Finding Fitness: Singing the praises of the deadlift

Hello everyone! I hope you had an amazing weekend. It’s time for another quick look at health and fitness.

This week we are going to look at a movement called the deadlift and how you can safely and effectively use it. We will also be exploring some simple recipes that incorporate protein powders.

If I was only able to do one exercise for the rest of my life, it would be the deadlift. This exercise works so many different muscle groups and blasts calories and fat. Plus, the deadlift has practicality in everyday life and helps keep you from straining and damaging your back.

To begin, you will want to stand a little less than shoulder-width apart with the bar in front of you. Stand with your mid-foot under the barbell, then bend over and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip.

Your knees should bend until your shins are touching the bar. Follow this by pulling your chest up and straightening your lower back. Finally, take a big breath, hold it, and stand up with the weight.

I like to imagine I am pushing the ground away as I pull the weight up. On your descent, it is important to keep the bar as close to your legs as possible. This will help keep you from shifting too far forward and hurting your back.

With this lift, you should feel a good amount of work in your lower back and your shoulders and forearms. Take this lift slow at first and make sure you record yourself or watch in a mirror. This will help make sure you’re maintaining proper form and preventing injury.

Following a big exercise like this I always incorporate some sort of protein. Let’s be honest, protein shakes can get old after drinking them so often. Here are a few ways to keep protein supplementation interesting.

First off, make a smoothie.

Using fresh fruits and your powder together can help turn a supplement into actual dessert. When making my protein smoothies, I usually use a frozen ripe banana, a flavored scoop of whey and a splash of milk or milk substitute. This helps your shake taste creamy and really resembles a milkshake.

Another quick protein powder recipe is protein cakes. I usually make them like pancakes by using ½ cup of pancake mix, ½ cup of milk and a scoop of protein. This will help keep the calorie count of the pancakes low while also adding flavor.

Cook them just like any other pancake, making sure that the pan is greased. For the cherry on top, I like to add some PB2 powder or a low fat spread on top.

There we have it, another easy way to incorporate some healthy choices into your life. I love to remind people that wellness isn’t an overnight process. It takes hard work and consistency. So give yourself some grace and never give up!