Deadlift form check?

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giantersquid
giantersquid Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Any advice on improving my form? This is 155lbs and not any sort of pr. I see that my lower back rounds when I engage with the weight in the beginning of the lift but I'm not sure how to fix it.

https://youtu.be/-YMeXfckLuU

I also have a more general deadlift question... How do you breathe when doing reps without losing tightness and having to set up again? When I put the weight down and go to breathe in I have to brace again and it slows me down and gets in the way of higher reps.

Replies

  • Inspirationalwaterjug
    Inspirationalwaterjug Posts: 384 Member
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    Drop your hips, pull the slack out of the bar and as for breathing stop and reset ever rep. You have any other videos of the lift.
  • karenmi
    karenmi Posts: 242 Member
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    I would consult with a trainer at your gym and have them evaluate your form. I am sure they will be happy to do it for you.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited January 2018
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    And engage your lats. A couple of typical cues are either "put your shoulder blades in your back pockets" or "pretend you have to hold sponges in your armpits as you lift."

    There are tons of deadlift form videos on Youtube you can check out.

  • natruallycurious
    natruallycurious Posts: 359 Member
    edited January 2018
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    I agree with the above, drop your hips more. You are correct that you are rounding your back. It could just be a form/technique issue, but it could also be your back not being strong enough to support that weight yet. I would lower the weight until you nail your form down before increasing.

    If it is a strength issue, try adding hip and back extensions into your workout and upping core work.
  • giantersquid
    giantersquid Posts: 5 Member
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    heytimsla wrote: »
    https://youtu.be/wYREQkVtvEc

    Thank you!
  • giantersquid
    giantersquid Posts: 5 Member
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    natruallycurious wrote: »
    I agree with the above, drop your hips more. You are correct that you are rounding your back. It could just be a form/technique issue, but it could also be your back not being strong enough to support that weight yet. I would lower the weight until you nail your form down before increasing.

    If it is a strength issue, try adding hip and back extensions into your workout and upping core work.

    This isn't a heavy weight for me, so definitely a form issue.
  • giantersquid
    giantersquid Posts: 5 Member
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    karenmi wrote: »
    I would consult with a trainer at your gym and have them evaluate your form. I am sure they will be happy to do it for you.

    I'm a poor student and can't afford a trainer :)
  • natruallycurious
    natruallycurious Posts: 359 Member
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    giantersquid wrote: »

    This isn't a heavy weight for me, so definitely a form issue.

    I understand that it doesn't feel like a heavy weight to you. However, that doesn't change the fact that your back may not be ready to support the weight that seems easy to your legs. I speak from experience on that. I've always had a stronger lower body and I feel virtually nothing in my legs at weights that my form starts to fall apart. Don't let your pride get in the way and get you injured. Drop the weight until your form is perfect and then build it back up.
  • AgentFlex
    AgentFlex Posts: 211 Member
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    heytimsla wrote: »
    Drop your hips, pull the slack out of the bar and as for breathing stop and reset ever rep. You have any other videos of the lift.

    As far as improving your form, this is great advice, try it out :)
  • giantersquid
    giantersquid Posts: 5 Member
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    natruallycurious wrote: »
    giantersquid wrote: »

    This isn't a heavy weight for me, so definitely a form issue.

    I understand that it doesn't feel like a heavy weight to you. However, that doesn't change the fact that your back may not be ready to support the weight that seems easy to your legs. I speak from experience on that. I've always had a stronger lower body and I feel virtually nothing in my legs at weights that my form starts to fall apart. Don't let your pride get in the way and get you injured. Drop the weight until your form is perfect and then build it back up.
    AgentFlex wrote: »
    giantersquid wrote: »
    natruallycurious wrote: »
    I agree with the above, drop your hips more. You are correct that you are rounding your back. It could just be a form/technique issue, but it could also be your back not being strong enough to support that weight yet. I would lower the weight until you nail your form down before increasing.

    If it is a strength issue, try adding hip and back extensions into your workout and upping core work.

    This isn't a heavy weight for me, so definitely a form issue.

    While it is possible you are fully capable of lifting a heavier weight, if you can't do this weight with good form, then it is a weight issue. As others have mentioned, it would be safest to scale back the weight you are using until your form is good then move up from there. It is not a slap to the ego, it is about keeping yourself from lower back injury which blows as I can speak from experience.

    Thank you both for this! I will definitely drop the weight and work up, but this wording makes much more sense to me because I was confused about it being "too heavy" since it doesn't feel like much to me.
  • natruallycurious
    natruallycurious Posts: 359 Member
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    giantersquid wrote: »

    Thank you both for this! I will definitely drop the weight and work up, but this wording makes much more sense to me because I was confused about it being "too heavy" since it doesn't feel like much to me.

    Good luck!! Once you know what proper form feels like, it will be much easier to hold it and understand how to fix things when they feel funny. Someone in person would be much more help than us on the internet, but feel free to check back in and update us on how it goes!
  • AgentFlex
    AgentFlex Posts: 211 Member
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    giantersquid wrote: »
    natruallycurious wrote: »
    giantersquid wrote: »

    This isn't a heavy weight for me, so definitely a form issue.

    I understand that it doesn't feel like a heavy weight to you. However, that doesn't change the fact that your back may not be ready to support the weight that seems easy to your legs. I speak from experience on that. I've always had a stronger lower body and I feel virtually nothing in my legs at weights that my form starts to fall apart. Don't let your pride get in the way and get you injured. Drop the weight until your form is perfect and then build it back up.
    AgentFlex wrote: »
    giantersquid wrote: »
    natruallycurious wrote: »
    I agree with the above, drop your hips more. You are correct that you are rounding your back. It could just be a form/technique issue, but it could also be your back not being strong enough to support that weight yet. I would lower the weight until you nail your form down before increasing.

    If it is a strength issue, try adding hip and back extensions into your workout and upping core work.

    This isn't a heavy weight for me, so definitely a form issue.

    While it is possible you are fully capable of lifting a heavier weight, if you can't do this weight with good form, then it is a weight issue. As others have mentioned, it would be safest to scale back the weight you are using until your form is good then move up from there. It is not a slap to the ego, it is about keeping yourself from lower back injury which blows as I can speak from experience.

    Thank you both for this! I will definitely drop the weight and work up, but this wording makes much more sense to me because I was confused about it being "too heavy" since it doesn't feel like much to me.

    You're very welcome! Good luck, you're numbers will be back up in no time once you get form down!

  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    heytimsla wrote: »
    Drop your hips, pull the slack out of the bar and as for breathing stop and reset ever rep. You have any other videos of the lift.


    This. Also don’t try to explode out of it. Like every movement you should be in control of the movement. You have to remember you’re putting your back under extreme load.

    Look forward, don’t pull your head back
    Grip the bar, very tight. It all starts with your grip
    Draw the slack out of the bar, by drawing your shoulders back and making a big chest.
    Tighten your core, glutes, back, legs.
    While maintaining that tightness with a breathe in, try to push the floor away from you. The bar is a part of your body and you want to push the floor away from it
  • Inspirationalwaterjug
    Inspirationalwaterjug Posts: 384 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    And engage your lats. A couple of typical cues are either "put your shoulder blades in your back pockets" or "pretend you have to hold sponges in your armpits as you lift."

    There are tons of deadlift form videos on Youtube you can check out.

    I like the trying to stop karate chops tonyour arm pits.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    giantersquid wrote: »
    Any advice on improving my form? This is 155lbs and not any sort of pr. I see that my lower back rounds when I engage with the weight in the beginning of the lift but I'm not sure how to fix it.

    take your time. there's no reason to hurry a deadlift, especially if you like doing them :) slow down and savour each rep.

    mark rippetoe had a great cheat sheet 'ten steps to perfect deadlift' that i go back to a lot. for setting your lower back, what *I* would do is:
    - use your grip on the bar to 'drive' your legs into the setup. don't try to break the bar off the floor until you can feel your hamstrings are in on the act.
    - breathing is tricky but this is the point where i do it. i think. hips first, then breath.
    - think 'blood donor' once you have your legs set. other people say things like 'lift your chest' and similar cues, but the blood-donor thing cues me personally to make sure my lats are engaged and my shoulders aren't internally rotated.
    - check your breath. or take your breath, at this point, if you haven't already. then lock it and pull.

    idk. cues can be pretty individual and personal. and i havne't done deadlifts for a while because of a tendinopathy thing, but something like that is what i remember from the times it was working for me.
    When I put the weight down and go to breathe in I have to brace again and it slows me down and gets in the way of higher reps.

    this is a good thing though. compound lifting isn't a race or a speed-driven thing. it's about precision and timing more iyam. so it's actually good to take each rep individually and do the bracing all over again with each one. like i said, if you like doing deadlifts, why speed your way through it?

    **idk though. maybe you don't, but you look plenty strong to me so i just assume that you do**

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