Bodybuilding icon Mike O’Hearn was a powerlifter before he became a bodybuilder. As a former competitive powerlifter, the 55-year-old likes old-school exercises like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. However, many science-based modern fitness gurus advise people against doing too many deadlifts. Some even tell people to stop deadlifting.

Mike O’Hearn, however, has issues with such statements. The power bodybuilder doesn’t believe that you should discard proven exercises like deadlifts in the quest for “optimal” muscle growth. O’Hearn and his training partner discussed how they had grown accustomed to using 55 lbs stiff bars for deadlifts and squats. However, he lamented seeing how almost no one is now doing deadlifts.

“Nobody wants to deadlift anymore (be)cause (of) your guys’ gurus. They look like s**t and say the deadlifts are bad,” Mike O’Hearn said, facing the camera. The 55-year-old bodybuilding icon’s cameraman tried to defend the take saying, “No they’re not bad. they’re just not optimal.” However, this did little to impress the old-school bodybuilder who fell in love with powerlifting.

Many modern fitness gurus and influencers argue that deadlifts are not worth the hassle. They believe that other isolation movements build muscle more effectively. Meanwhile, they also remove the risk of lower back injury from deadlifts. However, many like Mike O’Hearn dismiss such ideas.

While deadlifting does put stress on the lower back, proper exercise execution nearly eliminates the risk. Deadlifts are also one of the best exercises to test raw strength. Hence, they still are a staple from gyms to international powerlifting meets. The exercise that Mike O’Hearn stood up for is also arguably the best singular movement for the entire posterior chain.

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However, not just fitness gurus, but athletes from various disciplines have also advised against doing deadlifts regularly. Former strongman competitor Robert Oberst gave his two cents about the exercise in 2019.

The strongman who never trained deadlifts

Retired strongman Robert Oberst appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience in 2019. In the podcast, the strongman confessed to staying away from deadlifts. Strongman competitions incorporate several forms of deadlifts like stiff bars, elephant bars, axle deadlifts, etc. However, Oberst only did these deadlifts when he competed.

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“Just quick little tip… don’t f***ing do it (deadlifts). The risk-to-reward ratio is a joke,” said Oberst. So how did the strongman build strength to do them at contests? Oberst said that he did “hang cleans and power cleans,” to build his strength while eliminating chances of a back injury.

The former strongman also said many people won’t like his statement, and it’s safe to assume Mike O’Hearn would be among them. Which camp are you in? Do you like doing deadlifts, or do you think they are risky?

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