Ever seen one of those posters that tells you to lift with your legs instead of your back?
I bet you have.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: a lot of those posters show positions that make it almost impossible to lift an object and to lift an object safely.
Let’s take a look at what’s going on and then explain how you can keep your back safe while lifting heavy loads.
Impossible Lifts
When you see diagrams on “lift with your legs” posters, they almost always show someone who is trying to pick a box off the floor. The poster creators want you to use your legs and they usually show a person squatting down to the object with a torso that’s almost completely upright (perpendicular to the floor).
If you can’t recall a picture, do a “lift with your legs” image search on Google… you’ll see what I mean.
But think about that position: you have a heavy box of books in front of you. When you squat down in front of it, your knees are almost always in the way and the box is outside your base of support (where you would be able to stay balanced when you lift it).
this would be fine if you were a forklift (or built like one). You’d just slide the forks under the box and lift it straight up. But humans can’t do that and aren’t built like that, especially if the box has any weight to it.
The next time you see the poster, take a close look and you’ll see what I mean.
The cartoon characters have no hope of using a squat to lift a heavy object that’s well in front of their knees.
The Safe Way to Lift
To lift something heavy, you want to start with that object inside of your base of support and keep it very close to your body as you life. That means it’s usually best to put the object between you feet if you can.
From there, you should hinge at your hips and bend your knees until you can get your hands around the object. If you try this at home, you’ll realize that your torso is likely inclined toward the floor to some degree. I’m here to tell you this is ok if you know how to brace yourself for a lift.
You want to use your strong leg muscles to move heavy loads. But you must use your hands to grab the object so your core must transfer the force from your legs to your upper body. If your spine is braced, the lift is safe because the movement happens at your hips and knees, which are made for lifting.
You are using your legs to do the lifting and your spine is just a rigid lever that transfers force. I will say again, this is lifting with your legs.
To get the right visual, do a Google search for “proper deadlift start position.” The images you will see show people preparing to lift barbells and, while their torso angles are slightly different, they’re generally in the same position.
You can use a similar position to lift a child, a box, or a bag of dog food. The key is bracing your core so your spine doesn’t move as you lift.
Note:
There are exceptions to this spine being straight rule but in general, this is a good philosophy when it comes to lifting, in general, and when you have to lift with your legs. This is also not the optimal place to discuss how to properly lift with your legs. For that, read on.
Need Help?
This blog stems from the idea that we want to squash the “when you lift with your legs, you need to lift with an upright torso” thing.
The best plan, in learning how to properly hinge (also known as deadlift), is to work with an experienced coach or trainer who can tell you exactly how to do it. If you’d like to talk about proper lifting mechanics for longevity and durability (and because nobody likes back injuries), let’s chat!
Use THIS LINK to set up your free consult. We’re happy to answer your questions and help you on the road to your goals.
