Hi everyone some quick advice needed on getting my deadlift up to scratch.
So I want to compete at some point in a powerlifting event so I wanna get a good conventional deadlift.
I’m 88kg and my current lifts are 180kg squat and 120kg bench, but I’ve never really done conventional deadlifts so my trap deadlift is around 200kg atm but when I was a bit heavier it was 230kg.
I’ve hit conventional deadlift and wow my weaknesses are exposed, I’m struggling/being humbled with 170-180kg.
My sticking point is definitely the initial lift from the ground, with the trap bar the handles add extra inches so it’s not quite so tough, what’s best to correct this with conventional deadlifts? Deficit deadlifts?
More generally is this a common weakness when going from trap to straight bar or am I likely weak in other areas also?
I don’t have a solution except to say I have had the same problem, I’m 6’3 and deadlifted pretty much exclusively with a high trap bar (too lift was 645lb x 3). I injured my back attempting 685lb about 6 months ago and lower back has only really just started getting back to normal.
I’d suggest Good Mornings with lighter weight as an exercise to build strength in the lower back, but I’m curious what others have to say on this too. Reverse Hypers would be great to build lower back strength but those are hard to find at gyms.
Also may be worth checking your form at the bottom of the conventional, as I find it easier to get my back aligned on trap as I’m not quite so low and if I’m not careful I get an arch on conventional when attempting to get setup for the beginning of the lift.
I have just sworn off conventional as not worth it to me, I’m not looking to compete. i stick to high trap if a gym has one and focus on other exercises to hit all the major parts that deadlift would hit if not.
I see really only three options here to this age old problem.
Find a way to add 2-3 inches to the length of your arms. You will become a deadlifting machine. Then begin showboating on all of your social media outlets.
Quit powerlifting and stick with the trap bar. I hear playing golf is fun.
Accept that your trap bar lift will always be 10-15% more weight. Try desperately to deadlift conventional more often and work on lifts that should improve “weaknesses” like the aforementioned deficit, gm, reverse hyper, etc… watch powerlifting YouTube videos for tips and advice. Eventually your conventional deadlift will improve (slightly). Continue to do this for years until your back hurts. Be happy with your progress and realize nobody cares but you.
Sorry that last part got personal but basically sounds like both OP and 1st response nailed it already with good ideas.
Sounds like training the deadlift is a deficit lift for you for awhile.
If you’re just starting to pull with a bar, it’s just new to you. I wouldn’t worry too much about drilling down a specific weakness; you’re just not good at the lift yet.
It’s bad enough that the trap bar removes all challenges of keeping the weight from getting out in front of your center of gravity, but using the high handles??? This has very little chance of translating to a good straight bar deadlift.
If I see anyone using the high handles on a trap bar, I usually tell them that they have the bar upside down.
To competitively deadlift, you must deadlift. Form is not a given. Trap bar deadlift form is very easy to perfect.
One other point that came to mind. If you have been trap bar Deadlifting exclusively this whole time you likely are in the habit of grabbing the bar wider than you need for a conventional deadlift as well as possibly spacing your feet farther apart than you need to. Try bring both in slightly between every set until you find a hand / foot spacing you like. In general, the closer your hands are together the better starting position you can get (longer arms) and less distance you have to pull. Moving feet in was a bit opposite what I thought would be a good idea but it did seem to help me.
Also it sounds silly at first but even where you grab the bar in your hand makes a difference. Gripping the bar so it stays “lower” in your hand (in this case low means bar across your callouses rather than in your palm to begin with) can help prevent the bar rolling inside your grip and murdering your callouses even more which can help you better focus on the lift. The bar will roll to the lower part of your hand one way or another anyways so you may as well give it a thought when you are setting up.
Lastly, pulling the slack out of the barbell and really pull yourself into the bar and get your chest up/scapula down in your back pockets. Setup with everything “tight” including your Lats will help.
You can lift a big high handle trap bar deadlift without considering any of these details but with a barbell these smaller things start to matter.
Lastly, don’t have any slack in your arms (no bend in elbows). Trap bar maybe you can get away with this but with a barbell you are asking for bicep trouble eventually. Make sure your arms are pulled straight / tight like ropes having been pulled taught before you begin the deadlift when setting up and pulling slack out of the bar. Do this on every rep and build the habit as it is so easy to get sloppy on this and then wonder why your bicep hurts the next day.
Excellent Advice @mechinos . I would add; after the set up, instead of the actual pull, practice keeping your upper body braced and push your feet through the floor while keeping your chest high. Hard to explain but once you have practiced and got the technique down, it will help.