>I find the disagreement among professionals to be intriguing. Any professional that doesn't think you should do deadlifts is one that you should be weary of.

>I find the disagreement among professionals to be intriguing. Any professional that doesn't think you should do deadlifts is one that you should be weary of. I think CrossFit is ridiculous as well, but when I saw the OP listing deadlifts as a low reward for high risk, it instantly throws into question their knowledge of the subject at hand. A deadlift done with proper form is one of the safest exercises you can do with free weights, because there's no chance of failure resulting in the bar and weight falling on you like could happen with a squat or press. They're dangerous with poor form, but anyone doing any sort of exercise should make sure they're doing it properly. Deadlift form is pretty simple, as well. The problem is if you're not focused, things can go poorly, as others have commented. Stay focused, stay safe. And as for the reward part, there's probably not any other single exercise that provides so much potential gain in strength and muscle mass. Squats, presses, and rows fall shortly behind. Compound lifts are excellent in general and minimize your risk of injury compared to simple lifts that do not strengthen stabilizer muscles, etc.