quote:There is a reason why it's called a "Deadlift." It is a faulty exercise for many reasons. But they won't tell you that(the truth). If you could find a Nautilus or MedX Lower back machine that would be great, otherwise I would stay away from it period.
The deadlift, or one of it's many variations is probably one of the BEST exercises for athletes. The "hinge" pattern of the hips has incredible transfer into lower body movements such as sprinting, jumping, and hitting / throwing a baseball. Additionally it is a great choice for overhead throwing athletes as it does not require awkward loading of a bar on the back or shoulders which can be rough on the shoulders, elbows and wrists. All of which are pretty **** important in baseball. I agree with the posts on using a trap bar. The trap bar DL is generally a go to movement for athletes, especially younger ones.
Another common regression from the conventional DL would be it's SUMO variety.
If there is a pre-existing low back injury it may be a bad choice. However, some kind of hip hinge movement should be a fundamental part of his program.
GR