and on a side note, I still have the issue of having both my squat/deadlift be relatively similar in weight, is there any major weak points that can be identified from this video?
You have the bar too far back on your foot on the first rep. First thing you do is push it out to where it wants to be given your set of body angles and then you initiate the break from the floor. Very inefficient and will impact a heavy single tremendously. This error in initial bar placement is further validated by reps 2 and 3 where you have the bar where it belongs.
(Your ass may be too low but I’m having a hard time picking up on your angles due to the camera position. Can’t tell what is real, what is distortion through projection. The more to the front and the lower the camera, the more vertical you look. When one’s ass is too low there are two extremes: you fall over backwards or you will need the bar out front more and your knees go into the next room . Ass too low also takes the lats out of the lift like immediately.)
Please don’t throw your head back. You are strongest when you sport your spine as it was designed to be sported. Others believe otherwise. I trust that I am right.
Use collars. When the plates get all angled, separated and displaced, the weight starts to get heavier on the most goofed up side and you tip. When you are getting fatigued, even a 2.5 pound center of mass shift can be enough to tip the bar and eat a rep.
Maybe a new angle, camera on a chair?
Anyway, good luck, have fun.
Once you get to around your knees, or lockout range you need to be more aggressively pushing your hips through to finish the movement. You are basically just doing a back extension to finish the lift.
It could be the camera angle like Emskee says but I’d say your shins look too far off vertical and your hips are too low.
Try starting with the bar an inch or so further away. I’d also suggest not cranking you head way back before you pull. Look slightly down, where the wall and floor meet is usually a reference point.
I’ll try to get a better recording of my next deadlift session and I’ll try to keep the cues in mind.
Tried looking down and starting with the bar in a better position(mid foot). As you can see from the video, I failed pretty darn miserably and I kept trying to look up even though I know I shouldn’t. Should’ve been able to do it for 5 but only got 3 reps and had to take a break before attempting the next 2.
Much better angle. Shins are definitely off vertical. I usually say drop to the bar by sticking your butt behind you until you can grip the bar - that usually helps keep your shins straight and put your hips exactly where they need to be.
Also, try taking your air before you grip the bar and then pulling as soon as you grip it. That helped me heaps. Just grip it and stand up with your chest high.
I don’t like the idea of pushing sets until you miss. Missing ingrains bad habits, is mentally and psychologically draining, and can mess with your head too.
^ I agree. Don’t live and die by the numbers of each training session. You’ll understand eventually that a rep in training utilizing the correct mechanics and muscle groups will provide the best carryover to a 1RM. Once you get to the point of failure, the weak muscles begin to shut down and the strong muscles take over but they too can get taxed hard if you keep pushing. This can become a repetitive cycle.
Get that glute strength up and make sure it’s being used in every rep.
[quote]lift206 wrote:
^ I agree. Don’t live and die by the numbers of each training session. You’ll understand eventually that a rep in training utilizing the correct mechanics and muscle groups will provide the best carryover to a 1RM. Once you get to the point of failure, the weak muscles begin to shut down and the strong muscles take over but they too can get taxed hard if you keep pushing. This can become a repetitive cycle.
Get that glute strength up and make sure it’s being used in every rep.[/quote]
Is there an obvious weakness in my glutes? If such is the case, should I add any specific assistance exercises to correct said weakness?
Vertical shins are not for everyone. Having the knees between the forearms is okay. I do that. 
Vertical shins works for some folks but you might not be some folks. Your first rep looked good. After that you went insane.
Definitely accept the advice above to only perform successful reps and not beat yourself into oblivion.
Also take the above breathing advice seriously.
Stop throwing your head back. You do not pull from the back of your head, you pull from the top of your thoracic spine!!! Change your imagery.
You need a lot of practice setting up correctly and giving it hell. Sometimes, sets for reps changes the subject enough to make it stop resembling powerlifting. Deadlift is both an exercise AND an event. You need to train both.
Have you considered singles training? Forces you to hate the clock, practice the approach, practice setting up, practice breathing, practice grasping, practice pulling like hell, practice GETTING AWAY FROM THE BAR. Needn’t be the entirety of your DL training action, but putting something on the bar and pulling 15 - 20 singles in short order trains the event, that is, the single pull.
[quote]Benanything wrote:
Is there an obvious weakness in my glutes? If such is the case, should I add any specific assistance exercises to correct said weakness?
[/quote]
Deadlifts work the glutes. As do squats.
And then there is a bunch of fancy stuff.
The first rep in the new video looked good. Just keep at it with sub max weight and groove that technique.
Your glutes help maintain hip position and using your abs, erectors and lats correctly helps the torso remain fixed to that hip position (the lower spine remains rigid). This is where people use the “push the knees” out cue to stabilize their hips.
The glutes are also very powerful in locking out a lift. The hams do most of the work for the beginning of hip extension but as the hip angle opens up and gets close to lockout, the glutes are in a more advantageous position to do most of the work. It should be a gradual transition.
Like everyone said, your first rep looked good. Just make sure to use those glutes in every rep. When you go to failure, you stop using the glutes correctly and that shouldn’t become a habit. It’s fine to target that weakness with assistance work but it’s more important to use it correctly when doing the main lift.
Sumo Deadlift 120kgs x 2
Sumo Deadlift 140kgs x 1, hesitated a shit load, never tried this weight before, previously only went up to 125kgs.
Sumo Deadlift 140kgs x 1
Deadlift 140kgs x 1
When doing sumo, get your chest up and back - it’s too far forward. Opening the knees might help.
The conventional looks better than before. It looks like you were able to stay tight after initiating the lift whereas before you got loose when rushing to pull.
Its looking better man. Good work.
130kgs x 2, conventional, felt pretty heavy
130kgs x 2, the next set, sumo, felt somewhat easier though it looked as if i was just pulling conventional with a wider stance. trying to get my chest up but it ain’t working. Where should I look when sumo deadlifting?
The conventional looks a lot better. Good job in staying tight and maintaining a neutral head position. It won’t feel so heavy in a month or two.
Lower the weights for sumo and get more practice with good form. You need to get a lot tighter. You aren’t used to opening your hips and engaging your glutes while keeping your torso tight. All that will do is shift the load to your lower back and hams and less to your abs, glutes and quads. You need to use all these muscles to maintain good position. When opening up your knees you should feel tension in your outside glutes and hip flexors. Keep a neutral head position like your conventional lift. Sometimes I don’t even focus on a spot to look at if it means my head will move out of position. Where you look shouldn’t affect the ability to hold that neutral spine. That’s why a mirror isn’t always useful. Keep at it with sumo because getting it right will help you squat correctly too.