What Position Are Your Shoulders In When Performing A Kettlebell Deadlift?

In the image below you will see osteopath Heath Williams of Principle Four Osteopathy demonstrating both a rounded shoulder position for a kettlebell deadlift and a retracted shoulder position for the Kettlebell Deadlift.  In the retracted shoulder position Heath is required to create tension through his posterior shoulders and back which may assist in creating tension through the posterior chain and making it a more stable lift.  This can be important when having to lift near maximal weights for low reps (1-3 range) or for submaximal loads for higher rep ranges.   For many of us who spend hours at the desk working on computers, ones natural tendency may be to perform this exercise with rounded shoulders and a forward head posture, both positions that may result in non optimal loading patterns in the body.

This blog post was written by Melbourne osteopath Heath Williams of Principle Four Osteopathy. Principle Four Osteopathy is one of Melbourne City CBD leading Melbourne Osteopathy clinics. At the clinic we treat a wide range of clients, ranging from the office worker, exercise enthusiast to athlete. We have 3 experienced Melbourne osteopaths working across both of the clinics. The Melbourne City CBD osteopathy clinic is located at 29 Somerset Place (basement), close to the corner of Elizabeth St and Little Bourke in the Melbourne City CBD. Our premises adjoin the Jon Weller Personal Training Studio, a fully-equipped training space which allows clients to combine their osteopathy treatment with exercise tutorials or specific training programs and rehabilitation. The Melbourne osteopathic Docklands clinic is located at 717 Bourke St (Ground Floor), beneath the Channel 9 building near the walkway from Southern Cross Train Station to Etihad Stadium. Our premises adjoin Pilates on Bourke, a fully-equipped pilates and yoga training space which allows clients to combine their osteopathy treatment with exercise tutorials, pilates or specific training programs and rehabilitation. To speak to your Melbourne Osteopath or book an appointment at Principle Four Osteopathy, please book online or call 03 9670 9290.