Bruises from deadlifting??

AngelAura777
AngelAura777 Posts: 225 Member
edited December 19 in Fitness and Exercise
am I doing it wrong?? I have only recently started to lift heavy a few weeks ago and I have been watching videos like starting strength etc on form and Im trying to get the right form but I get a line of bruises down my legs from doing dead lifts. I was told at the gym that I must be doing it wrong and I shouldn't be getting bruises any ideas on what im doing wrong? I dont have anyone to check my form for me as I cant afford a personal trainer at the moment.

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Replies

  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
    It seems you are hitting your knees and shins alot. This generally happens with bad form. When you bring the bar back down from a lift, push your hips back FIRST and only bend your knees once the bar is pretty much at knee level. It is hard to understand first, so next time you do deadlifts just get a bar without weights and practise form for a little bit. For the shins, its hard to say, but the most common mistake is feet and leg positioning. The bar should be at the center of your feet and about shoulder lengths apart from each other. If your feet are too far apart then it will stress on your back, but if your feet are too close then your legs and knees will stick out when you bend, hence hitting them. ALSO when you bend to pick up the bar, make sure your hips are above knee level, this is a deadlift NOT a squat.

    Remember bend hips first, bring the bar down to knee level, then bend the knees. Always drop the bar to the ground and pick it from there. Feet shoulder length apart and bar above the centre of your feet. Hips above knee level when bending to pick up bar. BACK STRAIGHT.

    Also on a side note, it is not called a deadlift my dear, its a DREADLIFT!
  • vthetigercat
    vthetigercat Posts: 35 Member
    When I first started doing deadlifts several years ago, I saw some powerlifters in my gym doing them, and I asked them to help me with form. They weren't trainers, but they had great form and were happy to help me, joking that they'd make a power lifter out of me.

    And usually, you can ask anyone who works at your gym for assistance with form without a private session. They'll be happy to help too, because they don't really want people injuring themselves on their property.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    It is normally meant to be in contact with your legs at all times. It shouldn't really be banging into it.

    It does hurt though and can mark your legs up. I wear long pants for deadlifts. You can put on some long thick socks for a bit of extra padding as well. This comes from the knurling on the bar scraping my skin though, not that I'm crashing into it.

    The problem with form will come more if it hurts so much that you try to hold it away from you, so make sure you don't do that.

    Have a read at this... http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/51-2006_AnalysisofDeadlift.pdf
  • Golfin4fun
    Golfin4fun Posts: 19 Member
    bump
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    The most important thing about DLs is to keep your back arched
    If you are having trouble with swaying the bar back and forward, try a one arm overhand grip and one arm underhand grip. This helps stabilize the bar

    If you are on the tall side, your legs could be getting in the way. Take a wider stance, toes slightly out and grip the bar in a normal shoulder width area. This is more of a sumo deadlift
  • duckcall
    duckcall Posts: 4 Member
    Those are battle wounds and by the looks of it you are doing them right. Given a lot depends on how much you are rounding your back if at all. i sometimes wear shin guards when going heavy to protect my legs. So keep lifting heavy! Just make sure you aren't rounding that back.
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
    Those are battle wounds and by the looks of it you are doing them right. Given a lot depends on how much you are rounding your back if at all. i sometimes wear shin guards when going heavy to protect my legs. So keep lifting heavy! Just make sure you aren't rounding that back.

    not necessarily true, you can still do dreadlifts without getting any bruises or scabs. The fact that the bar is scraping (different from touching) your leg shows a very small amount of poor technique.
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
    The most important thing about DLs is to keep your back arched
    If you are having trouble with swaying the bar back and forward, try a one arm overhand grip and one arm underhand grip. This helps stabilize the bar

    If you are on the tall side, your legs could be getting in the way. Take a wider stance, toes slightly out and grip the bar in a normal shoulder width area. This is more of a sumo deadlift

    arched back... that isnt particularly good advice, as arched backs are prone to greater injury compared to straight back.
  • duckcall
    duckcall Posts: 4 Member
    Those are battle wounds and by the looks of it you are doing them right. Given a lot depends on how much you are rounding your back if at all. i sometimes wear shin guards when going heavy to protect my legs. So keep lifting heavy! Just make sure you aren't rounding that back.

    not necessarily true, you can still do dreadlifts without getting any bruises or scabs. The fact that the bar is scraping (different from touching) your leg shows a very small amount of poor technique.

    id love to hear how you can keep heavy weight away from your shins. This will be interesting as myself and the rest of the power lifting world would love to know.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Those are battle wounds and by the looks of it you are doing them right. Given a lot depends on how much you are rounding your back if at all. i sometimes wear shin guards when going heavy to protect my legs. So keep lifting heavy! Just make sure you aren't rounding that back.

    not necessarily true, you can still do dreadlifts without getting any bruises or scabs. The fact that the bar is scraping (different from touching) your leg shows a very small amount of poor technique.

    id love to hear how you can keep heavy weight away from your shins. This will be interesting as myself and the rest of the power lifting world would love to know.

    One of the better DL videos I've watched by EliteFTS has you setting up with the bar against your shins. You don't necessarily want the bar slamming into your shins but scratches and some bruising isn't all that uncommon.
  • jamaicanlady
    jamaicanlady Posts: 878 Member
    I read in "New Rules of Lifting" that one should wear sweats when doing deadlifts. Actually it reads "With heavy weights, you want to wear sweatpants when you deadlift. Otherwise, expect some scrapes on your shins."
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    The most important thing about DLs is to keep your back arched
    If you are having trouble with swaying the bar back and forward, try a one arm overhand grip and one arm underhand grip. This helps stabilize the bar

    If you are on the tall side, your legs could be getting in the way. Take a wider stance, toes slightly out and grip the bar in a normal shoulder width area. This is more of a sumo deadlift

    arched back... that isnt particularly good advice, as arched backs are prone to greater injury compared to straight back.

    You can slip a disc rounding the back. An arched back is anatomically correct posture. I don't know what you mean by "straight back". I think you might be thinking that I am suggesting to overarch (bending/shrugging back even more) at the top of the movement, which would be bad.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    My legs were a mess when I first started dreadlifting. Once you get better and better with form you will find yourself dragging the bar along your shins and thighs smoothly and not banging into them, causing the bruising. A little chalk or powder on the legs can reduce friction a bit too if that's your thing.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    arched lower back = good

    rounded lower back = not good.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    The most important thing about DLs is to keep your back arched
    If you are having trouble with swaying the bar back and forward, try a one arm overhand grip and one arm underhand grip. This helps stabilize the bar

    If you are on the tall side, your legs could be getting in the way. Take a wider stance, toes slightly out and grip the bar in a normal shoulder width area. This is more of a sumo deadlift

    arched back... that isnt particularly good advice, as arched backs are prone to greater injury compared to straight back.

    You can slip a disc rounding the back. An arched back is anatomically correct posture. I don't know what you mean by "straight back". I think you might be thinking that I am suggesting to overarch (bending/shrugging back even more) at the top of the movement, which would be bad.

    Agree. An arched back is not the same as over-extending your back which isn't good.
  • AngelAura777
    AngelAura777 Posts: 225 Member
    I have been lifting heavy for me because im trying to build strength I have been doing weight that I can handle in 5 reps I think my legs are too close and my back is getting at the wrong angle towards the end of my sets when I get tired thanks for the info il keep practising on my form! It doesn't hurt me at the time but when I get home its like whoa hello bruises! I was shown how to do deadlifts with dumbbells by a trainer but she didn't show me barbells even though I wanted to she said that was more advanced and hinting that I should pay for a personal trainer -_-
  • duckcall
    duckcall Posts: 4 Member
    If you can post a video of your deadlifts and i can help critique a little better.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    I can scrape up my shins doing deads, but usually in a timed workout. When I'm going at it slow and controlled, I keep the bar close to my legs, and don't allow the bar to bounce away from my body.

    Good on you for lifting heavy!
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