I’m starting sumo deadlifts after having done rack pulls for a long time - here’s a video of my last rep on a practice set of 363lbx5. I’ve just done 365lbx4 on deadstop squats plus some lighter sets of deads so it’s a pretty realistic representation of what my form is like given fatigue etc., which is what I’d appreciate being checked. Please help if you can - I’m waiting for the green light before I start going heavy.
you are leading with your butt…break the weight from the floor with your hips, don’t let the butt come up unless the bar comes with it…some mid and upper back work will help, and remember deadlift isn’t as much pulling up as it is pulling back
Lumbar rounding. You will hurt yourself. The only logical advice I can give you is lower the weight, make videos, analyze them compared to this one, and gradualy increase the weight, focusing on this problem.
could be weakness/instability at the lumbar region, or even lack of glute activation. Common problem with rack-pullers. One thing I have used with pretty good success is what I call a “bottom bump”: basically, load the bar to 50% of 1RM and just break the bar from the floor to about 2-3" up. Its maddening and boring, but it will increase the activation of the stretched muscles at the bottom as well as get you used to pulling from ur hips for the 1st half of the pull.
Some very useful stuff on here. Thanks for the help.
Considering all I’m doing over the 4-5 months is gaining as much strength as I can on incline press, deadstop squats and sumo deadlifts (goals 242lbx4, 405-410lbx5 and at least 400lbx5 respectively), what would be best for me to do alongside these 3 exercises to help the deadlift?
I’ve got an article by Jim Wendler recommending 1) olympic squats, 2) good mornings, 3) high rep dumbell rows and 4) ab work as the best exercises for helping with the deadlift. Anyone got anything to add?
Good mornings arent bad, but I think that cable pull-throughs and reverse-hyperextension are more helpful. Otherwise, 1 and 2-hand DB/KB swings are good to help with the core stabilization and hip drive.
[quote]JGerman wrote:
wsk wrote:
Ok that’s good to know - is there anything you can see that’s causing the problem? And any suggestions on how to fix it?
Try starting with a lower hip level and drive through the hips. [/quote]
If hip strength is the problem, which it most likely is from looking at that vid, then doing the above will only compound the problem and increase the amount of “Dead” movement of the hips.
He could drop back and start working up again with lighter weights and concentrating on keeping his ass down tho. Also, from my exp, takin your stance out might help some.
I really think the only way to fix the problem is to keep doing deadlifts. If you can, do them from the floor for a while so you can get the full motion.
I dont think its a problem with moving hips too much or not enough. You look great for a sec and then boom your lumbar spine bends and the stiffness in the back is gone.
Work on keeping your back stiff as a board in a natural arch. Also, lower the weight a bit till your back gets strong enough.
I thought I already posted, but guess something happened. With sumo, the key is locking everything out at once. You seem to be locking your legs out way early. The sumo is all about using leverages to your advantage.
Lower the weight to 140kg, stick with 5 reps, add 2.5kg per week, make a video every 10kg to check progress. Aim for at least 180kx5 by the end of the year.
Add in a separate day of weighted crunches, sidebends and back extensions to aid with lower back/core strength. Switch back extensions to reverse hypers when possible - I think I’ll make the setup Stuart McRobert recommends (pic attached). Back extensions will have to do in the meantime though.
Yes I would say there is a weaker link in the chain…I won ’ t focus on the lumbar region rounding, it 's not the one thing that shocked me in this video, the first thing I noticed is that your butt is raising faster than the bar… I got the same problem, even if I don ’ t see it I can feel it when I 'm lifting…In terms of future back problems or pains, i think it 's actually more dangerous than rounding.
For sure the weakness is somewhere around the hips, but limiting the judgement to that won ’ t resolve the problem…When I say “around the hips” It could be the gluteus maximus, the hamstrings or the erector spinae (with all the lumbar region extensors, I only know their names in french sorry lol)
I won ’ t say hamstrings or glutes power is lacking, you wouldn 't be able to complete one rep if so…But maybe you are working to close to your max load and should lower the weight untill you can complete EVERY reps with correct form
But it sounds better to me that your spinal erectors are too weak …It 's possible to test it with some common test used by physiotherapists (Sorensen 's Test,…)
If the problem is there, you can lower the weight and make that weaker link work ! Or you can switch form and do single leg deadlifts cutting the weight to the half —>same load for each leg but a bit less work for your lumbar extensors… Not to mention a better placement of the center of gravity if you extend your back leg