Bar Weight Feels Different Depending on Bar Speed

Hey guys, I’m a noob that’s been lifting for like 5 months. My working weight for deadlifts is currently 315 lb for 3x3. Anyways, I was doing this weight today, and I noticed how I begin each rep decides how heavy the bar feels. For instance when I set up (i do conventional) and I slowly take the slack out of the bar and start the pull with good form, the bar usually feels really heavy. But when I focus on being explosive and just trying to get the weight up as fast as possible, the weight almost feels 2x lighter. Is this just mental? I mean it’s the same weight, just the bar speed is the only thing that changes. I guess my question is why would faster deadlifts feel lighter than slower ones?

Thanks guys

Sorry I probably didn’t explain it very good. What I am trying to say is when I take my time and load my hips, take the slack out of the bar and then pull, the weight seems to move more slowly and feels heavier. But when I get tight before and I even go down and grab the bar, then I just focus all my energy on ripping the bar off the floor, the weight feels a lot lighter and moves way faster. I am not saying I am doing “grip and rip”, and my form is basically the same doing it both ways. Just moving the weight slower, makes the lift feel a lot heavier than being explosive. I hope this makes some sense.

That’s kind of a ‘no shit’ statement. The slower you lift, the heavier it feels. Also with DL until you’ve really grooved your setup, extra time at the bar saps energy a bunch.

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Ok, I know the statement seems kind of obvious, but I tend to squat fairly slow and bench slow and it doesn’t feel any heavier. That’s why I was just wondering why the dead lift feels heavier when you do it slow.

What I’m confused by is why you would execute ANY lift slowly.

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Jeez powerlifters with their limited bodybuilding knowledge… Time under tension! You want that fragile spine horizontal to the ground for as long as possible with big weight in the hands so you get them lower back gainzzz! I personally set up my deads so the bar is a foot away from my shins and do a 12 second lift with a 14.5 second Eccentric just so I feel that back burn. I’ve only had 8 minor disc bulges doing it that way :wink:

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Lolz @Irishman92

I get tempo training, but as a beginner it’s a bad idea and so far what OP has described doesn’t sound like tempo training.

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I think your original post actually answered my question, I think I’ve been spending too much time setting up my dead lift, and that might be what makes it feel heavier. Because when I focus on speed, I just walk up straight to the bar and bend down and grab it and pull right away, but it tends to feel heavier when I try to get my set up perfect and spend time adjusting my foot position and grip on the bar.