B I N A R A G A . I N F O

Ask Mr. Olympia : Tips on Deadlifting

Don't worry about how much you can lift. Just lift.

Originally featured in: Flex December, 1999
Written by: Ronnie Coleman, Mr. Olympia
Photos by: Robert Reiff

Ronnie Coleman

I have neurological problems in my legs: They shake if I work them, and I have chronically stiff knees. When I deadlift, however, my legs do not shake; so, should I work my upper body and continue to deadlift? And how much can I expect to improve my deadlift if I don't work my legs?
-- Dean Gra

Alden, New York

Concentrate on putting everything you can into each workout. As your totality imprves, your deadlift will increase as well.

A perfunctory inspection of pro bodybuilders might leave you with the impression that our ultimate goal is to attain a perfect physique or lift some specific amount of weight. Nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, everything's wrong with that notion.

No thoughtful athlete in this sport is motivated by ego or greed, because neither of those properties has the strength to withstand the sacrifice inherent in what we do. Bodybuilding has no goal. It's a way of life, driven by the concept of infinite improvement.

My suggestion is to forget about increasing your deadlift, and concentrate instead on putting everything you can into each workout. As your totality improves, your deadlift will increase as well, and at a faster rate than if you concentrate on it specifically.

You also mention a neurological problem in your legs, in that they shake when you work them, and that you have chronically stiff knees, but you don't indicate whether these are self-diagnoses or the opinions of a medical doctor. The distinction is crucial. If it's a medical opinion, do exactly as your doctor says.

If, on the other hand, these are self-diagnoses, there are many possible conclusions. First, you may be medically correct, in which case you need to get yourself to an MD as soon as possible to have your condition confirmed.

Second, you might be medically incorrect, in which case you need to get yourself to a doctor to rule out a medical problem.

Third, your shaking legs and stiff knees may or may not be related to each other; all the more reason to see an MD, because one problem might be medical and the other not.

If neither turns out to be a medical problem, your shaking might be nothing more than fatigue from having worked your legs properly. Your stiff knees might result from nothing more than an inadequate warm-up before you reached your heavy sets and/or improper performance of your leg exercise(s).

Furthermore, you may find that deadlifts are less exhausting and uncomfortable than squats, so you may subconsciously be trying to find excuses for not working your legs.

Whatever your reason for writing, my advice is twofold: One, see a doctor. Two, just do what you can. Even paraplegic bodybuilders live by that code, so there's no reason why the rest of us shouldn't. If you have two legs, train them. If you have only one, train it. Arms, back, neck -- the code still applies.

The Law of Life is to stay alive, but the Law of Living is to do what you can to improve. That doesn't mean you are obligated to improve, only that you try.

Ronnie Coleman welcomes your questions on any topic of bodybuilding. Please send your queries to Ask Mr. Olympia, FLEX magazine, 21100 Erwin St., Woodland Hills CA 91367.