I'm pretty sore now, I feel like it worked my legs, butt, back and arms! Seems like an ideal exercise! Does anyone think that deadlifts will give fairly quick improvements for a woman's body? http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

For a woman you don't want to deadlift too much, unless you want an amazonian look. Deadlift a moderate weight to tighten up the back of your legs, and it is also good to strengthen the back and shoulders. For the butt the best exercise above all is the squat, once again, you don't want a heavy weight just a moderate weight so you can tone the muscles in the area, not build them, that is usually what women are looking for is a toned tight body. Hope this helps, just ask if you have any more questions http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Oh please. Deadlifts are a great leg/butt exercise and not really all that different from squats (although I wouldn't necessarily use them in lieu of squats). You will not get an "Amazonian" look from deadlifts. Unless you go very heavy frequently or have abnormally high testosterone levels, getting "bulky" isn't something you need to be too concerned with. I tend to feel the contraction more in the glutes with deadlifts than with squats, but it's also recruiting much of the lower back, so it uses some different muscle groups. If you had to choose one leg exercise, go with squats, but deadlifts are a close runner up and an excellent addition to leg workouts.

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

Hey Naxis, you have a great talent of following behind people, and reiterating what someone has already said, and contrary to what YOU may think, deadlifts, are primarily a hamstring exercise with the mid to lower back also being used, and the shoulders bear the weight when you first start the lift, the glutes are not part of the main contraction, it is felt mostly, if not all in the hamstrings, anyone will tell you the squat is the exercise for the glutes, just because you have the status of senior veteran, doesn't mean you can follow behind others and try to show them up. Oh Please indeed!!!!

[This message has been edited by tonythewrench (edited 09-10-2003).]

Ya'll are so cute! Two cents from me...Deadlifts are my favorite hamstring exercise. I do get a little butt action, maybe because I squeeze at the top. Oddly though, my burn is generally kind of inner hamstrings. Does this mean I'm breaking form somewhere?

Relax dear. I wasn't trying to "steal your thunder". I'm all for people hearing the same thing several times if it's good info. But I dislike people telling women they're gonna look like Chyna if they lift weights a certain way. Maybe stated poorly, but I got my point across.

Have some herbal tea...

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

I don't know for sure if my butt muscles are so sore from the deadlifts exactly. I also did some other butt toning exercises that day, but it never made me so sore before, maybe it is from a combination of everything I did. My thighs are very sore too, that is probably most definitely from the deadlifts. Are the hamstrings the thighs? I don't want to get too much more muscle in my calves, though, because I think I already have enough there. I hope I didn't over do everything, because I can barely sit down or walk! Well thanks for all of your advice.

p.s. Please don't fight http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Oh, by the way, I'm not exactly sure how to do squats using weight. I know when doing the deadlifts that I did squat down and stand back up, is that not as beneficial as a regular squat?

yes!!

Deads are a total body work out.

Be careful... form and moderate weight are everything.

Some folks say deads can't be done in repitition.

I agree a full blown out max. weight dead s/b done as a one rep at a time movement.

But lighter weight done in repitition is beneficial and safe if done with good form.

Agreed.

Also, don't be too concerned with gaining much muscle in the calves from squats or deads. Unless you are working them specifically and rather intensively, calves are hard as %#$% to build. You'll probably just maintain muscle tone if the only work they get is as stabilizers.

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

ShiningCrazyDiamond,
Your hamstrings are the back of your legs (thighs).
Your quadraceps are the front of your thighs. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by 2boys'momma (edited 09-11-2003).]

Regular dead lifts are primarily for the lower back, not the hamstrings. If you want to target the hamstrings you need to be doing stiff legged dead lifts (same as deads but you don't bend your knees). Squats work the glutes and quads for the most part and depending on how deep of a squat you do that depends on how much the glutes or quads are hit. Leg presses and lifts and such are good exercises mostly if you do them after having done stiff legged deads and/or squats those exercises really help to finish off your legs.

Oh, thanks for all the tips, they are very helpful! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif