The deadlift has been called the “best exercise of all time” because it’s a complete, total body movement.

Because it’s the “king” of total body exercises, you’d think it would fit right in with MAX Workouts.

Even though they are the “BEST” exercise you can do…you might want to avoid traditional deadlifts. Here’s why…

First, it’s only a great movement if you (#1) can lift enough weight and (#2) if your back is healthy.

You might be able to lift enough weight. Just about everyone can (or can get there).

The big issue is #2: A healthy back.

Statistics indicate that 80% people will experience back pain at some point…

…for around 14% of people, that pain is chronic.

If you fall into the 80% of people who have experienced low back pain, it’s a good idea to avoid exercises like the traditional deadlift…because one wrong motion can send you from the “I have occasional pain” category into “this isn’t going away” chronic suffering.

I personally suffer from low back pain…so I avoid traditional deadlifts (even though I LOVE them as a total body movement).

But…

The Single Leg Deadlift is an effective, back-pain free alternative to traditional deadlifts (but there’s a catch) …

It puts much less stress on the low back while still working the hamstrings and glutes.

Unfortunately, normal Single Leg Deadlifts just aren’t as effective as traditional deadlifts!

Now, I’m always looking to enhance, modify or simply add variety to existing exercises to keep things fresh and provide you with more options, which is why I want to share with you the “Enhanced single leg deadlift”.

The movement is the same as traditional deadlifts until you get to the mid-point of the exercise.

At the mid-point, things change up a bit.

Check out the “Enhanced SL Deadlift” you can use to get an insanely effective total body workout:

At the mid-point, when your back is flat and parallel to the floor, bend your knee and place the dumbbells onto the floor, then extend the knee and come back up to starting position.

The slight variation makes the exercise more challenging and works your hamstrings and glutes even more! If done properly you’ll really feel it—and it’s much more effective than regular single leg deadlifts.

Wondering if you’re making any other workout or exercise mistakes that might leave you weak, injured or worse? Check out the video at the bottom of this page.