep score going to bed at 9:45. So we’ll keep an eye on that.

We officially have 5 days of data which was apparently enough to get a baseline reading on a few things. It’s a little wonky right now because I stayed up til 11pm Monday night when game night went long.

The Metrics: 

• Sleep Score: Evaluating the quality and duration of Colin's sleep

• Recovery Score: Assessing how well Colin's body is recovering from strain

• Strain Score: Measuring the intensity of Colin's workouts and daily activities

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Analyzing the variation in time between each heartbeat

• Resting Heart Rate: Monitoring Colin's heart rate while at complete rest

I think we’ll get some interesting data out of this thing. Mostly because it pinged about 40% of the way into my workout on Saturday to tell me I’d reached optimal strain. Have I been overtraining for the past few months? We’ll find out together!

From the Ground Up
Mastering the Mighty Deadlift

The deadlift. A movement surrounded by more myths and misconceptions than the lost city of gold. Some people swear by it, while others avoid it like the plague, convinced that it's the quickest route to a herniated disc or a one-way ticket to snap city.

It's time to put aside the tall tales, lift the veil on this misunderstood powerhouse, and reveal why deadlifts deserve their rightful place in your workout routine.

So, you think deadlifts are just for those grunting, chalk-covered gym bros? Think again! Deadlifts are more than just a gym exercise; they're an integral part of our daily lives. In fact, you've probably been deadlifting without even realizing it. (Surprise! You're a dead-lifter ‘Arry!)

Every time you bend down to pick up your groceries, lift your dog into the car, or help a friend move their furniture, you're deadlifting. The action of hinging at your hips, bending your knees, and lifting something off the ground is the one of the most functional movements we use in our daily lives.

By learning proper deadlift form and incorporating it into your workouts, you're not just building strength and muscle, you're also preparing your body for all those everyday lifting tasks. So, next time you're hauling all of your weekly shopping in one trip or giving your couch a new home, you can thank your deadlifts for keeping your back happy and healthy.

So how do I deadlift like a champion?

There are 3 steps to mastering this foundational lift:

1. The Set-Up

2. The Pull

3. The Lockout

We’re going to break it down for you using this amazing video tutorial from Squat University. Who you should absolutely be following on Social Media.

Step 1: The Set-Up

Feet shoulder width apart with toes straight ahead or slightly turned out. Grab the bar slightly outside your knees: both hands overhand or a mixed grip (one over, one under).

Next you want to engage your lats & brace your core:

Now that you are set-up, your lats are engaged & your core is braced, it’s time to get that thang off the ground.

Step 2: The Pull

We LOVE the trust fall cue. Get your chest up by allowing yourself to fall back against the bar’s weight. At the same time, drive your feet and imagine pushing the ground away.

Your back and core are bracing the weight, but it’s your legs that are doing the work here.

Step 3: The Lockout

When the bar reaches your knees it’s time for those glutes & hamstrings to earn their dinner. Drive your hips forward and stand up straight.

The vast majority of problems you’ll see with this lift are when people try to pull the weight up with their back. Instead of using their legs.

Putting it all Together

The deadlift is like a golf swing, with multiple steps and cues coming together to create one graceful, powerful motion. At first, it might feel awkward and disjointed.

But fear not! With practice and repetition, those clunky steps will transform into a seamless, swoon-worthy deadlift that'll have you feeling like Tiger on 18.

As for lowering the bar, simply hit the rewind button on your movement and glide back through the steps in reverse. Voilà! You've mastered the art of deadlifting, and it's as smooth as a well-executed moonwalk.

Tips:

1. Go slow. Many lifters fall into the trap of thinking they need to constantly pile on the weight or push themselves to the limit with every rep. But that's just not the case. Honing your technique with an empty or lightly-loaded bar can work wonders.

2. Treat every rep with the same level of care and precision, whether it's a max effort or a featherlight warm-up. By making every rep a masterpiece, you'll perfect your technique and avoid injury.

So They’re Not Dangerous? 

No. Carbs don’t make you fat and Deadlifts aren’t dangerous. But just like eating too many carbs could cause weight gain, doing deadlifts poorly can lead to injury.

As our friend the Muscle Ph.D. puts it:

In a way, deadlifts are self limiting. If you can’t move the bar, you can’t hurt yourself. Unlike trying to squat too much weight and getting folded like a lawn chair.

But, there is a window of weight where you can lift it by sacrificing form and safety. If you simply don’t do that… you’ll be fine.

Lifting for Runners:

Are you a runner/endurance athlete who wants to deadlift to improve performance? Try the Trap Bar Deadlift! It has more athletic carryover and because you’re more upright, less injury risk.

This Podcast with Ryan Flaherty is an amazing resource for this.

More Resources:

Quick Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g90BVxncoTw
Medium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0IFHkkRZ0&t=25s
Deep Dive: https://stronglifts.com/deadlift/

Happy Hump Day everyone! Hope today is the best day of the week. As always, let us know if this was amazing or shit. If you don’t reply we’ll just assume it was somewhere in the middle.

Lastly, if you’ve always wanted to try a Whoop, let us know. We’ll send you a code to get your first month free!