If somebody were to ask me what lift I would do if I could only do one lift forever, it would be the Zercher deadlift. I truly believe that it is the most brutal full body exercise that you can do, and will give you the best results possible. If you are a beginner reading this, I would suggest working on the conventional deadlift and sumo deadlift before doing this lift. It is a very challenging lift, and you need a large amount of abdominal and lower back strength to complete it properly. Click here for a detailed breakdown of the movement, as well as a video demonstration.
Why is this movement so good?
Grip Difference
Unlike a normal deadlift, you are not gripping the bar with your hands. You are holding the bar in the crook of your elbow, which means grip strength is not an issue. The lift is completely dependent on how strong your body is, and how much weight you’re willing to hold in your elbows. Another upside is that the nervous system is not taxed as much with the bar in your elbows, which also makes it a deadlift you can do more frequently.
Mental Toughness
I swear, this lift builds mental toughness like nothing else! It takes a lot of grit and determination to have a cold iron bar driving down into your forearms and you try to stand up. This exercise will test your will, pain tolerance, and stamina greatly. If you can take the pain of this exercise, you’ll be able to face life’s challenges with attitude!
Injury Prevention
Despite people saying that this lift is dangerous, I believe that when done properly it will strengthen areas and positions that your body is not used to being in, which will lead to less chance of injury. All exercises are dangerous when done incorrectly, but when done properly can have great reward. I think the Zercher deadlift addresses anatomical positions that no other lift does that will lead to better joint health, and less injury.
Functionality
My final point, and most importantly, this movement is incredibly functional. The range of motion is EXTREME, meaning that you have to work very hard against gravity to stand up. The positioning mimics a lot of positions you end up in during combat sports like wrestling and jiu jitsu. For example, the middle of the motion you are crouched in a stance similar to when tied up in wrestling, or when someone is trying to break your posture in jiu jitsu. Being able to stand up from this position with heavy weight is going to benefit you greatly when put in that same position with combat sports. Another benefit is the bar placement in the elbows. This position puts tremendous isometric strain on the biceps and forearms which in turn will carry over to grappling as well. You find yourself in positions that require isometric holds like collar ties, and the many gi grips in jiu jitsu. This is HUGE for athletes. Lastly, and probably my biggest reason for claiming this lift as the best is that it shreds the posterior chain. Because of how low your upper body is at the start, the hamstring, glute, lower back, and upper back activation is strong. It will absolutely tear the posterior chain up, and you will build strength in positions that no other movement can. I believe that someone who can Zercher deadlift 405lbs, will generally have a stronger posterior chain and stronger grappling positional control than a 500 pound conventional deadlifter with equal skill.
Closing
If you’re an athlete, and specifically a grappling athlete, you NEED to do this lift. It will build up your body to be nearly invincible. I always feel my strongest in both wrestling and jiu jitsu when I am regularly doing this movement. I hope this article was helpful and that the Zercher deadlift will become a staple in your program! If you want to learn how to perform the lift click here, and if you already know how to do it, get off your computer and go Zercher deadlift!