Deadlift Form - Rounding Upper Back

[Mark Rippetoe]

PVC is right, my hasty reading again. And I guarantee you he has to practice it this way, and since he has used it quite successfully, is it really wrong for him? I would never let a novice do this, but he and Bolton both use this technique.

[PVC]

Mark, at what point would you deem it alright for a trainee to train with the round-back style of deadlift? At the intermediate stage? Or perhaps only if the trainee's primary goals lie with powerlifting?

I guess this begs the question: is it "useful" for a lifter to train the deadlift with a round back if that lifter is only strength training to improve his performance in basketball/soccer/football/hockey/rowing/tennis/whateverthefuckothersport? Or would it be more beneficial in these cases to train with the back in proper extension?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I will never coach anybody to deadlift with a flexed t-spine, no matter what their training goal. And while you're at it, look up "question-begging".

[rpbrown]

Mark, at what point would you deem it alright for a trainee to train with the round-back style of deadlift? At the intermediate stage? Or perhaps only if the trainee's primary goals lie with powerlifting?

I guess this begs the question: is it "useful" for a lifter to train the deadlift with a round back if that lifter is only strength training to improve his performance in basketball/soccer/football/hockey/rowing/tennis/whateverthefuckothersport? Or would it be more beneficial in these cases to train with the back in proper extension?

I would guess that putting the back into a position like that in the context of keeping your back safe and strong (using the more traditional non rounded back) is impractical for sports performance. This is merely speculation based on my limited amount of strength training knowledge, however.

[PVC]

I will never coach anybody to deadlift with a flexed t-spine, no matter what their training goal.

Can I ask why not?

And while you're at it, look up "question-begging".

I just did, and apparently I've been using this incorrectly for a couple of years now. Oops. Oh well, at least I'm pretty.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Because I would rather teach them to keep the T-spine in extension so that these muscles get strong and the vertebral bodies remain in their original configuration. And I'm glad we've improved your grammar.

[MEbigUsmall]

He is very strong. I thought I pointed that out.

I was under the impression that regardless of how strong one is, the spine isn't meant to hold weight in that position. I'm sure Im wrong since your the expert, just curious how it works since his actual discs aren't stronger because he is.

[tallison]

And I'm glad we've improved your grammar.

Expanded his "lexicon", maybe, but his "grammar" is the same as it ever was (and not much in need of improvement that I can detect).

Just sayin', y'know, he who casts the first stone, and all...

[Mark Rippetoe]

I was under the impression that regardless of how strong one is, the spine isn't meant to hold weight in that position. I'm sure Im wrong since your the expert, just curious how it works since his actual discs aren't stronger because he is.

You're under the wrong impression. Do you actually think that the intervertebral discs of a guy who deadlifts 950 are not stronger than yours? You think the discs have not adapted along with the rest of his body?

Expanded his "lexicon", maybe, but his "grammar" is the same as it ever was (and not much in need of improvement that I can detect).

Just sayin', y'know, he who casts the first stone, and all...

You're right, I'm wrong.

[PVC]

I would guess that putting the back into a position like that in the context of keeping your back safe and strong (using the more traditional non rounded back) is impractical for sports performance.

It would obviously be more beneficial to be able to deadlift, for example, 500 lbs, with the spine in proper extension than it would be to deadlift the same weight with the upper back rounded. However, would it not be more beneficial for a trainee to be able to deadlift 600 lbs with a rounded upper back than 500 lbs with the upper back in proper extension?