Was tweaking my setup and learning from a bunch of videos. This is the best set up I’ve had, especially for a high weight.
What I noticed: Hyperextension on the reps: What I was thinking was just squeezing the glutes but I didn’t expect to hyperextend.
Form breakdown: either I didn’t set up as well (adductors were sore from a squat day), or it was really a weight issue. Weight done was 5kg below my 1RM.
Could really use some advice on training the weak areas but I just don’t really know where to focus on.
The second rep doesn’t look as bad, on the first one your knees unlock when you lean back at the top. Just stand upright, there is no need to lean back beyond what is necessary to keep your balance.
Your lower back is rounded throughout the whole movement. Either stop doing that, accept the fact that you will probably have a serious back injury, or try sumo if you can’t set up for conventional with a neutral spine.
I’m struggling to keep it straight. Even on my lightest set. I feel like I’m bracing very hard and I don’t feel my back taking the load. How should I correct this?
By setting up with a neutral spine and keeping it in that position. I don’t have a cue or magical exercise for you, there is nothing to it but to actually do it. It might require changing other things in your setup though. Look up Andy Bolton’s deadlift technique videos, the way he pulls (and recommends for others) has the shins vertical right from the start and a more stiff-legged position. Sure there are people who pull big weights with their knees over the bar at the start but it isn’t working for you so at the very least this would be worth a try.
Unless you are some kind of freak who can pull 500-600+ with no training and a rounded back I would really not advise you to pull like that. This is the reason why the average gym clowns say that deadlifts are bad for your back - they are if you don’t do them right.
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Check out Bolton’s tip #3 on head position at 1:44.
Keep your head in line with your back. Throwing your head back and looking at the ceiling could easily be causing your over- extension. Looking at the down at the ground as you set up could be causing your back to round.
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This is the video I was talking about.
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I felt that looking up actually helped me with the lockout but I’ll note what you said. I haven’t seen the video and I’ll watch and update with a new thread next week on my deadlift day.
Could it be a flexibility issue? I use the chest up approach and I pull when I feel like every thing is tight. So that setup is the tightest position for me.
I’d check out Alan Thralls deadlift video. They’re a dime a dozen, but his for some reason is what finally made it click for me.
My cue list is:
Get in position
Remove slack
Breath deep
Tense until I’m about to cramp
Think about moving ass straight up, don’t drop hips
What keeps my back neutral is breaking the weight slow, and about 3-5 inches off the ground I put some spit on it and try to leg press my fucking foundation into the ground. But the slow start up followed by the aggressive follow through seems to keep me from jerking, while keeping my back from loosening.
It doesn’t look like you are limited by flexibility. You have your hips low and closer to the bar, to get your back straight you would have to have your hips higher and probably further back. Your setup makes it easier to break the floor, but lockout will be easier with a flat back and you also have less chance of injuring yourself.
The problem a lot of people have with switching to pulling with a flat back is that they can’t pull as much at first. My question is how much can you pull with herniated discs.
Stiff leg deadlifts and/or RDLs (with a totally flat back) will help your deadlift, if you aren’t already doing them.
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Everyone is built a little different, so you might not look exactly like these pictures. But when the head/eyes goes up the back Extends. With the back over extended, it’s hard to push the hips through, and more difficult to use the legs and butt. So you end up using even More back extension, or hyper-extension.
If back hyper-extension makes your lockout easier…
Your hamstrings glutes and hips are behind. Do more hamstring and hip/butt work. Learn to drive the hips to finish.
I have to admit my back was rounder prior to this video. I think it has gotten a lot better but I have quite a bit to improve. The hips closer helped me with keeping my back straighter so I was experimenting with pushing the hips in, rather than just pulling. Cause having a higher hip led me to round instead, that was my previous form.
Thank you for the pictures they helped me understand better. I feel the same way as well, been doing quite a bit of RDL (program calls for it anyway) and it has benefited. Maybe I should do a cycle just purely for hamstrings after this. Just curious why is the 1st picture not acceptable. Isn’t a controlled upper back round harmless if kept tight, instead of the kind that collapses on liftoff.
It may be harmless 1, 2, 50 times. But the one time it isn’t is all it takes. Especially when you start talking about extreme loads. Every slight deviation could be catastrophic. Herniated disks don’t just unherniate. You’re kind of stuck with that.
I slight breakdown of form is expected on maximal loads, but for your grind, I’d strive for absolute perfection.
In the first picture dudes lower back is also rounded. You can see his butt almost turned under, or “winked.” This is causing his knees to push forward over the bar, shins leaning forward, not vertical. Tension comes off hamstrings and glutes and into mid back.
Bolton talks about shins, hips and back In the video.
This is a more exaggerated rounded lower back. And upper back.
They do heal, but in some cases it can be very serious. Look up cauda equine syndrome - loss of urinary, bowel, and sexual function. Fun times!
I had some pretty serious postural issues that stemmed from being slammed into my floor 3 times by a guy twice my size (glad I don’t drink heavily anymore, my body thanks me) so I tend to think all back injuries are critical lol. I know our spines aren’t made of glass, but that was the last time I’ll go through back pain if I can help it.
But good to know, I assumed it was like a fracture, healed, but always weaker afterwards.
Ah I see so the butt going under is a red flag for back rounding. That should help me when I’m accessing my form in future. I’m always focusing on the back itself and it always looks decent.
Learn what “neutral spine” means and do it. Slight extension in your neck is OK (despite what some online gurus claim) and Sheiko actually recommends it.
