Executing Conventional Deadlifts Last week, I wrote a quick blurb covering a few tips to help you increase your deadlift. While there are probably thousands of articles circulating the internet regarding execution of the movement, I thought I would take the time to explain it through my own words. DIfferent cues and explanations work for different people. Although I have pulled 665 sumo in training, I will only be covering the conventional in this post. Sumo is a totally different animal, and I still dont think I have the knowledge to write on the matter (coaching it is easier). *Disclaimer, I am not stating this is the only way to deadlift, or even the best way to deadlift. This is how I coach the deadlift for a more advanced lifter. Footwork: Start with your feet set close to, or directly underneath your hips. Some bigger lifters find a wider conventional stance more beneficial to their leverages, but Im going to keep it simple. Often times, I have heard others instructing their lifters to pull up the shin. This is wrong. If you set the bar at rest directly against your shins and begin to pull (assuming you have decently developed quads), the bar will eventually catch your kneecaps or quads in its path to lockout. A well executed deadlift should be an efficient, straight line from the floor. Bloody shins are not badass, they are a result of inefficiency. Set the bar directly underneath the point of lockout, roughly 1.5-2 from your shins. Back/Hip Angle: This is where I tend to see the biggest flaws. A conventional deadlift is its own movement, and its execution shares very little in common with a weightlifting deadlift or clean pull. The first pull of a clean is designed to set you in the proper position to execute the second pull. A conventional deadlift is designed to move the load from the floor to lockout and quickly as possible. With your feet set, reach down and grab the bar (mixed or pronated hand position is fine) just outside of your hips. There really isnt a reason to grab out further. As your hands widen on the knurling, your range of motion increases, and that is a bad thing. Efficiency is everything. Teaching the deadlift from the top down is not very effective, because it is a concentric only lift (meaning there is no negative component in competition). Learning from the ground up teaches you how to set properly, developing tension and speed off of the floor. Now, that youre bent over the bar, pull your hips down and under until you feel the weight in your heels, and your heels alone. At this point, you should be able to wiggle your toes freely. Now, push your butt out and flatten your back. You are in the right position when you feel maximal tension between the floor and the bar in your hands. Almost ready to go. Upper Back/Shoulder Position: The age old question of safety vs. performance in the deadlift seems to make a lot of self-proclaimed lifting experts angry. Just to clear something up: Show me a video of a lifter pulling over 800 pounds with a perfectly neutral spine and I will give you… No, never mind. You wont find one. I am NOT a believer in the fairytale of perfect form. With a beginner, I will always stress safety first, but as the lifter progresses, good form will ultimately be whatever helps them move the biggest amount of weight. End of story. Heres where it gets tricky… If you focus too heavily on keeping the lats engaged and shoulders back, there is a good chance under a 90-95% percent rep they will be the first part of your form to go. Slight rounding of the thoracic and cervical spine (mid and upper back) is not an issue as long as it stays consistent through the duration of the pull. Squeeze your lats, but allow the shoulders to round forward slightly. Your arms should be tight and long. Getting yanked out of position sucks, so just start with slightly rounded shoulders to begin with. Head Position: Some people stress to keep a packed neck which can help to create better spinal neutrality. Since perfect spinal neutrality is not something I am concerned with, if the lifter prefers to keep their head up (as I do), then be my guest. Pulling: Now that the weight is in your heels, your lower back is tight, theres tension between the floor and the bar, your hips are loaded, and your head is wherever you prefer it to be, you are ready to go. I have heard others say that the deadlift is as much of a push as it is a pull, and to some extent I agree. Without your quads, your hips would shoot straight up, resulting in an unwanted attempt at a stiff legged dead. Push through the floor explosively while simultaneously pulling through your hamstrings. Your hips and shoulders should rise at a similar rate through this portion to the knee. Lockout: Once the bar has cleared the knee, keep your quads tight, push your hips through, and fall back further in to your heels. Leading the lockout with your shoulders isnt going to be fun, and can also lead to hitching, which above all things I detest the most. Your hips are (or should be) stronger than your upper back, so use them accordingly. At lockout, your shoulders should be in line with or slightly behind the bar. Your legs should be locked, displaying a dominant control over the bar. I hope this little walkthrough was helpful. If there are any further questions or I forgot something, please post to the comment section and we can get a healthy discussion going. In case you are still unconvinced that I know what Im talking about, heres my best raw (training) pull of 725. Looking forward to 750 and 800 once Im healthy.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 19:06:14 +0000
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