Deadlifts

[tescott]

Hey guys,

recently, I hit a personal milestone of 170kg for 5 reps. After watching the video, I'm not so sure about how I'm going keeping my back tight.

So, the next time I lifted, I dropped back to 150kg. But it seems that I'm not that much better. Even my first warmup set at 50kg doesn't look much better again!

I think my problem is not really being able to properly set my back initially, due to flexibility. I point my toes out a bit, and try to shove my knees out too, and it does help.

Anyway, here are some videos if you don't mind having a look, and telling me what you think.

Note #1: You'll notice that I stop to shake out my hands. That's because deadlifting hurts my hands. While away on holidays, while training at a commercial gym, I discovered that they don't hurt using an olympic sized bar. It seems that I hurt at home because I'm using a smaller, standard bar (which increases pressure on my hands) with pretty sharp knurling. Anyway, just an explanation for you..

Note #2: I mostly treat a set of 5 as 5 quick singles. This helps me to concentrate on consistent form, as recommended by Dave Tate. It also helps with my hands.

2 weeks ago:
5x170kg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_3O3syrxXo

Last week:
5x50kg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrM3TWUPxt0
5x150kg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzO-K2U9JQk

[PMDL]

Sorry man, it's back to 60kg for you until those issues are sorted.

[tescott]

Tips?

[TomC]

I think PMDL is just joking with you. Your back looks just fine, even at 170 kg. You start with and manage to keep a neutral/flat lumbar angle. You have a slight tendency to hitch the lift towards the end. That is, you slightly re-bend your knees near the top to help finish the lockout. That's a good habit to break. You don't do it excessively, but hitching is frowned upon in competition, I believe.

Lastly, get yourself an Olympic bar. Deadlifting is hard enough as it is without a skinny bar digging into your fingers.

[tescott]

Really? Ha, now I feel like a dweeb..

I was aware of the hitching, and it want to break it. Cues? Maybe just to think about NOT rebending the knees.

Thanks for the tip on the bar. Now I need to convince my wife that its a good investment...

[PMDL]

That wasn't even hitching. that's just what happens when you tire out during a hard pull.

General rule of thumb: strength off the floor = quads + low back, strength at lockout = glutes + hams

Having trouble at lockout, if you assume it's not just a matter of crappy setup tiring you out (which it isn't here) is usually either grip or weak glutes/hams.

But fuck you didn't do anything but get tired from a hard set there, the fresh reps were fine, so who cares?

Get a better bar to fix the grip-gay and you're set.

[tescott]

I think you're right about the grip - Thinking back, I'm pretty sure that's what was going and forcing me to do a little hitch.

Thanks PDML, appreciate the advice.

[Kincain]

I thought it was pretty impressive. But get some socks! :D

[TTT]

Sorry man, it's back to 60kg for you until those issues are sorted.

lol
man.. you gotta use ITALICS for stuff like that.

[tescott]

I thought it was pretty impressive. But get some socks! :D

ha! yeah, I couldn't find them that day, so the shin pads sufficed :-)