My deadlift form is sloppy on the way down.

[ItzYerBoy]

Doing SS. Currently squatting 245 for 3 sets of 5 with excellent form.

However, deadlifts are a different story. I can lift it perfectly, but going down is where I seem to be having trouble. It's like it's too much weight to control. I was doing great at both at first, but as the weight got heavier, it became impossible to control it as smoothly on the way down. This has brought my linear progression to a halt, on this ONE exercise. I'm stuck at 195x5. Any heavier, and form on the way down becomes sloppy.

Squatting 245 and deadlifting only 195 is pissing me off. So my question is, is it a bad thing that I can't control the weight as smoothly on the way down? Is that supposed to happen as the weight gets heavier? Or is my back just stupid? (I've never had an especially strong back)

[ironwill2008]

(I've never had an especially strong back)

^^^^ This is likely to be your problem.

The only way to get stronger is to work for progression while maintaining good form.

If you think your Deadlift form might be off, post a vid from the side of you performing a set at your regular working weight.

[ItzYerBoy]

^^^^ This is likely to be your problem.

The only way to get stronger is to work for progression while maintaining good form.

If you think your Deadlift form might be off, post a vid from the side of you performing a set at your regular working weight.

Okay, I don't do deadlifts again until Monday, so it will be a few days.

[rokkyhun]

You should do it in the perfect way correctly balanced till the end of each rep you do. Don't care about the weight. First Hit the from then go for the heavier weights! Your must maintain your speed while you are lifting and way-down.
CHEERS!!!

[deadliftdang]

Definitely post a video.

[lee__d]

A video would be nice. But the deadlift is probably going to be the least controlled eccentric of any lift. No sense doing it super slowly as it just gets dangerous the more fatigued you become.

[nradam123]

I am lifting far less than you, but i guess i should tell how i fixed this issue for me

Push with your legs on the way up and on the way down. The only reason why i had a bad eccentric was because i was pushing with my legs on the way up, but i relaxed my legs on the way down. This will engage too much force on the upper body or lumbar spine (and less on the legs) and the imbalance destroyed my form in the way down.

Just try to push with the legs (which will engage the legs) in the eccentric also and you should be better.

Try it and see how it goes.

Also, a video will help.

[ffguitarist14]

Vid would definitely help. But try to think about reversing your form from the way up...assuming you deadlift properly and arent grinding out a rep. Keep the bar close to your body and let the bar follow your body all the way from your thigh, past the knee and to the ground.

[ItzYerBoy]

Okay, guys. Took these vids friday but I'm just now getting an opportunity to post them.

Here's me squatting 240x5. While there's probably something you can nitpick about them, you'll notice how good I am at these compared to deadlifts, even though they're 45 lbs heavier.


Next, here's two dealift videos. The first one is a warmup set (165x2) In which I am pretty sure my form is good, except for two things. Number one, It looks like I'm not locking out completely at the top. It's not an issue, it's something I can definitely handle with that weight, I guess I'm just in too big of a hurry to go down or something. And number two, I keep lifting my toes off the ground. I'm in conscious control of that every time I do it, (just a goofy little thing I do that I thought was harmless until now). I just never realized how bad it was until I watched these videos.


On this one, I'm embarrassed about that last rep. I promise that's never happened to me before. It probably has something to do with lifting my toes up. Anyway, for the first 4 reps, it probably looks like my form on the way down is about the same as that in the above video. But trust me, while it may not look that way, I can FEEL a difference. I can't go as far down without bending my knees with the higher weight.


I'm interested in hearing constructive feed back from all of you!

[ricknadell]

Okay, guys. Took these vids friday but I'm just now getting an opportunity to post them.

Here's me squatting 240x5. While there's probably something you can nitpick about them, you'll notice how good I am at these compared to deadlifts, even though they're 45 lbs heavier.


Next, here's two dealift videos. The first one is a warmup set (165x2) In which I am pretty sure my form is good, except for two things. Number one, It looks like I'm not locking out completely at the top. It's not an issue, it's something I can definitely handle with that weight, I guess I'm just in too big of a hurry to go down or something. And number two, I keep lifting my toes off the ground. I'm in conscious control of that every time I do it, (just a goofy little thing I do that I thought was harmless until now). I just never realized how bad it was until I watched these videos.


On this one, I'm embarrassed about that last rep. I promise that's never happened to me before. It probably has something to do with lifting my toes up. Anyway, for the first 4 reps, it probably looks like my form on the way down is about the same as that in the above video. But trust me, while it may not look that way, I can FEEL a difference. I can't go as far down without bending my knees with the higher weight.


I'm interested in hearing constructive feed back from all of you!

You're tight! I can't tell from the video if its your hips or ankles but you're lumbar is definitely in flexion before you even begin the lift. Ankle rocks and/or some half-kneeling hip mobility should def help with that. You have an anterior tilt at the top of your deadlift as well - something common in hockey players(I don't know if you play hockey or not, just a fun fact). By the very definition of having a tight hips you'll have a weak back (cross pelvic syndrome).

Also, why are you using a belt(just curious)? I've never had my athletes wear one nor have I ever worn one (my deadlift is in the low 400's and my best athletes is in the mid-500s). Is it a back pain issue? I'm willing to bet the belt is contributing to your weak back and incorrect form.

[ItzYerBoy]

There must be something else I'm not doing right one the way down as well. If you notice, the bar is not moving in a straight, vertical path. It is on the way up, but on the way down there is an obvious shift of the bar a couple inches to the right of the screen, then it goes back to the left. I'm not sure what is causing this, however, because as far as I can tell I'm doing it just like the book told me.

[ItzYerBoy]

Also, why are you using a belt(just curious)? I've never had my athletes wear one nor have I ever worn one (my deadlift is in the low 400's and my best athletes is in the mid-500s). Is it a back pain issue? I'm willing to bet the belt is contributing to your weak back and incorrect form.

Because Mark Rippetoe said to use one whenever weight got too heavy to lift without one. And on squats, I would definitely not be able to lift that much with good form without a belt.

[ungeheur]

The belt is probably what's screwing you over. Ive tried using a belt with 400+ lbs but I couldn't keep my form with it, so I just stopped using it. It just felt extremely uncomfortable. The only reason I used it was because I got a it for Christmas and wanted to test it out.

[ricknadell]

There must be something else I'm not doing right one the way down as well. If you notice, the bar is not moving in a straight, vertical path. It is on the way up, but on the way down there is an obvious shift of the bar a couple inches to the right of the screen, then it goes back to the left. I'm not sure what is causing this, however, because as far as I can tell I'm doing it just like the book told me.

Thats a pretty standard RDL component of the downphase of deadlift. Nothing to worry about

[ItzYerBoy]

Thanks, guys. Is there anything you want to say about my squats? I know I probably should have got my feet in the vid, but is there anything you see wrong with them in that vid?

[TheMufasa]

There must be something else I'm not doing right one the way down as well. If you notice, the bar is not moving in a straight, vertical path. It is on the way up, but on the way down there is an obvious shift of the bar a couple inches to the right of the screen, then it goes back to the left. I'm not sure what is causing this, however, because as far as I can tell I'm doing it just like the book told me.

You lift the weight correctly. You straiten your knees as you bring your torso up.

But when you are going down, you bend at your hips and lower your chest before you bend your knees. The form on the way down should look like the form on the way up.

Shouldn't use a belt either but that's a different story.