Have you had a play with a trap bar? I know pulling conventional is going to be of importance to you if you are wanting to do strongman but trap bar deadlift could help you get your posterior chain and quads firing more which will hopefully get them more involved when you pull conventional, taking a bit of the load off your lower back.
I never felt much in the quads or hams when deadlifting, it was all lower back. I can now feel much more working and feel much stronger at getting in a locked in position to pull conventional.
If things go to shit again you could always finish your form work and then get the feel for some heavier weight on the trap bar.
I don’t recommend this to everyone but maybe you should put just a bit more weight on the bar. I’ve seen people struggle with form under light loads but when we added weight to the bar their form got better.
More weight might help you feel your body a bit better. I’m not sure of your peak strength but maybe 80-100 kgs could be beneficial.
I think you’re spot on man. I’ve noticed that with alot of lifts when i start warming up with the bar it looks like trash then when i throw some weight on and warm up its better.
You’re right that i should add weight. I keep doing reps with one plate and it looks/Feels so horrible then i get angry and quit deadlifting.
Form will be the limiting factor on any lift. Correct form is both safe and efficient. Heavier loads help you find that efficient part easier than a broomstick. There’s even a chance that the load will help guide your body intuitive the right spots if you don’t fight it.
If so else fails, find a coach. I bet there’s someone in the gym who wouldn’t mind helping you. Once you find a candidate, ask “Would you be willing to help me with my deadlift technique someday?”
Asking that way shows that you’re respectful of their time and not assuming they’ll drop what they’re doing to help you. Most of us are helpful but we don’t like to be interrupted during our training. But if you give us advanced notice then we can make you a part of our session.
Ask the strongman dude or someone there to watch and correct your form. Theres only so much that we can do to help over the interwebs, having someone there in person to help coach you thru the movement will make a huge difference.
Whatever range you was planning on working your deadlift in. It’s supposed to be less taxing on the cns so you will see higher rep ranges used often. The trap bar routine I ran worked up to 10x10. That sucked pretty hard.
I’m going to go completely against many grains and say not to worry about form and just worry about technique. Make sure you’re bracing, make sure you’re hinging at the hips. If you get those 2 things down, you should be pretty safe.
Have you tried working up to more weight? Pulling a plate is going to have very different mechanics than pulling 5 plates. I’d still try to do a few sets with a plate on deadlifts to warm up, but it’s not going to look/feel the same way as 70-90% which won’t look the same as 90-100+%.
Also I can relate a lot back in the day until I got older and just decided shit sessions happen and it is far more physically and mentally taxing to get upset than not.
I wont say much because i know a fair few people powerlifters/strongman etc who read T-nation…but a certain somebody when i go to strongman class ignores my trash form and says “your form is fine” then proceeds to go Help the ladies who have been training for alot longer than me with there form and give them tips even though theirs is pretty good. like wtf…
for now i’ll just go with this and slowly correct things over time. i’m stressing over every single form issue and trying to do to many things at once.
i haven’t really. i get mad over my trash form with one plate and rage quit before i even get to my working sets. i’m going to just warm up with one plate but not film it so i dont get mad then do my technique work with heavier weight and film that.
i’ll just have to learn to brush it off. theres no such thing as perfect training sessions all the time.
Captains of Crush
Warmup: forearm stretches, reps with the trainer. Havent done grippers in a couple of weeks
5×5 with the 1. Easy so adding the 30 second hold on the final rep of the final set next time
I was just thinking… if my traps get good growth from other exercises when im not even trying to grow them. What if i try to grow them then they will balloon up and be fucking swole??
If you want traps plus some deadlift practice you could try some high deadlifts. Like above the knee, focusing on solid upper back and traps and driving your hip through. Hit traps and practice bracing and hinging. Not to replace deadlifts, but to get some easy, non technical work in. Check out this video, like :45 seconds in
What rep range are we talking. Same as deadlifts? I could do these after regular deadlifts for a couple of sets.
I just read it. Alot of it is clean variations so I guess i better keep working on my cleans lol. I took overhead shrugs from that article and added it to my pin press so now its a pin press with overhead shrug. Ive also gotten dumbell lawnmowers that @kd13 does and i seen in an article of paul carters. Also 100 rep front to overhead plate raises.
Yeah, a few sets after deadlifts. Maybe for around 10-12 reps, higher reps than deads. Drive your feet into the floor, push your hips forward, keep your upper back tight. Good brace. Find a nice groove, get some work in until your deads feel more natural.
Hey Young Duke
I would absolutely listen to @T3hPwnisher
Walk up to the bar, find you stance.
Either brace before reaching to the bar and grabbing it like Alpha does.
OR reach for the bar as if you would put the bar back down in the DL with a hip hinge. Grab the bar hard. Brace hard, this should pull the slack out of the bar, with 1 plate the bar should leave or almost leave the floor. Then PULL, put the bar down gently with intention, thinking hinge to the par is at the knees and then but it to the floor by bending the knees.
Put some more weight on, so it’s challenging. ONLY do max 3 reps at a time.
Recap: think Hinge, crab and squeeze bar, Brace hard and pull out the slack in one motion, when you’re tight as a spring: pull.
When form is good every time at a challenging weight and you know, you do it everytime, it’s time to do some paused DL thinking a bit more.
Lot’s of good advise otherwise around here. Especially ask someone to teach/spot your technique.
Warmup:
Facepulls and lat pulldowns. I’ve come to find these are essential in my warmup.
Over and backs
Scorpions
Foam roll quads and hammies
Close grip bench 3×3 60kg
Felt great. Form was good too.Havent touched this weight in 9 months now and it was easy. I have been doing pretty much zero chest work… all of its been overhead and triceps.
Back of set for form work
1×7
High Incline db bench 350 method
Shoulders didnt like
Seated db fat gripz shoulder press superset single arm machine rows. 3×10
Shoulders loved the fat gripz on shoulder presses. Honestly fat gripz have been the best thing I’ve ever bought for keeping shit healthy. Makes my shoulders and elbows feel amazing. Machine rows were great too. Awesome lat contraction.
100 reps barbell curls
Got 20 reps
100 reps front to overhead plate raise
30 reps 10kg
