Deadlift Question.....

rlw911

Let's see if I can word this where it makes sense:

Where does the "power" for deadlifting come from? How do you lift it off the floor?

When I first started SLs, I did pretty good at DLs. I started fairly light, but was up to 125 lbs. The problem was, I wasn't consistent in the type of DLs I did. Sometimes I took the time to stack the weights, but TBH, that was a pain in the *kitten*, especially with stupid octagonal weights, and sometimes I did RDLs.

After dealing with the holidays, being sick and going on my cruise, for some reason, I felt like I "forgot" how to do a proper deadlift. I read Starting Strength, which gave me some really good cues for squats, but I can't seem to get the same info/benefit on DLs. At the encouragement of my DH, I did manage to lift 135 lbs, but only once. Even so, I was pretty proud of myself for finally being able to use the big girl plates, lol!

I guess what I'm asking is: I line up the bar, set my grip, get my butt set, and then what??? What's the trick to getting the weight to come off the floor???

Sorry for being so long-winded and I hope my question makes sense!

lwoodroff

have you read the SS deadlift setup instructions? I find these helpful.. the power comes from everything being tight, but principally your legs and back.

1. Take your stance, feet a little closer than you think it needs to be and with your toes out more than you like. Your shins should be about one inch from the bar, no more. This places the bar over the mid-foot – the whole foot, not the mid-instep.

2. Take your grip on the bar, leaving your hips up. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR.

3. Drop your knees forward and out until your shins touch the bar. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR.

4. Hard part: squeeze your chest up as hard as you can. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR. This establishes a "wave" of extension that goes all the way down to the lumbar, and sets the back angle from the top down. DO NOT LOWER YOUR HIPS – LIFT THE CHEST TO SET THE BACK ANGLE.

5. Squeeze the bar off the floor and drag it up your legs in contact with your skin/sweats until it locks out at the top. If you have done the above sequence precisely as described, the bar will come off the ground in a perfectly vertical path. All the slack will have come out of the arms and hamstrings in step 4, the bar will not jerk off the ground, and your back will be in good extension. You will perceive that your hips are too high, but if you have completed step 4 correctly, the scapulas, bar, and mid-foot will be in vertical alignment and the pull will be perfect. The pull will seem "shorter" this way.

girlie100

yep power comes from legs and back. Deadlift is a movement that you can be aggressive with. You want to apply the power to the bar to initially get it off the floor (think of pushing the floor away with your legs) then the rest is posterior chain as you drag it up your legs.

Tricks I use, sit yourself back using the weight of the bar as leverage, load your hamstrings and make sure your shoulders are over not forward of the bar and then just pull that ba$tard off the floor :drinker:

_TastySnoBalls_

yep power comes from legs and back. Deadlift is a movement that you can be aggressive with. You want to apply the power to the bar to initially get it off the floor (think of pushing the floor away with your legs) then the rest is posterior chain as you drag it up your legs.

Tricks I use, sit yourself back using the weight of the bar as leverage, load your hamstrings and make sure your shoulders are over not forward of the bar and then just pull that ba$tard off the floor :drinker:

lol. love this. what about the breathing portion, now that i'm DL'ing heavier, this has become an issue for me. Do i exhale completely just prior to lifting the bar, or deep breath in?

Soccer_Chick

All of the above, plus I always think about driving my heels through the floor. Just focus on pushing right through the heels if that makes any sense.

rlw911

have you read the SS deadlift setup instructions? I find these helpful.. the power comes from everything being tight, but principally your legs and back.


5. Squeeze the bar off the floor and drag it up your legs in contact with your skin/sweats until it locks out at the top. If you have done the above sequence precisely as described, the bar will come off the ground in a perfectly vertical path. All the slack will have come out of the arms and hamstrings in step 4, the bar will not jerk off the ground, and your back will be in good extension. You will perceive that your hips are too high, but if you have completed step 4 correctly, the scapulas, bar, and mid-foot will be in vertical alignment and the pull will be perfect. The pull will seem "shorter" this way.

I've read and re-read the SS DL instructions. I'm great, up until #5. How do you "squeeze the bar off the floor"??? I don't know why I'm having such a mental block understanding this.

rlw911

yep power comes from legs and back. Deadlift is a movement that you can be aggressive with. You want to apply the power to the bar to initially get it off the floor (think of pushing the floor away with your legs) then the rest is posterior chain as you drag it up your legs.

Tricks I use, sit yourself back using the weight of the bar as leverage, load your hamstrings and make sure your shoulders are over not forward of the bar and then just pull that ba$tard off the floor :drinker:

That's what I try to do! Although, I guess that must be what I did when I managed to get the 135lbs off the floor, cause my hamstrings were definitely sore!

I think it's just a matter of finding the right cue that kicks in for my brain. :grumble:

Fittreelol

have you read the SS deadlift setup instructions? I find these helpful.. the power comes from everything being tight, but principally your legs and back.


5. Squeeze the bar off the floor and drag it up your legs in contact with your skin/sweats until it locks out at the top. If you have done the above sequence precisely as described, the bar will come off the ground in a perfectly vertical path. All the slack will have come out of the arms and hamstrings in step 4, the bar will not jerk off the ground, and your back will be in good extension. You will perceive that your hips are too high, but if you have completed step 4 correctly, the scapulas, bar, and mid-foot will be in vertical alignment and the pull will be perfect. The pull will seem "shorter" this way.

I've read and re-read the SS DL instructions. I'm great, up until #5. How do you "squeeze the bar off the floor"??? I don't know why I'm having such a mental block understanding this.

Not every cue works for every person. Squeezing the bar off the floor makes no sense to me either. I make sure to engage my lats before the pull. I'll round my back up once I have my grip on the bar, and then when I go back into my arch I really squeeze everything in my whole body. Then I just stand up :laugh: Or not as the case may be.

ETA: If I did the SS setup instructions I would be doing an RDL. Just from how I interpret them.

krokador

I try to think of it as sinking my feet into the floor rather than lifting something up, I guess? Like, instead of pulling the bar up, your trying to get your body up straight?

It's hard to say because the deadlift is probably the exercise that I've settled into the easiest. The one time I didn't manage to move the bar was a faulty set-up. It takes a bit of confidence to move that bar sometimes.

I think the "squeezing the bar off the floor" is really just that: You squeeze the bar really tight. lol :P

trosewine

This is the video that helped me dial in my form. Not only did I push past continuously pulling my SI joint out of alignment, but I pushed past bodyweight (150) and now a new personal best at 175.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8jgCFXYTU

Good luck!

jstout365

You can also youtube the "So you think you can Deadlift" series - 9 episodes in total. The first one talks about form and assessing weak points. The next 8 were discussing accessory lifts.

rlw911

Thanks for all the tips, ladies! Now to get to the gym and see which one clicks for me.

lwoodroff

I interpret the 'squeeze' to mean 'don't use explosive force with your arms to get it to move' - if everything is already tight, it should be a smooth movement. You're already 99% there with the set up so in my head it's like a (bear with me, I'm weird) boat ready to leave harbour, the engine is on but the ropes are still on the wharf. Release the ropes and the boat glides away - it doesn't suddenly kick into top gear and thrash the water around, just smoothly departs.

that's my interpretation anyway!

I asked girlie100 a question about deadlifts and she had a very helpful comment - breathe at the top before taking your stance. You will get more air in, and get a tighter valsalva than trying to breath bent over the bar. I will try this next time!

girlie100

I don't really understand the 'squeeze' but then I guess he's talking about pulling a weight for reps and not a 1RM, when I'm pulling a 1RM it takes pure aggression, explosive force, swearing & shouting to get that bar off the floor :laugh:

hananah89

I try to think of it as sinking my feet into the floor rather than lifting something up, I guess? Like, instead of pulling the bar up, your trying to get your body up straight?

That's how I was taught. To push into the floor with my feet rather than focus on lifting the weight up.

hesn92

deadlifts are my favorite of the 5 lifts... think of it like you're dragging the bar up your legs.