Form Check and more – Newbie Deadlifts

[ChriTi]

Hi there, a total beginner here.
I’ve been lifting for about four months now and overall everything is going pretty well. I am losing weight and gaining strength both in significant numbers if I may add, so I am becoming more and more excited about lifting.
In the beginning I was holding off on the deadlift as I had/still don’t have no clue how to do it properly and I am slightly worried I may injure myself. Recently I’ve decided to get going on the deadlift. My numbers are increasing fast, but I’ve have some difficulties setting up with a flat back. I can’t afford a personal trainer and the majority of people in my gym don’t even deadlift, so I feel like I need to coach myself to my best ability for now. The main issue doing so is I have no proper understanding of what is going on in my lower and upper back. I actually thought my back was neutral when I did the working sets in the video, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.



The video also features my DL PR of 120kg. The bar moves quite fast and I am sure I can pull quite a bit more, but as I already mentioned I am worried I may injure myself.
How should I proceed? Oh and by the way, should I get a belt? If so when should/shouldn’t I use it?
Please share your wisdom and feel free to critique away on the footage!

TLDR:
I need some tips on how to keep my back more neutral and whatever else I am doing wrong. Also how to I improve my form on the deadlift without a proper training partner or coach giving direct feedback to my lift. Thanks a lot in advance

[Partyrocking]

Posting your form for feedback is a good way to improve w/o a coach, so you're on the right track.

You're hyper-extending at the lockout. Your shoulders are way behind your glutes. At the end of the lift, you want your body to be aligned.

[ChriTi]

Thanks a lot. I really fail at this I was aware of this allready so during warm up I was practicing squeezing my glutes instead of hyperextending my back. However with weight on the bar I can't really feel where the lockout position is, so I overcompensate in order to feel like I truly completed the lift. I hope that makes sense. I am not sure how to get better awareness regarding the lock out position. Any tips?

[Partyrocking]

A lot of people hyperextend, probably for the same reasons.

You just have to learn what a good rep feels like and repeat that until it feels natural. Imagine a perfect rep before you lift. Tell yourself that you will lock out the rep. You may have to fake the confidence until you build it.

[FarmerBrain]

In addition to ^^^^ I would also try and get your back flatter through the whole range of motion (seems like your upper back is rounded). Try to keep your chest up like you are try to have someone in front of you read a slogan on your shirt. Also ensure you are bracing your core to prevent your chest from collapsing.

[cmacken]

Weight looks like it is travelling to your toes on your working set. This is probably the result of your setup for the working set/the fact that you are doing touch and go reps. Make sure you are setting the weight down and pulling from a dead lift. I am not saying that touch and go is bad, but I do see form breakdown in your case. On the picture attached the left is a working set rep, and the right is your PR rep. Note your back shape and how far your shoulders are over the bar.

[ChriTi]

Thank you. I will try this cue next time and see if I can get some video so I know if that's doing the trick. Great.

[ChriTi]

Waow the picture really makes it clear how bad my form is. I will absolutely force myself to reset every rep next time. I get quite winded doing deadlift so I am tempted to rush through a set rather than doing it calm and focused. This is really great. I appreciate the feedback.

[ChriTi]

...On the picture attached the left is a working set rep, and the right is your PR rep. Note your back shape and how far your shoulders are over the bar.

I must admit I am slightly confused about the shoulder in relation to bar positioning. What should it look like. To me the bar path looks somewhat decent on the way up in the PR rep does it mean I am setting my shoulders in the right position right there?

[davik]

Body awareness comes with time, watch this though

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aXfOdvd-sJ0

Stop doing 1rm attempts, especially with only 4 months training. You dont know how to do a max attempt safely. Even if you do it safely whats the point outside of powerlifting? You can calculate a 1rm from a working set

[magician27]

as mentioned, you are too far ahead of bar, you are not using much hip hinge, and that hyperextension is pointless, thats not making your glutes&hamstrings&erectors contract and harder, just putting you at risk for injury. stay behind the bar, use your lats to tighten your back, before even pulling the bar, all muscles on your body should be pretty much contracted

[ChriTi]

Body awareness comes with time, watch this though



Stop doing 1rm attempts, especially with only 4 months training. You dont know how to do a max attempt safely. Even if you do it safely whats the point outside of powerlifting? You can calculate a 1rm from a working set

Thank you. Love Mark's insensitive cue So what I basically take away from this is to warm up and prime the muscle before even going near the bar. I will definitely do that next time. I know I shouldn't do 1 rm and I am not planning on doing good it again any time soon. It was just a simple motivational thing I couldn't stay away from.

[ChriTi]

Thanks for all the input. So after trying to fix my form and really concentrating on my upper and lower back, i am pretty sure i've got some underlying issues with muscle imbalances and mobility. To combat these things i will stop doing deadlift and focus on RDL and more lower back exercises. Furthermore i am planning on doing a hole lot of mobility work as i poor/no mobility in my thoracic spine. Hopefully this will help and i'll have an other go at propper DL in a couple of months.

[am1991]

If you want to improve form on DL why would you stop doing them? Lower the weight some and keep practicing the form.

[ChriTi]

If you want to improve form on DL why would you stop doing them? Lower the weight some and keep practicing the form.

Because by the looks of it I am physically unable to do it with propper form. Even without weight. I have mobility and flexibility issues. After i started this thread i've tried to work on my deadlift with the help of a friend to get instant feedback , but i figured out i just cant get proper lumbar and thoracic extension when bent over more then a few degrees. So my thought was while i work on those issues i can at least do some RDL's and slowly extend the range as i slowly gain more mobility in my back. I am going about this wrong?

[Garage Rat]

A couple tips.
Another poster already mentioned the leaning back issue.
You only need to stand tall in a straight line at the top of the lift.
Be tight,squeeze those glutes and the bar when pulling to create more tension.
Tension=strength.
The other thing is i would not do touch and go reps.
I would stop every rep on the floor so you can set up and get solid on each and every rep.
You don't need to let go of the bar just get in a good tight position on each rep.
This much safer than doing touch and go reps wear the form will start to go the more reps you do.