Explode Your Deadlift is a deadlifting e-book for dudes who want to learn how to deadlift better. I’m pretty picky when it comes to books, especially books about simple topics like the deadlift. I’ve been in the weight lifting game for a long time, and learning something new in a book, even from a true master like Andy Bolton, is a rare thing indeed.
The reason it’s tough for an experienced lifter to learn from a book like this is because it’s tough to put important information on paper that the lifter doesn’t already know. Keep my back flat, have my hands here, etc. This isn’t new, and we’ve all heard it. The deadlift is simple enough that there’s nothing new, and there won’t be.
So, to make a great book on deadlifting you need the right combination of experience and the ability to detail that experience in writing. As it turns out Andy, along with his co-author Elliot Newman, isn’t just an all-time king of powerlifting, but also has the goods as a writer too.
Now make no mistake, I’m not saying Andy or Elliot should become high school English teachers any time soon. The book has its fair share of spelling errors and exactly zero production value. But that’s not important. You don’t pick up a book on deadlifting to be dazzled by pretty fonts and glossy pictures, you get it because you want to know about deadlifting. And there’s no one better to turn to because Andy can translate his vast experience into highly detailed, no-nonsense information.
When you read this book you won’t have to sift through countless pages of filling to get to the occasional gem, these guys have filtered all that out for you and left a dense book of pure information on how to deadlift, whether conventional or sumo. They even cover a few other styles of deadlifting, but with a focus on those two methods.
This book does not include a program, assistance exercises, and so forth. What you’ll find is discussion of technique, equipment, psychology, and competition. For example, Andy covers exactly what to wear while you train in the gym from head to toe, and what to wear in competition from the clothes you’ll need just to be allowed to compete to the unique cut of his suit. Every detail is covered with precision and simplicity.
This book isn’t just for learning basic technique either, it has something for everyone. For example, the authors detail the thirteen men who have deadlifted in excess of 900 lbs., describing where they are alike and where they differ. This sort of information only comes from experience and a love of the sport, and will educate even the most veteran lifters. Andy also makes it a point in every section to mention how to work the deadlift for powerlifting, versus training in the deadlift to improve other sports. He is never dogmatic about the deadlift, but simply lays the facts down in a way that anyone can benefit from.
If you’ve read my book reviews before you’ll know I favor an approach with no fluff, providing simple detailed information that can benefit anyone, and this book delivers. The one thing it is missing is a picture of Andy’s set up, but it is described at length. This omission aside, I think this is probably the single best deadlifting book I have read.
“Explode Your Deadlift” is available for $21.97 at AndyBoltonStrength.com.
