Deadlift check

[MisterT]

What should I fix?

Thanks in advance you guys rock, man.

[Michael Wolf]

To be honest, the video is so wobbly and jerky that it's difficult to give you a good evaluation of your lift.

That said, it looks like you're on your heels and need to get out over the bar a little more. Make a more concerted effort to get a big breath and squeeze up before each rep, and for the love of god, don't drop the bar at the end of the last rep. Put in down like you do every other rep.

Deadlifting in a place where people aren't going to walk 2 inches away from you would be good, too.

[MisterT]

To be honest, the video is so wobbly and jerky that it's difficult to give you a good evaluation of your lift.

That said, it looks like you're on your heels and need to get out over the bar a little more. Make a more concerted effort to get a big breath and squeeze up before each rep, and for the love of god, don't drop the bar at the end of the last rep. Put in down like you do every other rep.

Deadlifting in a place where people aren't going to walk 2 inches away from you would be good, too.

Sorry, coach, my mate was tired from his last bench set while filming so he may have needed a mild sedative.

I'm on my heels sometimes at the top you're right, by squeeze up more you mean chest up more, right?

My main concern is my back because I have l4-l5 first degree Spondylolisthesis, am I straight enough or am I too round?

I go to a public gym so it's always crowded and there's not much room for anything.

I'll put the bar back down on the last rep.

Thanks, man.

[Michael Wolf]

It certainly is a busy place, it almost looked like some of the Harlem Shake videos I've seen. Is there somewhere else in the gym you could set up that would be less likely to have someone walk so close to you while lifting?

As far as squeezing up, yes, chest up. Your back isn't rounded, but it could - and should - be more 'set' before pulling each rep. This will be especially important as the weight goes up.

Spondylolisthesis is serious business, you should definitely be careful with that. I'll see if I can get one of our coaches with more expertise on that condition to comment.

[John Petrizzo]

MisterT,

A first degree spondylolisthesis means that 0-25% of the vertebral body of L4 is displaced anteriorly on the vertebral body of L5. I am curious to know what symptoms you may have, if any, and when you were diagnosed. In terms of severity, a diagnosis of first degree spondylolisthesis is the least severe and there are probably plenty of people walking around, and lifting with, this type of pathology without even knowing it.

With that being said, it doesn't mean that it can't get worse. Performing the basic structural lifts such as squats and deadlifts should be fine and in fact can be helpful if you are careful to use proper technique. Remember that you will have less room for error when it comes to poor form on the lifts than the average trainee and that even slight breakdowns could lead to an exacerbation of your symptoms. I would also keep in mind that when dealing with spondylolisthesis lumbar hyper-extension can be just as damaging as flexion. Also, I would avoid exercises such as sit-ups and back extensions in your programming or anything else that involves repeated lumbar flexion/extension cycles.

I hope this helps.

[Michael Wolf]

Thanks Dr. Petrizzo.

[MisterT]

MisterT,

A first degree spondylolisthesis means that 0-25% of the vertebral body of L4 is displaced anteriorly on the vertebral body of L5. I am curious to know what symptoms you may have, if any, and when you were diagnosed. In terms of severity, a diagnosis of first degree spondylolisthesis is the least severe and there are probably plenty of people walking around, and lifting with, this type of pathology without even knowing it.

With that being said, it doesn't mean that it can't get worse. Performing the basic structural lifts such as squats and deadlifts should be fine and in fact can be helpful if you are careful to use proper technique. Remember that you will have less room for error when it comes to poor form on the lifts than the average trainee and that even slight breakdowns could lead to an exacerbation of your symptoms. I would also keep in mind that when dealing with spondylolisthesis lumbar hyper-extension can be just as damaging as flexion. Also, I would avoid exercises such as sit-ups and back extensions in your programming or anything else that involves repeated lumbar flexion/extension cycles.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for your interest.

I had lower back pain on the left side, I used to fight in Judo somewhat competitively and did SL5x5, chalked it up to poor rest and a bad fall or something.

The pain was nothing major, I could lift and fight through it.

But it persisted for at least a couple of weeks, I was treated for a month for a muscle tear in my lower back (that's what they thought my pain was) the treatment sucked, lol, complete with zapping me in the back with short electrical bursts causing my back muscles to contract suddenly and shit... I took some time off Judo and lifting during my treatment.

My pain eventually subsided after a month of no activity and PT so I returned to Judo, first throw my pain returned.

I was told to return to treatment on my back, but I wasn't convinced they had the right diagnosis so I had an MRI done. And discovered it was actually spondy.

Then I quit Judo and lifting altogether at the orders of all the doctors I've been to (I've seen at least a handful) and did "therapeutic" stuff like swimming, pushups, pullups, etc mostly bodyweight and conditioning, till I asked Rip out of frustration one day and he said lifting would be actually good for me.

And here I am.

Coincidentally I use hanging leg raises and ab wheel for my abs, I understand the ab wheel is alright because it involves isometric contraction but what about hanging leg raises? It has some flexion of the spine at the top but I was told it's not bad because of the spinal decompression as a result of it being a hanging exercise. I also like doing them to be honest they wreck my abs.

My back exercises are all exercises that involve stabilizing the trunk like RDL, BB or DB rows, squats, deadlifts, etc. nothing that requires the lumbar spine to actually move.

Strangely enough I've been pain free for a few weeks, for the first time in forever, after paying close attention to glute and hamstring stretching, especially on the left side.

And proper form while lifting, to be sure.

Finished SS recently and on my first cycle of 5/3/1 BBB now.

For someone with spondy, how is my back looking during the deadlifts? I know it's easy to get injured on those.

Sorry for the long winded post I included everything I thought was relevant.

You're both very helpful, thanks, guys.

[MisterT]

Oh and I had the MRI that revealed my Spondylolisthesis last august. I forgot to mention.

[John Petrizzo]

The passive treatment you received for your incorrect diagnosis was a complete waste of time. Fortunately, it seems like you are doing fine managing it on your own. In regards to your deadlift, they look okay but I would follow Wolf's advice:

As far as squeezing up, yes, chest up. Your back isn't rounded, but it could - and should - be more 'set' before pulling each rep. This will be especially important as the weight goes up.

If your back is feeling better, just continue doing what you are doing. Personally, if I were working with you I wouldn't have you doing the ab wheel or the hanging leg raises. To me the risk versus benefit is too high for either of these ancillary exercises to be included in your program. If your back starts to bother you and you are sure your form on the main lifts is solid, drop them. Also, when performing BBB, be careful to manage your total volume. I find five sets of ten on the assistance work to be overkill. First, you can't really use all that much weight and secondly, your tendency for form breakdown on the higher rep sets will be higher. I would prefer a couple heavier back of sets of five. But again, if your back is feeling good now, that's all that matters. Just a few things to keep in mind if you run into some problems.

Good luck

[MisterT]

Hey, thanks, guys.

I learned a lot.

One last thing, if you advise against hanging leg raises and ab wheels, what should I do for my abdominals that is safe?

Or just not work them at all and rely on the main lifts? I can do that.