Shivering and shaking like a belly dancer during a deadlift...

[David_G]

Hi coach,

Today's Intensity day featured a 450X3 Deadlift (followed by a back off set of 405 for 5 to complete some more reps). This was a new PR for me and was damn hard.

During the 2nd and 3rd reps my body started shaking up badly, couldn't control it at all. Later on in the shower I had some knee discomfort(felt "heavy" while extended so I naturally flexed it a few times)

Next week i'm supposed to go for 455, I was wondering if this is a serious issue and requires I stay with the same weight until I lift it up smoothly? Is there any health issue here?

Got a training partner who does TM with me(knows his shit) and from what he said:
-My back stayed flat during the entire set
-I locked the knees on all the reps(last rep took some time to lock)

Appreciate your time and help

[Mark Rippetoe]

Depends on whether your knee is actually injured. The tremor is common in a limit deadlift, the result of your hamstrings holding the back angle through the mid-pull where you experienced the shaking. I don't know the actual mechanism of the tremor, juts that it's hamstrings. How do your knees feel know?

[David_G]

After last night's workout I took a shower, ate and went to sleep straight away.
Once I woke up the right knee felt a bit tight, but I had no time to care for it during the day.

Right now after I came back from the university it just feels normal.

[Mark Rippetoe]

YBF (you'll be fine)

[joosejpr]

Personally, if my knees/hammies don't shake, then I know I wasn't near max-effort.

[Steve Hill]

I don't know the actual mechanism of the tremor, juts that it's hamstrings. How do your knees feel know?

How enervated are the hamstrings? If they are not very, and the motor-units consist of large numbers of muscle cells, and the hamstrings don't change much in length, it could be the trade-off between motor units contracting / relaxing as the hamstrings change where within themselves they are actively contracting. The shaking would be visual evidence of the lack of fine control in the muscle group as the pull is moving very slowly, as opposed to a lighter, slightly quicker pull masking this with the inertia of the weight, and a lower % of motor-units being recruited.


Also, the kinetic chain is longer, and the weight in a less-restrained configuration than, say, a squat, where the weight is fastened relatively rigidly to the body.

[SGTCassES]

As a pile-on, after my last DL day (365x5 @ 40yo) I Laid down on a nearby bench to catch my breath and feel asleep/passed out, whatever. Another lifter woke me up checking on me. Went home slept the sleep of the dead. Now that's therapy! 375x5 next week, can't wait.