Hexbar vs Barbell Deadlift vs Mid-Thigh Pull: Who Wins?

Which of these exercises is best for developing vertical jump ?  Is this a question you have been struggling with too? I know I have often contemplated the benefits and limitations to each of these exercises when developing programs for my courses (new courses being released in 2017) and for my own training.  For example, the hex bar deadlift allows superior spine position (less stress on the back).  Thus it has grown immensely in popularity, and for good reason.  However, does it potentially have less upside in performance?  Isometric mid-thigh pulls also allow for a better spine position and potentially train at the exact joint angle for jumping, does that make it superior?  The traditional deadlift has been around for ages and we know it works in novices (see here), and it is the hardest out of all three exercises, does that qualify it as the best?  A recent study published in January’s journal of strength and conditioning research aimed to answer these questions [1].

Research Study

What did the authors do?

• Used 20 resistance trained males for the study group
• Compared force variables generated by the isometric mid-thigh pull, hex bar deadlift, and traditional deadlift and the vertical jump.
• Isometric mid thigh pull used an angle of 135 degrees or 45 degrees of knee bend (180 the leg is completely straight)

Results

• The isometric mid thigh pull generated the most force (duh, you can push into a wall harder than you can bench press)
• Vertical Jump impulse was significantly correlated with traditional deadlift rate of force development
  • Side note: Vertical jump impulse is a directly related to jump height (see here)

Conclusion:

• The authors concluded that athletes and coaches whom are concerned with improving the vertical jump may benefit most from using the traditional deadlift.

My thoughts: It has been my hypothesis for awhile now that the deadlift is an excellent performance exercise for jumping.  The joint angles and actions are similar to the vertical jump.  Furthermore, when adding variable resistance in the form of elastic bands and chains the muscle contraction mimics the type of acceleration muscle action require when jumping (in short, adding bands and chains is better and more specific).  In addition, the deadlift begins from a stand still, which forces the athlete to develop force early and rapidly.  Fast concentric exercise increases early rate of force development (see here), and I am hypothesizing this translates into better jumping abilities.  But does it outweigh the negatives of lumbar spine stress?  I think individual considerations need to be taken in order to properly decide when the deadlift is okay.  For instance, really tall athletes have trouble getting into the proper starting position and may need to start from a little higher position.   For now, it seems the traditional deadlift is best for pure performance measures.

1.  Malyszek, Kylie K., Roque A. Harmon, Dustin D. Dunnick, Pablo B. Costa, Jared W. Coburn, and Lee E. Brown. “Comparison of Olympic and Hexagonal Barbells With Midthigh Pull, Deadlift, and Countermovement Jump.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research31.1 (2017): 140-45.