I think it important to keep in mind that everyones body is made differently. If you are at the beginning of your deadlifts and you have short arms, you are going to have a much different mechanical movement than someone with your exact dimensions but shorter arms, or a longer torso, etc… I deadlift a fair amount, but I think its important to know, the heavier you go, form suffers quite a bit. Cressey talked about this in one of this articles, how during competition people basically romanian dead the weight just because thats the only way the weight will go up. So, its not just competition weights that do this, theres a spectrum, and when you are lifting light you can do deadlifts pretty much anyway you want, (i.e. perfect).
But when the weight gets heavier form is sacrificed, often not in a way that is dangerous, but its just not technically great deadlift form. Now, I think if you are going to do a mechanically very solid deadlift with a heavy weight, dragging the bar up your shins will definitely make things easier on you.
I only drag the bar up my shins when it hurts my back more to keep the bar off them, than it does to just drag it up them. It gets to the point where its not even noticeable because my body is so thankful my back is being spared.
Everyone should know, Force times Moment Arm, the further the bar is from the shins, the further it is from your lower back, the people talking on here about doing it 2 inches from their shins, if they are going heavy are doing a SLDL/Deadlift hybrid.
Think, military presses with a bar. These are done close to your face because the natural path of the bar should go through your head. Obviously, not a problem with dumbells. That is why the trap bar was made, but if you are using a regular bar, keep the bar close.
eyup all
a newbie here, ive been training for around six months now but ive always considered myself quite strong? i`ve been a grafter all my life so it seems natural.
just deadlifted for the first time today and worked my way upto 140kgs for 6 reps, a little worried about my form but felt fine, i dont use straps as i train grip often.
i too dislike squats, but i do plenty of hindu squats and i like these.
i would appreciate any deadlift advice, thanks all
If you are lifting conventionally, I don’t see why the bar is scraping your shins, as most olympic bars have smooth areas in the middle except for the 4" or so of knurling directly in the center. Try moving your feet closer together and see if that helps. Also, disreguard remarks that you’re doing them correctly only if your shins are bleeding. Personally, I consider this poor form. I routinely lift up to 3x bwt and my shins don’t bleed.
[quote]TornadoTommy wrote:
If you are lifting conventionally, I don’t see why the bar is scraping your shins, as most olympic bars have smooth areas in the middle except for the 4" or so of knurling directly in the center. Try moving your feet closer together and see if that helps. Also, disreguard remarks that you’re doing them correctly only if your shins are bleeding. Personally, I consider this poor form. I routinely lift up to 3x bwt and my shins don’t bleed.[/quote]
Do you by any chance have a video of you doing heavy deads? I would be interested to see terrific deadlift form, with that weight, not scraping your shins.
[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
TornadoTommy wrote:
If you are lifting conventionally, I don’t see why the bar is scraping your shins, as most olympic bars have smooth areas in the middle except for the 4" or so of knurling directly in the center. Try moving your feet closer together and see if that helps. Also, disreguard remarks that you’re doing them correctly only if your shins are bleeding. Personally, I consider this poor form. I routinely lift up to 3x bwt and my shins don’t bleed.
Do you by any chance have a video of you doing heavy deads? I would be interested to see terrific deadlift form, with that weight, not scraping your shins.[/quote]
I would love to see the 3x body weight dead also.
I think the point is that hurting your self isn’t necessary or an indication that you are doing it right. Touching your shins and destroying your shins are two different things.
[quote]summa wrote:
redsox348984 wrote:
its suppose to drag up agenst your shins.
And then…after busting open your shins…you pull through your knee cap…causing even more pain and damage.
I think there is a difference between being close and being too close.[/quote]
Yeah, once I pulled so hard my kneecaps came off. I put on some knee wraps and kept going until I set a PR. I’m crazy like that.
Seriously, you guys crack me up with the “your shins are supposed to bleed when you’re DLing properly.” Find a way to do it without scraping them open. Watch videos of DL record lifts. They aren’t scraping their shins open.
I hit my shins every now and then, but I wear long socks on DL days and I haven’t bled any since making the change.
I’m 6-1 and have always cut my shins up for ever. I have bled many times but always take care of the blood. I normally only bleed on the last set or last rep of the last set (aka when I am most fatigued and with the heaviest weight).
Its a give-take sitation for me. I can take the pain if my muscles give me the strength to pull the lift off properly.
Hmmm, I do 2x bw @180# and don’t scrape. but I also wear pants and I think I have the “lucky” body type for deads. Just at the top of my shin where it connect to my knee people say that it looks like it will touch just beofre my knees start really pressing, after I’ve gone back as far as poss. I’m a short legged dewd though.
[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
TornadoTommy wrote:
If you are lifting conventionally, I don’t see why the bar is scraping your shins, as most olympic bars have smooth areas in the middle except for the 4" or so of knurling directly in the center. Try moving your feet closer together and see if that helps. Also, disreguard remarks that you’re doing them correctly only if your shins are bleeding. Personally, I consider this poor form. I routinely lift up to 3x bwt and my shins don’t bleed.
Do you by any chance have a video of you doing heavy deads? I would be interested to see terrific deadlift form, with that weight, not scraping your shins.[/quote]
OK, I have no vids but I put a pic of myself in my photo section doing a 3x bwt dl in competition, so you know it’s a good lift . The pic isn’t very good quality but you can plainly see that the only thing on my shins is some talcum powder. No blood, no scrapes. BTW, this effort earned me the men’s best dl trophy and a state record. If you have any doubts, go to the WABDL website and click on Oklahoma state records @ 148#. I never said the bar shouldn’t touch your shins but that it shouldn’t scrape the hell out of them if you are lifting conventionally. I can see how this might happen lifting sumo, but I feel conventional is best for BB purposes.
Im by no means an expert at dl-ing but surely bleeding shins isnt part of it. Thats like saying the bar chaffes your nipples on a bench press or getting a bleeding chin from a chin up. I just dont see why it should happen.
Look like you are doing a nice deadlift there. I dont know much of anything about competitions, but would imagine that as long as the bar is on the ground and you stand up with it and lock it, that counts as a finished lift. I didnt know it mattered whether you were doing a regular sumo or romanian deadlift. That was my point, that people doing heavy standard deadlifts often do scrape their shins…
[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
Look like you are doing a nice deadlift there. I dont know much of anything about competitions, but would imagine that as long as the bar is on the ground and you stand up with it and lock it, that counts as a finished lift. I didnt know it mattered whether you were doing a regular sumo or romanian deadlift. That was my point, that people doing heavy standard deadlifts often do scrape their shins…[/quote]
Thank you for the compliment. Your’e correct in that all you have to do is pull the weight to a finished position but there are rules that apply. You can’t restart once the bar touches the floor after the initial pull and “hitching” is not allowed. Hitching is shrugging one shoulder up at a time and letting the bar rest on your thighs thus, “walking” the bar up. Your shoulders have to lockout also. Being in a hunched over position at the top doesn’t count.
You must also wait for the referee’s down signal and the bar must be lowered under control, not dropped. Yes, people do scrape their shins while deadlifting, and in my original post I mentioned that this should not happen IF you lift in the conventional stance. Not trying to hijack, but I have to say that I laugh at guys who can bench more than they pull. What a shame. Maybe the multiple ply shirts have something to do with it? Real men squat and dl. Remember, the meet doesn’t start till the bar hits the floor. No depth or pause to worry about. You either get it or you don’t.
[quote]bikemike wrote:
Dead lift shins are manly. But if you are really scraping them bad, you might try doing more weight for less reps. I find that the higher reps I go, the slopier my form gets, which results in worse shin scrapes.[/quote]
My shins get ripped up too the bars at my gym have broken glass glued to them, Try wrapping an ace bandage around the bar where it scraps your legs and where your not holding on to. Its been working great for me.
[quote]pushharder wrote:
TornadoTommy wrote:
… but I feel conventional is best for BB purposes.
Tommy, elaborate on this, will ya?[/quote]
At least for me, the conventional or narrow stance dl involves much more of the body’s musculature compared to the sumo or wide stance which I feel uses too much butt and hip, much like a wide stance squat. I have relatively long arms and legs for my height (about 5’8"), so I’m more suited for conv. Everyone is different but if your legs are short for your height and you feel more comfortable with wide stance, sumo would probably be more productive. I do like to perform stiff leg deadlifts with a sumo stance, as it hits my hamstrings much more intensely with less lower back involvement.
I used to scrape my shins all the time, and I think the scars are permanent. On a competitive powerlifter’s rec, I went to a sporting goods store and bought a pair of volleyball kneepads to wear over my shins. Laugh all you want, but they were cheap and they work great.