The deadlift is one of those movements that tends to spark strong opinions. Some people love it, others hate it, and both camps often feel pretty sure they’re right.
On the love-it side are powerlifters and others who enjoy lifting heavy things, plus those who view the deadlift as a fundamental hip-hinge pattern that helps people get bigger, faster, stronger, more resilient, and less prone to breakdown. It’s also embraced by athletes and some professionals who see it as a useful movement for overall strength and health.
The hate-it crowd is diverse too. In my experience, many who push back include some in primary care, some physical therapists, some chiropractors, various fitness professionals, a large share of yoga instructors, and people with a commercial interest in selling products tied to women’s fears of getting bulky. And, yes, rabbits. I know that last line sounds odd, but I’ve found it’s a recurring joke in the mix of opinions.
I can’t explain the rabbit reference, but I can say this: the list above isn’t universal. I have friends and colleagues who are physical therapists, chiropractors, and yoga instructors who are fans of the deadlift and use it with clients, athletes, or patients.
That said, whenever I hear strong negative opinions about the deadlift, the speaker is often someone with a lot of credentials or someone with limited weight-room experience. I once got this email from a chiropractor friend who asked if I’d share my thoughts with colleagues who worry deadlifting harms the low back, noting that some doctors worry it could cause pars fractures in the lumbar spine, which I don’t think is likely when it’s done correctly.
To answer the question simply:
1) I can’t explain the rabbit thing.
2) A pars fracture is a common source of low back pain in both the general population and adolescent athletes. It involves the pars interarticularis, a small bone in the lower spine, and it tends to suffer when the spine is repeatedly extended and rotated too much. In youth sports, I’ve seen it arise in two ways: a sedentary kid abruptly starts a rotational sport (like baseball) with little prep, or a kid (or parent) trains one sport year-round and develops pattern overload. Either scenario can lead to issues such as spondylolysis, end-plate/pars fractures, or even spondylolisthesis.
For adults, the same ideas apply. A sedentary lifestyle can bring about poor hip and thoracic (middle-back) mobility, which then affects spine mechanics and can leave someone stuck in excessive extension.
Here’s a quick example:
– A deadlift done with too much arch and extension can, over time, create stress on the spine.
– A setup that looks extreme or sloppy can stress the eyes (and the back) and isn’t ideal for movement quality.
The fix is simple in concept: regress the pattern so the person can move well, reduce compensations, and learn to own the movement. A deadlift isn’t just a loaded bar on the ground.
Don’t label the exercise as the sole cause of back pain or demonize it because you don’t know how to coach it or tailor it to an individual’s history and abilities. We don’t even know a single thing that always causes back pain. It can be a lack of hip internal rotation, repetitive bending or bending in the same direction, weak core, weak glutes, or many other factors.
Anyone who claims one exercise or modality is dangerous for every person is doing the industry a disservice. The words we use shape how people think about pain and movement.
Messages that can harm people with back pain
– Promoting ideas that your back is structurally damaged, degenerating, or permanently worn out.
– Encouraging fear that you must be careful or avoid movement, especially deadlifts, forever.
– Suggesting a poor future outcome, like pain lasting a lifetime.
Messages that can help
– Promote a biopsychosocial view of pain: back pain doesn’t mean the back is damaged; it can be sensitized by movement, posture, stress, and sleep.
– Build resilience: your back is strong, and damage is rare.
– Encourage normal activity and movement: moving helps your back get stronger.
– Use clear, practical coaching rather than alarmist language.
A good balance is to acknowledge that anything can be risky if done improperly, with the wrong volume or for someone who isn’t ready. The goal is to program thoughtfully, build up gradually, and tailor loading to an individual’s abilities and recovery capacity.
We owe it to ourselves and the broader fitness community to be open-minded, responsible, and careful with sweeping claims about any single exercise.
