Deadlift form...what to do.

[Trauma5951]

I am having trouble perfecting my deadlift form.

No matter how i do it, i mentally just cant make the first rep first. I try really hard to concentrate on "Pushing the floor away" and powering it up from the legs but i cant stop rounding my back.

After my first rep i am able to correct it for the most part... but that first rep always makes me worried i am going to hurt myself one day.

I can do it fine with 135 lbs, but when i up the weight to 225 it gets sketchy... I can deadlift 300 with a really round back lol. (easily)

Should i really lower the weight that much and work back up to get form right? I know its a bit of an ego thing at that point for me to do it.

Is my back too rounded for all the reps? I obviously am better going down then up form wise... shins currently bleeding lol.

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...eadlift235.mp4

[Mr._Happy]

Your shoulders are WAY too far behind the bar. It seems like your trying to ensure that you don't use your lower back at all, but the deadlift requires that you do.



Judging from how you're putting the bar down, you may be overthinking the lift.

[chazzy1864]

agreed with the above. You are too hell bent on keeping hte bar next to the body. That looks liek the most awkwardly performed deadlift I've ever seen.


Start here, and read through the whole thread. Lots of answers to be found:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112127931

[Beachman]

Are you trying to hyper-extened your knees? Lower the weight and get your form worked out.

Good luck!

[Bantropic]

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...eadlift235.mp4

I agree with the others.

You need to be 'over the bar' more at the beginning of the lift (and in general, when at the base of the deadlift). While it's important that you are aware of how the lift is performed, remember there is a "paralysis by analysis" stage, where overthinking will hinder the fluency of the lift.

Beyond keeping your back set at all times, think merely in terms of the actions performed by the hips/knees. While the bar should be kept close to the body, you should initally ascend mostly from knee extension, until the bar reaches knee height, whereby hip extension primarily occurs - (though of course, both joints change concurrently, but at different rates during different stages of the lift).

[Trauma5951]

so, the original lift off the floor comes from the legs or back?

[Mr._Happy]

so, the original lift off the floor comes from the legs or back?

I'd say both. You want to drive with your legs initially, but it's not as if the first part of the lift is 90+% legs, and then it suddenly transitions to being 90% back.

[chazzy1864]

What Happy said.


Read the link I provided you. Absorb it, then reshoot a video. Right now there are too many issues with your form for us to give a solid critique.

[turkey_server]

so, the original lift off the floor comes from the legs or back?

The back never moves anything. It simply stays in extension.

[ninjaneer]

i'm not an expert on deadlifts, but it also looks like you're not completely deloading the weight. doing more of a touch and go. i like to deload and reset. let the weight completely rest on the floor.

[DJAuto]

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1582703
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1588392
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1607555

[Vitruvian]

Probably already said but I didn't read through. Sorry:

You start the lift with shoulders rounded forward, which is the setup for a poor form deadlift. Pinch shoulder blades together and lock them in place, stick your chest out, lower your ass a little more and power it up If anything it's lack of awareness and/or a middle back weakness causing the form issue IMO.

[christos_swc]

Lower/mid back cannot support the weight his legs can push up so it rounds.
I suggest lowering the weights to what can be lifted with no sacrifice in form whatsoever up to the last rep of the exercise.

[DanielBeauchamp]

Shoulders are too far behind the bar; which means you have to round yous back just to grab the bar.

Your Set-up is probably not right. Walk us through how you normally set-up for your pull.

[Ironlife]

That just didnt look right.. WHat happy, chaz, dj, nik,dan,and all above said^

[cameron0106]

As has already been said, your shoulders are to far back at the beginning of the movement. When you set up, your shoulder blades should be directly above the bar.

Focus on pulling your shoulder blades together. As was already said, your shoulders are to rounded.

You might need to work on upper back strength. Focus on bent-over rows.

The legs initiate the movement. Keep in mind that this is a hip extension movement. The angle of your back should remain constant until the bar passes the knees.

[boathead]

so, the original lift off the floor comes from the legs or back?

legs.

only once the bar comes to about knee level does the back take over. of course with deads, at any given point in the dead other muscles are assisting. so, you'd have some back help initially, but primarily leg. maybe 75% or more.

what struck me when watching the video is that you are not using enough legs at the start of the move. get your ass down, head up. keep ass down until the bar crosses the knees, at which point your ass needs to move horizontally.

[MDPower75]

Pinch shoulder blades together and lock them in place, stick your chest out, lower your ass a little more and power it up If anything it's lack of awareness and/or a middle back weakness causing the form issue IMO.

Agreed!

Lower/mid back cannot support the weight his legs can push up so it rounds.

Agreed!

Shoulders are too far behind the bar; which means you have to round yous back just to grab the bar.

I don't agree. Sorry, to be the voice of opposition. Perhaps they are a little behind the bar, but not a lot. I'd much rather have your shoulders slightly behind the bar than in front of the bar.

what struck me when watching the video is that you are not using enough legs at the start of the move. get your ass down, head up. keep ass down until the bar crosses the knees, at which point your ass needs to move horizontally.

Agreed.

It looks to me like a combination of not getting your ass down, not driving enough through the heels, and a weak mid-back.

[DanielBeauchamp]

I don't agree. Sorry, to be the voice of opposition. Perhaps they are a little behind the bar, but not a lot. I'd much rather have your shoulders slightly behind the bar than in front of the bar.

They should be over the bar; not behind it or in front of it.

[MDPower75]

They should be over the bar; not behind it or in front of it.

Yep. But, if they're going to be off I'd rather them be behind the bar.

[turkey_server]

Yep. But, if they're going to be off I'd rather them be behind the bar.

Then apparently you'd rather the bar never even leave the ground. In any heavy pull the shoulders will be in front of the bar, with the bar hanging directly below the scapulae.

[MDPower75]

Then apparently you'd rather the bar never even leave the ground. In any heavy pull the shoulders will be in front of the bar, with the bar hanging directly below the scapulae.

They should be over the bar; not behind it or in front of it.

You two young 'uns go get a room and figure out which one of you is right. I'll be in the gym hitting PR's! The OP's issues don't have nearly as much to do with his shoulder position as they do with his weak back, and high ass.

[DanielBeauchamp]

You two young 'uns go get a room and figure out which one of you is right. I'll be in the gym hitting PR's! The OP's issues don't have nearly as much to do with his shoulder position as they do with his weak back, and high ass.

I figured the reason his back rounded in his set-up was because he had to round just to reach the weight; given the position of his shoulders.

And just wtf are you on about anyway? I'm hitting PR's just fine, thank you.

[TBU720]

It looks like this is a pupil of the "drag the barbell along your legs" school. That phrase mislead me on my deadlift for awhile aswell.

First of all, I cant believe nobody said this yet...but you need to get that barbell on the floor. The plates should be sitting flat on the floor, not with some separation like that.

Secondly, approach the barbell, look down. The bar should be cutting your feet in half. Squat down. Your ass should be almost as low as your knees. And your knees will end up going forward almost over the bar.

I cant see how wide your grip is but you might need to widen it a tiny bit.

[taffer]

I say you also have to move the bar in a straight path, it looks like you are zig zaging the bar!

[piratepower]

Couple suggestions -

Try starting with the bar over the toes instead of right up against the shin. Bar position over the feet depends on proportions and the angle of the torso from the ground, just make sure the scapula (not the front delts) remains over the bar.

It looks as though you're not really pivoting with your hips, and are instead trying to bend with your back and keep it straight. After getting your foot position set up, grab the bar and go into a position as if you were at the bottom of a parallel squat. From that position, keeping that same back tightness, bring your ass up about 6", so that your torso is about a 30 degree angle from the ground.

Last thing - keep your neck in line with your spine! I felt like I was going to watch your cervical vertebrae snap a couple of times.

[MDPower75]

And just wtf are you on about anyway?

Sorry, I'm pissed because I just missed 505 in a meet because my shoulders were too far in front of the weight. I'm having to rework my deadlift form to get my shoulders further back and it's taking lbs. off of the lift. But, I'm getting the weight back and pulled 515 yesterday (w/ reverse bands). I was simply hesitant to tell someone to put there shoulders further forward when it's caused me to have to rework my form. In the OP's case it's probably good advice, but I still don't think it's the main reason for his flexi-spine!

[XXX666]

your upper body is too far behind the bar.

you want your shoulders to be over top of the weight for the majority of the lift