GMB and Mindful Mover on Alternatives to Deadlift

Once upon a time, I had a barbell set and practiced the deadlift using the basic program prescribed in the book Power To The People by Pavel Tsatsouline.  This training program had only two exercises - the side press and the deadlift.  Pavel has always been a strong advocate of the deadlift.  Aside from training the lower back, this quote from the book describes the other muscles trained.:

You work your shoulder girdle, your traps, your biceps, your forearms and your grip. Also, for athletes from sports where hypertrophy in the legs is not recommended, the deadlift is a great exercise.

I eventually achieved a double-bodyweight deadlift.  My deadlifting days came to an end when I loaded up the bar a little heavier than I should have and forgot to press hard on the heels of my feet to stand up.  The pain in my back was immediate and intense enough to let me know that I did something wrong.  I consulted with the sports doctor who treated me for my shoulder injury and he recommended a spine specialist.  I went to the spine specialist and he recommended rest and light exercise.  While he did not give me a precise diagnosis, he did say I might have a disc issue at worst, but otherwise did not need surgery, which I took as good news.   Shortly after, I got rid of my barbell set when it was time to move out of my apartment.

During all this time between getting rid of the barbell set and getting the Isochain.  I had pondered what bodyweight exercises I could do as alternatives to the deadlift.  Al Kavadlo recommended four bodyweight exercises as alternatives: Bridge, Single Leg Deadlift, Pistol Squat, and Lever Holds .  I eventually learned and practiced all four exercises.  Without a barbell or an Isochain, I could not really test the effects of these four exercises on my deadlift strength. 

GMB has an article in which they state that there are no bodyweight exercises that can truly substitute for the deadlift or other barbell exercises, and then go on to elaborate this statement.  One key passage of the article is the description of the benefits of practicing the deadlift, listing the requirements for a strong deadlift, then listing bodyweight movements that would help you meet those requirements.  Perhaps another way of describing GMB's recommendations, in response to the question of what bodyweight exercises can serve as deadlift alternatives, is to practice bodyweight exercises that will deliver the same benefits as a deadlifts - those benefits being a strong grip, a strong back, etc. GMB acknowledges in this article that you won't gain the same strength in those areas as somebody who has worked up to a triple bodyweight deadlift, but you'll be stronger in those areas than someone who just sits around all day and doesn't do any exercise.

Around the same time that I saw the GMB article, I saw Mindful Mover's opinion of the Deadlift expressed in this Instagram post.   Their message seems to be different than GMB's.  It seems to be intended for people who have already achieved a double-bodyweight deadlift.  The message is that once this level of strength is achieved, it is no longer necessary to practice the deadlift, but instead practice Single Leg Squats, Nordic Leg Curls, and One Leg Back Extensions.  In response to a question about whether Single Leg Squats and Nordic Leg Curls can deliver the same benefits for lower back strength that the Deadlift does, their answer is yes, with Accommodating Resistance.  I saw in one the post replies that Phil of Mindful Mover practices the Single Leg Squat (that is, Pistol Squat) with a weighted vest, loaded with over 100 lbs of weight - maybe 120lbs?  I forgot.  Occasionally, he has a partner add her own bodyweight for extra load.  Anyway, they train the eccentric motion with the full load , then use hands (Accommodating Resistance) to assist in the concentric portion of the movement.  

Mindful Mover has a video on how to train the Nordic Leg Curl with Accommodating Resistance.  E3 Rehab has an informative article that does not mention Accommodating Resistance but does describe in detail how to set up for it.  Their view seems more balanced, in that they mention the barbell deadlift as an effective exercise for the hamstrings, yet cast the Nordic Leg Curl as the best exercise for preventing hamstring injury, rather than as an exercise that is superior to the deadlift in multiple aspects.

One other thing I learned from reading through that Instagram post and all the replies is that Mindful Mover no longer considers the Single Leg Deadlift to be essential for improving hamstring flexibility.  They now think that the Weighted Pike Stretch is all you need.   Hamstring flexibility is not a super high priority for me right now, but I'll keep this in mind for future reference.  I'm practicing the L-Hold progression as part of my Trifecta mobility sessions.  When I reach the full L-Hold/L-Sit then that exercise will become more of a hamstring stretch.  I also plan to try the Single Leg Romanian Deadlift on the Isochain at some point, even if Mindful Mover no longer favors the dynamic version of this exercise for hamstring mobility.

It was  interesting to see what GMB and Mindful Mover think about how people who desire the benefits of deadlifting but are unable to deadlift for whatever reason, be it lack of access to a barbell or something else.  I don't plan to drop the Deadlift from my exercise menu anytime soon.  It's just too quick and convenient to practice with the Isochain.  My Deadlift training on the Isochain takes 6 seconds per rep = up to 36 sec. total, plus 100 seconds total rest time between reps, plus 30 sec. rest between Deadlift warmup sets and the start of work sets, plus about 60 sec. total for the warmup sets = 266 seconds or 4 minutes and 26 seconds.  This is so little training time that it makes no sense to me to drop this exercise to save time.

One possible next routine after the 6-8 weeks with Promethean Mk II are up, is the combined Isochain-bodyweight routine that appears in the manual as "Option C".  One of those dynamic exercises is... single-leg squats!   The routine will let me continue building absolute strength with the Isochain.  As GMB states, while pure bodyweight exercises can make a person very strong, these exercises cannot compete with weight training at loads of double-bodyweight or higher, for developing the greatest humanly possible strength.  This routine would let me improve my mobility, motor control, and balance by including single-leg squat, while also letting me continue building my overall strength by including the Deadlift, Zercher Squat, etc. as Isochain drills.