Are Deadlifts Dangerous?

“All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.” -Paracelsus

David, an elite powerlifter I used to coach, would regularly deadlift 3-4 times his bodyweight in training and competition. Pushing the body at this level is essential for performance but not ideal for health and longevity.

The deadlift has been one of the most controversial lifts over the 2+ decades I have been in the strength training and fitness industry. I have seen people demonize the deadlift as being bad for your back, and in the case of strongman competitor Robert Oberst, suggest the power clean as a superior exercise for athletes. I have also seen people such as Pavel Tsatsouline recommend the deadlift as an excellent exercise for virtually everyone looking to become stronger and more resilient. In his book titled, “Power to the People” the deadlift, and a variation of which referred to as the ‘health lift’, is the focus of the program representing 50% of the suggested training plan.

Most recently, in a podcast interview with Dr. Stuart McGill, Peter Attia commented on his personal struggle with wanting to push up his deadlift, suggesting it is a good indicator of the results of his stability training, versus selecting other exercises more appropriate for his goal of longevity training. The main point of this conversation was to imply that there is an inherent danger to deadlifts and that for Attia it may be more appropriate to select other exercises that train the same muscles, even if it requires two or more exercises to accomplish the same task.

In a nutshell, Dr. McGill’s reply to this was, and I am paraphrasing, “If you want to ensure you get a new set of hips, focus on deadlift personal bests.” He substantiated this comment by invoking the greatest powerlifter of all time, Ed Coan. He also made some other weird comments about how if you ask all their colleagues, the people they are giving new hips to are older yoga enthusiasts (i.e. super bendy people) and powerlifters, who spend their career going for maximal lifts.

I found this conversation odd considering these are two extremely intelligent individuals, yet they completely ignore the fact that the majority of what Attia concerns himself with today is training for longevity, not powerlifting competition. To address a question about deadlifting for someone whose goal is training for longevity, with the example of the great Ed Coan, a powerlifter who deadlifted 901lbs while competing in the 220lb weight class, is completely irresponsible. Especially for someone of McGill’s knowledge and experience.

I’ve seen the deadlift get crapped on many times over the years as being one of the most dangerous lifts you can do in the gym, and according to McGill, will get you a new set of hips at some point. How is the deadlift more dangerous than any other exercise? I’ve always felt that there is no bad exercise, only bad application.

So, what makes the deadlift a dangerous lift?

Is it the range of motion? I doubt it. The range of motion for most people is comparable to a high squat. Considering ass-to-grass squats are praised as the be all, end all of leg exercises it can’t be the range of motion that makes the deadlift dangerous. If it was due to the range of motion, I hope McGill is warning people about the dangers of picking anything up from the ground. Has there been an epidemic of mothers getting hip replacements from picking their children up from the ground?

Is it the technical execution of the lift? Only if the lift is done incorrectly, but this applies to every exercise. If I perform a deadlift with poor technique, it is just as dangerous as a squat or standing overhead press done with poor technique.

Is it the load being used during the exercise? I would venture to say this is probably the biggest contributor to injury in the deadlift, as an excessive load will likely result in poor technique, which may very likely result in injury at some point.

But what if we use a load that allows us to perform a set of 5 perfect reps, where the technique is correct, and we have complete control of all 5 reps to the point we may have been able to perform 6 or 7 reps? I’ll go out on a limb and say this isn’t going to result in a new set of hips, but if done over time will likely result in a stronger back and posterior chain, which in turn will yield a massive benefit to an individual whose goal is training for lifelong fitness.

I want to note something about McGill’s use of Ed Coan and his experience getting his hips replaced after he retired from powerlifting. If I remember correctly, I heard Coan say on a podcast interview that both of his parents had their hips replaced. To the best of my knowledge neither of his parents were powerlifters and probably weren’t even avid deadlifters. My own mother had both a knee and hip replaced, and I can confirm she’s never performed a deadlift in her entire life.

Just like anything, the dose makes the poison. The deadlift, if performed with excellent technique and with intelligent loading parameters, can be part of a life-long strength training program that results in excellent function well into our twilight years. Please question everything you hear that comes out of the health and fitness industry and don’t look to any one individual as a guru. Learn, question, and challenge ideas, but most importantly think critically for yourself and apply common sense. Always consider the context of comments made by professionals and remember, they get stuff wrong all the time just like we all do.

For an excellent take on the Attia / McGill deadlift conversation, check out this video from Jonathan Sullivan / Greysteel: Fitness after Fifty:

I hope you enjoyed this article and until next time, stay strong and healthy! AND if you want to deadlift? Keep deadlifting!