It was a good day on the lifting platform for me today. Check out this video of me hitting some pretty nice numbers in my deadlifts today — 225×5 then 240×3 🔥🔥🔥
Honestly, I used to HATE the Deadlift. Mostly due to my super flexible lumbar spine that always buckled on the initial phase of the lift plus my hamstrings were so flexible that I never actually felt them contract. Bendy is not better ya’ll.
And that’s what really irks me about this whole “I bend so I don’t break” thing in the yoga world. Every injury I’ve ever had was tied back to too much mobility and flexibility and not enough stability and strength — including the Great Hip Fracture of 2010.
You need both flexibility AND strength. And for all my fellow yogis out there — bodyweight strength in yoga classes is not enough. You carry your own bodyweight around all day long. Muscles, tendons, and bones NEED external load. It’s science.
And finally, strength and flexibility are NOT mutually exclusive. They are two different (not opposite) tissue qualities. You can and should have both. A lack of either in sufficient amounts can lead to irreversible and excruciatingly painful joint degeneration.
Look, I can still touch my toes without warming up and I could probably still get my leg behind my head — but I don’t do either anymore. Why? Because my body is naturally flexible – it’s not something I need to work at. Flexibility is only one small aspect of what makes one a good mover and my goal is to be functional for life, not to perform poses.
Besides, what good is all that mobility if you can’t perform one of the most basic functional movement patterns, the Deadlift??? 🤔
So if your goal is to have a functional body for life, LIFT. Your whole body will thank you for many years to come 🏋🏻♀️🏋🏼♀️🏋🏽♀️🏋🏾♀️
Need help with a solid strength training plan the meets you were you are and helps you feel strong and functional in every aspect of your life? Email me and let’s set up a time to chat.