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Correct Form when lifting
dalerst
Posts: 174 Member
How do you know when you have the correct form on deadlift and barbell rows? There are so many different opinions on the internet. On the barbell some say to keep back parallel with the floor and others say not to. I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly as it easier to sort now rather than 2 months down the line.
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Replies
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Deadlifts and squats are something that vary a lot more than most people seem to want to admit. Really, the only hard and fast rule is to keep your lumbar spine from rounding. Anything else, it's more about playing with your leverages to find what works for you.11
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Gallowmere1984 wrote: »Deadlifts and squats are something that vary a lot more than most people seem to want to admit. Really, the only hard and fast rule is to keep your lumbar spine from rounding. Anything else, it's more about playing with your leverages to find what works for you.
That's what I thought. I'm trying to ensure my back is straight and then finding the comfortable angle to suit.1 -
If your lower lumbar region starts hurting your rounding your back. Start with lighter weight to get the form/movement down and gradually increase the poundage. Remember to keep your head in line with your spine while your eyes are looking up and forward, and don't wear a belt!2
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DresdenSinn wrote: »Remember to keep your head in line with your spine while your eyes are looking up and forward, and don't wear a belt!
Don't wear a belt?
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Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it0
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DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.0 -
@dalerst - Have you seen Alan Thrall's videos? He is fantastic at explaining form!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8l_8chR5BE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYREQkVtvEc
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DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
I think its a personal thing! I wear a belt and gloves when lifting. The belt gives you a solid foundation to push your core into when you fill your lungs with that big gulp of air before you start your lift.
With the form as Gallowmere said.... just dont round your back!
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@dalerst - Have you seen Alan Thrall's videos? He is fantastic at explaining form!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8l_8chR5BEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYREQkVtvEc
I have watch them and a tonne more lol1 -
DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
It's my contention (as well as others) that it will make your lower back weak as you come to rely on it more and more but that's just an opinion and not an experience, it ultimately boils down to personal choice.
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DresdenSinn wrote: »DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
It's my contention (as well as others) that it will make your lower back weak as you come to rely on it more and more but that's just an opinion and not an experience, it ultimately boils down to personal choice.
That is what I have also read/been told. Perhaps if one is going for a heavy single, yes, but not for everyday training.
Also I've been told the cue to pull the weight up your body when deadlifting. The bar should be in light contact with your shins and thighs at all times. Doing this makes it much harder to round your back.
Eric Cressey is one of the top performance coaches out there and I believe he has personally done 3X bodyweight. He has a 9 minute instructional video and articles on deadlifting.
https://ericcressey.com/2 -
Your eyes do not have to be looking up on deads2
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Your eyes do not have to be looking up on deads
This is also what I've read/been told. Mark Riptoe author of Starting Strength suggests you look at a spot 12-15 feet in front of you before and during the lift to keep proper position.
http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/archive/index.php/t-34231.html0 -
I've also seen world class pullers who practically stare at their toes through their entire pull, with a heavily rounded upper back. That was my point about everything except for the lumbar spine being variable.0
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Since I have a lower spine injury and nerve damage, I do Body pump classes to learn (and still get a workout) but without the danger of extremely high weights. Though I try to follow the "rules" of positioning, I focus more on what does/doesn't feel wrong/hurt *for me*. So I tend to really stick my butt out and round it toward the sky going down.... then plant my heels, and press through my legs, and really exaggerate the forward thrust of the hips on the way up.
I practice at home with no weights in a mirror to make sure I'm avoiding injured/potentially injurious and weakened areas.
Making sure I feel the weight "pulling" primarily on my shoulders, arms, and butt/upper legs going down helps. I'm not lifting major weights like you probably are, but am super-careful because of those injuries I already have than *perhaps some* people who have never lost all ability to get out of bed and function normally don't think *as hard* about.2 -
blackcomaro wrote: »DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
I think its a personal thing! I wear a belt and gloves when lifting. The belt gives you a solid foundation to push your core into when you fill your lungs with that big gulp of air before you start your lift.
With the form as Gallowmere said.... just dont round your back!
I think the main thing is you learn correct form before ever putting on a belt, if that's what you choose. Right?
I lift beltless and will continue to do so until I feel like the belt would be advantageous.2 -
this one vet from my lifting group says 'the initial training/first month or so gets 98% of humans into the ballpark of having safe form. then you spend the rest of your life tweaking and trying to get it Just Right.'
that's been kind of my experience too. i didn't touch a barbell until i was almost 49 and my gp has seen more of drama-queen me in the three years since then than she saw in the 10 years of me having rheumatoid arthritis and hating weight rooms only a tiny bit less than i hate nightclubs. but even so my mileage is that there's been more leeway in the whole undertaking than i thought there was.
so long as you 'listen' to the different kinds of things that your body tells you, and you don't mind spending irrational amounts of time researching and experimenting and doing the tweaking, that is. i've made myself into a kind of homegrown kinesiology nerd, which i guess might not be for everyone.1 -
WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »Since I have a lower spine injury and nerve damage, I do Body pump classes to learn (and still get a workout) but without the danger of extremely high weights. Though I try to follow the "rules" of positioning, I focus more on what does/doesn't feel wrong/hurt *for me*. So I tend to really stick my butt out and round it toward the sky going down.... then plant my heels, and press through my legs, and really exaggerate the forward thrust of the hips on the way up.
I practice at home with no weights in a mirror to make sure I'm avoiding injured/potentially injurious and weakened areas.
Making sure I feel the weight "pulling" primarily on my shoulders, arms, and butt/upper legs going down helps. I'm not lifting major weights like you probably are, but am super-careful because of those injuries I already have than *perhaps some* people who have never lost all ability to get out of bed and function normally don't think *as hard* about.
Thanks for the advice. I'm not on major weights at the minute just trying to sort the form out. So any advice helps
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I don't think anybody has mentioned the opposite of a rounded spine. You don't want this either, you want a neutral spine. Don't be caught sticking your butt up real high.
Also, an important thing to watch out for is that the deadlift is probably at its most dangerous just before you put the bar back down, the last inch or two. That's when many people lose form. Lift light weights first, be careful with the height of the resting bar on the ground. If you are lifting light, prop the bar up so it's at a similar place where two 45s would have it. The sweet spot kind of depends on your height, but you don't want it too close to the ground.
Rippetoe is right about not looking "up", think about what that does to your spine, it makes your upper spine concave, not neutral at all. Look at a spot perpendicular to your spine on the floor. It does help.0 -
I did 4 sets of 225lb Deadlifts for 8reps @ with 60 seconds rest between sets yesterday. After being involved in this thread I was very mindful of my form and I feel it was good. 225lbs is normally a light deadlift for me but I was focused on form and I'm very glycogen depleted right now... needless to say my glutes and hams are sore today1
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When trying to work on form, I highly recommend filming it on your phone, from side especially. Sometimes looking in a mirror will actually change your form.4
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Thanks for all the input on this it's much needed. Just done my dead lift session with 120lb felt quite light but I think the form is improving, just need to remember where to look and not straight forward.0
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blackcomaro wrote: »DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
I think its a personal thing! I wear a belt and gloves when lifting. The belt gives you a solid foundation to push your core into when you fill your lungs with that big gulp of air before you start your lift.
With the form as Gallowmere said.... just dont round your back!
I think the main thing is you learn correct form before ever putting on a belt, if that's what you choose. Right?
I lift beltless and will continue to do so until I feel like the belt would be advantageous.
I agree someone should know how to lift without a belt and often, but if your goal is to be stronger than using a belt correctly would be advantageous.
The heavier you lift, the stronger one can become through muscle stimulas and adaptation.
A belt used correctly while squatting/deadlifting in most cases will allow someone to lift heavier, therefore become stronger more efficiently.
Personally I don't strap a belt on until I'm in the ballpark of 90% of my 1RM, but using the belt even sparingly helps me become a stronger person even when I beltless because of the weight I'm working with when locked.
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WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »and really exaggerate the forward thrust of the hips on the way up.
Thrust forward is an interesting use of terminology......... i just concentrate on squeezing my glutes to bring the spine to a neutral position thats it!
As you wouldnt ever want to put excess pressure on the lower spine by hyper extending.
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DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
There may come a time when you should wear a belt.
Learning form is not that time.4 -
blackcomaro wrote: »DresdenSinn wrote: »Yeah ya know..lifting belt, weight belt, back brace..whatever ya wanna call it
I know mate but why not wear one? People say it help your core.
I think its a personal thing! I wear a belt and gloves when lifting. The belt gives you a solid foundation to push your core into when you fill your lungs with that big gulp of air before you start your lift.
With the form as Gallowmere said.... just dont round your back!
I think the main thing is you learn correct form before ever putting on a belt, if that's what you choose. Right?
I lift beltless and will continue to do so until I feel like the belt would be advantageous.
I agree someone should know how to lift without a belt and often, but if your goal is to be stronger than using a belt correctly would be advantageous.
The heavier you lift, the stronger one can become through muscle stimulas and adaptation.
A belt used correctly while squatting/deadlifting in most cases will allow someone to lift heavier, therefore become stronger more efficiently.
Personally I don't strap a belt on until I'm in the ballpark of 90% of my 1RM, but using the belt even sparingly helps me become a stronger person even when I beltless because of the weight I'm working with when locked.
To add to this, it's also a good idea for one to use a belt regularly, if they do plan on using it. In the few times that I threw one on, it made stuff feel all kinds of wonky, because I wasn't used to it being there. I still currently train beltless, but only because I don't own one. Once I order my kit for my meet in December, you can be your *kitten* that I'll be doing my heaviest sets in a singlet, belted, and with wrist wraps.0 -
I had been focusing on fine tuning my squat form so much that I kinda neglected improving deadlift. I re-watched the video I posted, did a little of visualization and a little low weight practice over the weekend. This morning I killed it!3
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Honestly another pair of eyes is priceless. If you don't have a trainer around to check your form, video yourself and get some second opinions from reputable sources I find it helpful to actually have someone watching me while I lift, though, as my form can slip without me noticing. I work out at a gym that has trainers, kinesiologists etc on the floor watching and helping ppl at all times. Best thing everrrrrrr. I didn't even realize how *kitten* my form could get at times. My lifts have improved drastically, in form and weight. 0
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Dr__Girlfriend wrote: »Honestly another pair of eyes is priceless. If you don't have a trainer around to check your form, video yourself and get some second opinions from reputable sources I find it helpful to actually have someone watching me while I lift, though, as my form can slip without me noticing. I work out at a gym that has trainers, kinesiologists etc on the floor watching and helping ppl at all times. Best thing everrrrrrr. I didn't even realize how *kitten* my form could get at times. My lifts have improved drastically, in form and weight.
I work out on my own in the garage so it's difficult to get someone's opinions on my lifts I have filmed myself tonight and can see I need to do some work on them.0
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