How Common are Deadlift Injuries

[KawRider]

1.) I have been training deadlifts at least weekly for about 3 years.
2.) I have had one lower back pull/strain. Took 1 week off, did 1 week of light weight, then worked up to full strength again in a month.
3.) IDK if I can blame this injury directly on the DL. I was doing a lower body day and did squats and DL. Left the gym perfectly fine. Went home and smashed my gf, still perfectly fine. Before I went to bed I was stretching a little and trying to pop my back and that's when I pulled something. Did the squats and DL weaken my lower back to make me prone to an injury? IDK.

Since then (about 4 months ago) no problems. My biggest deadlift was 415lb when I was eating and training for strength. Now I max about 385.

[NvrBSkinnyAgain]

2 years.
I pull 425 without a belt; never even came close to an injury, my back feels amazing.
Always use good form and don't jerk the weight. When in doubt, I just drop the phucking weight. Rather get kicked out than hurt myself.

[Naptime]

Keep in mind the majority of people who will see this thread are either injured or potentially injured (this is the injury + prevention forum) so your results will be skewed. Deadlift injuries are still common though, just not nearly what is being depicted here. Basically more moving parts/muscles = higher chance for injuries. If you want to be completely safe when lifting you can either use only isolation machines or practice good form.

Regardless, to answer your questions

- Deads on and off for many years.
- I injured my upper back recently, dunno if it's DL related but it happened around the same time.
- I don't get injured much, maybe a couple times in the course of 15 years (not straight, there are many gaps where I don't lift). Generally I get injured when my ego kicks in and I try to do too much.

[blazing_hellion]

1) seriously only 6 months(ish)
2) 2, one muscle strain, one pinched nerve(3 days ago actually)
3) first time I didn't follow the golden rule 'leave ego at he door'. On Friday, I jut wasn't focused and didn't do my 'form ritual' before my set. Basically making sre close to bar, back in safe poistion, braces abs, etc before every single rep. I didn't do something and next thing I knew, 'pinch!'

The pulled muscle I just took a full week off from lifting(was planning on it the following week anyway) then went back and did only light DL for the week.
For the pinched nerve, well was Friday, and don't train again till today, but going to take this day off just as well just for extra rest.

[SugarReay]

I have been lifting regularly for the past 3 4 months. Most ppl in my gym steer clear from free weight squats and deads, they are happier on their machines and advice me to do the same.
I refuse to train like that, I like to deadlift, A LOT.(though I lift hardly anything,right now).

I have been around these forums for quite a while and they are a BIG help. I went through a few threads about deadlift injuries to learn about other peoples experiences and to learn how
to avoid ending up with an injured back.

I am **** scared, in all those threads, everyone says that they have injured their back couple of times doing deads, it almost seems like you WILL injure your back if you like to dead.

I just want to have a better idea of how common are these injuries so I request you to post
1. How long have you been doing deads.
2. How many times have you injured yourself, how severely.(if any)
3.What, according to you, was the real reason for the injury.

I hope there would be more people who never hurt themselves doing deads than who have.

Cheers

If you want to perform these exercises get coaching,from someone with a track record with Strength and conditioning. Not personal training.

[wild1poet2]

I'm 57 and been doing heavy deadlifts pretty much since I started working out with weights around 15. I still rep with over three plates. I could do more but think I need to start easing up. I don't recall any serious injury up until this year. With good form you need not worry about your back. Our bodies are not as fragile as we believe. Especially when we are young. I believe deads protected my back from injuries.

Five weeks ago I had surgery to repair a hole in my abdominals at my navel. Its called an umbilical hernia. I had never heard of this type. There is a natural weakness at the navel. I think as I have gotten older the fascia tissue that lines the muscle has lost elasticity and tore. Most likely from deads. I don't use a belt and rely on intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize my spine on the intial pull from the floor.

Anyways, they stitched me back up and say I will be able to lift the same amounts as before. I need one more week of healing before starting back in. They go down about 5 or 6 layers and start stitching the inner fascia and then come back up and stitch each muscle layer back until they finish with the outer six pack layer.

If you are worried about deads because you don't have good form then stay at light weight until you get the form down. Even if it takes years. Don't abandon the DL. Then when you are able, go heavy and stay heavy. It is one of the most primal of lifts. Always do reps because single maxes only invite trouble. If I did a single I could probably pull my arms out of their sockets. By doing reps I insure I do not exceed the limits of connective tissues(this year aside).

You can always tell a guy that does heavy deads. If you play a contact sport they are the ones that are knocking you on your azz.

[MitchellIrvin]

I have been lifting regularly for the past 3 4 months. Most ppl in my gym steer clear from free weight squats and deads, they are happier on their machines and advice me to do the same.
I refuse to train like that, I like to deadlift, A LOT.(though I lift hardly anything,right now).

I have been around these forums for quite a while and they are a BIG help. I went through a few threads about deadlift injuries to learn about other peoples experiences and to learn how
to avoid ending up with an injured back.

I am **** scared, in all those threads, everyone says that they have injured their back couple of times doing deads, it almost seems like you WILL injure your back if you like to dead.

I just want to have a better idea of how common are these injuries so I request you to post
1. How long have you been doing deads.
2. How many times have you injured yourself, how severely.(if any)
3.What, according to you, was the real reason for the injury.

I hope there would be more people who never hurt themselves doing deads than who have.

Cheers

1. 1.5 years
2. never
3. Make sure you take time to warm up properly and stretch afterwards. And don't get stupid with your form. Check out Bryce Lewis for proper form and a good example of how to lift. He's a beast and practices safe squatting and deads.

[acrobat2000]

This thread would make one think squats are a safer exercise, which to me are mostly used as pre-exhaustion for leg press that comes next. Squat+leg press = often times at least 4 days until I can do legs again most of time rather than the usual 3.

[creator11111111]

Never had any problems with the lift, form is key to success in this exercise. And I'm dead lifting 600.

[RamsPride]

Well today in football, I maxed out on deadlifts. I usually go 225LBS, but today I did 260LBS for one rep. I could see my the area where my knee connects to my hamstring turn purple. It hurts bad

[mrzeusone]

1. How long have you been doing deads.
18 months
2. How many times have you injured yourself, how severely.(if any)
Never
3.What, according to you, was the real reason for the injury.
Doesn't apply

[Rawsteel88]

I just want to have a better idea of how common are these injuries

According to my sports PT (been in the buisness for 20+ years) the lumbar spine is one of the most common areas that gymgoers injure, and the most common injuries being poserior disc bulges and herniations, most of the times in the L5.
The main cause for this is bad form, i.e. not keeping the core tight and spine neutral, repeated flexion (bending) of the spine when it's under a load will with time injure most people, same thing with the opposite, that is, hyperextending the spine, which eventually will give you facet joint problems.
But there's also a group that ends up injuring their spine even though they use good form, and in these cases the reason is most of the times bad programming (to little rest, to many exercises that puts alot of pressure on the spine etc)

And when it comes to exercises the deadlift, squat and leg press with bad form is the most common ones to injure people, crunches and sit-ups are also very common to cause disc injuries since a traditional sit-up and crunch generates at least 3,350 newtons (the equivalent of 340 kg) of compressive force on the spine when it's in it's most vulnerable position, and according to NIOSH anything above 3,300 newtons is unsafe.
So my advice to you is to use a smart program, avoid technical failure in exercises like squats and deads, don't do bilateral leg presses at all (read the spine expert Stuart Mcgill's book "Low back disorders" if you want to know why) and stay away from dynamic ab exercises, train your abs through isometric exercises instead, like ball, trx or wheel rollouts, ball or trx pike, planks, leg raises to hip level or stir the pot, and make sure that you don't hyperextend your spine in these exercises, which sadly is very common.

1. How long have you been doing deads.
2. How many times have you injured yourself, how severely.(if any)
3.What, according to you, was the real reason for the injury.

I hope there would be more people who never hurt themselves doing deads than who have.

Cheers

1. I performed them for 2 years (been lifting since early 2009).
2. One, which injured my spine for life, i haven't been able to train my low back or perform any exercises that puts a mentionable amount of pressure on my spine or that causes an anterior pelvic tilt for 1½ years now, and according to both my PT and my orthopedic i never will, or not without making my chronic pain even worse.
3. To many back taxing exercises, dynamic ab training, squatting with a minor "buttwink" and deadlifting with my ego, sure, my form was fine 99% of the time in my deads but i did it too often and too heavy, and one workout my disc simply gave out when i went to technical failure in my last rep.
And i'm pretty sure that what i did outside of the gym played a part as well (6-8 hours sitting in an office with a bad posture most of the time).