MFP woman deadlifting 185lbs...

Rae6503
Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
So I took these videos for form checks. I do think I need to work on some things. I might be rounding my back a little at the bottom of the deadlifts, and I might be leaning a touch too far forward on my squats. The bar should stay above the middle of my foot and I think it's going a bit up to the toe at times.

However, I thought I'd post them here to help any ladies who might be afraid of the "big" lifts. That's 185lbs on deadlifts, and 120lbs on squats.

http://youtu.be/oG78rvuVc74

http://youtu.be/yjBohR3kuys
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Replies

  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    Bad *kitten*!!!
  • lisaisso
    lisaisso Posts: 337 Member
    first off, you rock!
    secondly, regarding your deads, i think one of the best lifts was the very last one whre you lifted and then racked it. i can see the rounding in almost every other lift.. i know that it is common and quite natural for your upper back to curve on the heavier weights, but not so on your lower back.. what helps me is i tell myself, look up, shoulders down, chest up. these positions will naturally keep your back in the proper form thru out the entire lift..
    i hope you don't think i'm being too critical :love:
    other than that, total fierceness.
  • EbbySoo
    EbbySoo Posts: 267 Member
    first off, you rock!
    secondly, regarding your deads, i think one of the best lifts was the very last one whre you lifted and then racked it. i can see the rounding in almost every other lift.. i know that it is common and quite natural for your upper back to curve on the heavier weights, but not so on your lower back.. what helps me is i tell myself, look up, shoulders down, chest up. these positions will naturally keep your back in the proper form thru out the entire lift..
    i hope you don't think i'm being too critical :love:
    other than that, total fierceness.

    Not too critical, it's a good observation and will save a lot of heart ache if you have to take lifting breaks. Great job Rae, your making so much progress!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Yeah, I saw the rounding too for sure. I was thinking the second one might have been okay but the rest had a touch of rounding. I need to be more careful.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    I would say that you may want to get your butt a bit lower to start the lift, and start the upward movement with your shoulders. Pretend you have a line around your waist pulling your hips forward. You may want to deload just a bit to work on the form stuff and come back up to 185.

    All in all, very nice!!! Extremely impressive weight!
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    Oh, and on your squats, throw your butt back a bit further. Your knees should, at most, come just a hair past your toes. This may force you to bend your torso over a hair further to keep the bar squared over your feet, but that's ok.
  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
    omigosh - you look so big and beefy and...manly!!!

    kidding.

    i can't offer any feedback - just wanted to say you rock my socks! well done!
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    How do people hold the bar? I wear size small gloves, I have tiny hands and I can't grip the bar for deadlifts. It makes me feel lopsided because I can squat more than my body weight and can only deadlift about half what I can squat! I can't feel deadlifts in my back at all, it just hurts my hands. I've been trying higher weights lower reps because I can usually do 3-5 before I completely lose my grip, but I'm frustrated with a lack of progress. I have lifting gloves and they help with everything except deadlifts. I thought about getting grips, but it seems like cheating and I would rather just build up the grip strength to do deadlifts without grips.

    Suggestions?

    Also, sorry for hijacking your thread! It's great to see women lifting heavy! I smile every time a guy doesn't rerack his squat weights and I have to add weight for mine :)
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    I'd like to point out that you could deadlift me. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
  • mahidac
    mahidac Posts: 126 Member
    love it!

    I wish more people could experience the joy of DLing - keep going big!
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    Beautiful.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Nice job on 185x5. That's strong.

    Deads didn't look too bad. your shoulders looked a little in front of the bar, but it looked like you were keeping the weight against your shins, so it seems alright.
    I like to come on back a little further and lock mine out a bit to make sure I'm getting the full lift, but thats your call.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    No advice really, you're just a frucking bad *kitten*.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    Can't see the vids but great job! That is a great accomplishment!
  • mamitosami
    mamitosami Posts: 531 Member
    YOU ROCK RAE!!!! I cannot believe the progress you've made... amazing!!!
    How do people hold the bar? I wear size small gloves, I have tiny hands and I can't grip the bar for deadlifts. It makes me feel lopsided because I can squat more than my body weight and can only deadlift about half what I can squat! I can't feel deadlifts in my back at all, it just hurts my hands. I've been trying higher weights lower reps because I can usually do 3-5 before I completely lose my grip, but I'm frustrated with a lack of progress. I have lifting gloves and they help with everything except deadlifts. I thought about getting grips, but it seems like cheating and I would rather just build up the grip strength to do deadlifts without grips.

    Suggestions?

    Also, sorry for hijacking your thread! It's great to see women lifting heavy! I smile every time a guy doesn't rerack his squat weights and I have to add weight for mine :)

    Have you tried straps?
  • SqautsAndOats
    SqautsAndOats Posts: 65
    BUMPING so i can watch when i get home from work, youtube is blocked.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    I love you :)
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    NICELY DONE FIRST OFF!!

    I DL 185lbs as well. You def wanted to get your butt a little lower because you want your chest and head up which will keep you from rounding your back. Keep it up and remember Form over Reps.
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    How do people hold the bar? I wear size small gloves, I have tiny hands and I can't grip the bar for deadlifts. It makes me feel lopsided because I can squat more than my body weight and can only deadlift about half what I can squat! I can't feel deadlifts in my back at all, it just hurts my hands. I've been trying higher weights lower reps because I can usually do 3-5 before I completely lose my grip, but I'm frustrated with a lack of progress. I have lifting gloves and they help with everything except deadlifts. I thought about getting grips, but it seems like cheating and I would rather just build up the grip strength to do deadlifts without grips.

    Suggestions?

    Also, sorry for hijacking your thread! It's great to see women lifting heavy! I smile every time a guy doesn't rerack his squat weights and I have to add weight for mine :)

    To get the best grip on a DL you can do one hand over and one hand under. I use that when I rep out the high weight
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    My 1RM deadlift is 190+. I rep out 150 at 4 sets of 8 reps right now.

    Great job though. You already know this, but your back is definitely curved on the deads. I try to consciously think about flattening it when lifting, particularly such a heavy lift.

    Another thing, you might find you lift better with much different shoes. Those look like running shoes to me.. I'd get a pair of classic converse chucks as they have no padding and are supportive. Or I lift in Vibram Five Fingers a lot because there is nothing between me and the ground (next best thing to barefoot in a gym where that's not allowed).

    Great job lifting heavy!
  • wendyapple
    wendyapple Posts: 323 Member
    nice! and smart to film yourself for form! i'm inspired :)
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
    Nice Rae!!! Very inspiring for newbs like me :) You rock!!
  • szyja
    szyja Posts: 42
    Wow...that is so inspirational! I just started lifting! I can't wait to get to where you are! Keep it up! I have no advice...just wanted you to know that there are others out here cheering you on and totally inspired by you! Cheers to you! :drinker:
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
    I heart you Rae. This is most definitely bad *kitten*.

    For your deadlifts, I see the slight rounding of your back and I'd just recommend to drop your butt lower in the starting position (which is hard for us women, right?) and try to bring your shoulders back. When your shoulders stay back and your chest is out it is hard to round the back outward.
  • nutandbutter
    nutandbutter Posts: 447
    Nice! I would pull the bar in closer when doing deads and then drop your butt just a little more. It looked like you were reaching forward a little, which may cause some of that rounding. (Of course, I just switched to regular deads from SLDL's last week so I'm far from an expert)
  • nutandbutter
    nutandbutter Posts: 447
    How do people hold the bar? I wear size small gloves, I have tiny hands and I can't grip the bar for deadlifts. It makes me feel lopsided because I can squat more than my body weight and can only deadlift about half what I can squat! I can't feel deadlifts in my back at all, it just hurts my hands. I've been trying higher weights lower reps because I can usually do 3-5 before I completely lose my grip, but I'm frustrated with a lack of progress. I have lifting gloves and they help with everything except deadlifts. I thought about getting grips, but it seems like cheating and I would rather just build up the grip strength to do deadlifts without grips.

    Suggestions?

    Also, sorry for hijacking your thread! It's great to see women lifting heavy! I smile every time a guy doesn't rerack his squat weights and I have to add weight for mine :)

    I don't use gloves since they tend to make my hands slip more. If it's grip strength, you could do farmers walk. Are you releasing at the end of the lift and resetting your hands? That helps more than anything. I don't feel like I'm lifting heavy enough (just doing 145 lbs) to warrant straps and I would rather improve my weakest point (grip).
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Good work girl!

    I find that actually looking slightly upward helps a lot to keeping the back straight and kind of imagine someone tying a string to your tailbone pulling it back helps also. (yea, I'm weird)
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    firstly - great work on your DL - great numbers!
    My comment would be to keep your chest up and look forward when you are pulling. I noticed your best form was on pull 3, I watched you were leaning back into your heels and your toes came up. Have you thought about a mixed grip? I find I can pull more weight that way (my deadlift is 245)

    Same commentary for your back squat - chest up more, maybe by lowering the bar a little on your back so it sits less on your neck. I couldn't see what your knees were doing, but make sure you push those knees outward as drive yourself up, pushing through your heels.

    Awesomesauce <fist pump>
  • Taylerr88
    Taylerr88 Posts: 320 Member
    GJ awesome lifts. Not really going to say anything about the deads they looked pretty solid. minus the rounding of the lower back... also i suggest you get some long socks or pants when doing deads.. if your doing them correctly you will start to cut your shins pretty bad... and let me tell you.. takes a while to clean blood off the bar.. and people get kinda of angry..

    for squats... first thing i noticed was your head looking at the ground.. i forgot who said to do this? was it ripptoe ? i forget.. but try to stay away from look at the ground.. look up.. keeps the back and chest upright.. when you start to push even heavier weights.. if you are looking at the ground you will fall forward and get pinned under it or have to ditch the bar. body follows the head.. your knees also come way forward.

    if you havn't watched this then i strongly suggest you do... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkF9QD7oCIA

    Stay strong!
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    How do people hold the bar? I wear size small gloves, I have tiny hands and I can't grip the bar for deadlifts. It makes me feel lopsided because I can squat more than my body weight and can only deadlift about half what I can squat! I can't feel deadlifts in my back at all, it just hurts my hands. I've been trying higher weights lower reps because I can usually do 3-5 before I completely lose my grip, but I'm frustrated with a lack of progress. I have lifting gloves and they help with everything except deadlifts. I thought about getting grips, but it seems like cheating and I would rather just build up the grip strength to do deadlifts without grips.

    Suggestions?

    Also, sorry for hijacking your thread! It's great to see women lifting heavy! I smile every time a guy doesn't rerack his squat weights and I have to add weight for mine :)

    I don't use gloves since they tend to make my hands slip more. If it's grip strength, you could do farmers walk. Are you releasing at the end of the lift and resetting your hands? That helps more than anything. I don't feel like I'm lifting heavy enough (just doing 145 lbs) to warrant straps and I would rather improve my weakest point (grip).

    I'd only ever use straps for deads because of grip strength.. and I only use them in the last couple of sets if I can't hold on to the bar because dropping the weight is not acceptable at my gym. Can't wait to find a plays with more olympic lifting style or instruction / equipment. :)
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