"Shrugging" the Deadlift & Stalling on Squat

[conklinb]

27yrs
215ish
6' 2"

I've always been reasonably strong, or so i thought. I have lifted a good bit in my time. Then I found Crossfit. And the CF Journal. And 2 weeks later I forgot Crossfit and found SS. I got back from deployment in December and immediately started SS.

I started with (these are all 5RMs except clean which is 3)

Squat 205
DL 225
Press 115
Clean 115

I started relatively low to ensure good form (i.e. i hadn't been doing full squats till this point, and very seldom power cleaned)

Now I am at.

Squat 355
DL 395
Press 170
Clean 215

Long story short, I am way stronger now than before and it hasnt even been 3 months. So for that Rip.. I am thankful.

Now to the question portion.

Is shrugging the DL up acceptable? Today way 395 x 5 and the first time i had to do this. (I dont know if shrugging is the right term, its when you get stuck and you kind of bounce the weight up your thighs). I made 4 out of 5 without it. I am wondering if i can go up to 405 or should i wait until i can get a more strict pull.

As for the Squat. I had been moving pretty quickly but once i hit 355 it took me till the 3rd session to get it. Then i missed 360 pretty bad. (4/2/2)

I know the gym had some pretty suspect weights (im sure some of the 45s range from 40-50 lbs) but i have been making solid progress using those weights up to this point so i am thinking it may be moot. So at 215lbs is 360 a reasonable place to stall? (i have since reset to 325 and am moving back up) or should I have been able to keep going?

(ps I am not bench pressing because of an injury to my shoulder... no it doesnt affect the press for w/e reason)

Thanks for you time.

-Ben

[Mark Rippetoe]

Hitching the deadlift is a combination of supporting the bar on the thighs and rebending the knees to obtain a sequence of knee extensions to crawl the bar up the thighs in a series of steps. It is only acceptable in CrossFit because it is not a single pull and does not strengthen the movement the way a legal deadlift does. This is similar to their insistence on bouncing deadlifts off the floor. A good rule of thumb is: if CrossFitters do it and it deviates from the traditional technique, it's easier. Easier does not make you stronger. This is why no CrossFitters deadlift 750.

You are stalling at 355 because you are 6'2" and 215.

[hamburgerfan]

It is only acceptable in CrossFit because it is not a single pull and does not strengthen the movement the way a legal deadlift does. This is similar to their insistence on bouncing deadlifts off the floor. A good rule of thumb is: if CrossFitters do it and it deviates from the traditional technique, it's easier. Easier does not make you stronger. This is why no CrossFitters deadlift 750.

Strongmen hitch and plenty of them deadlift 750. I still hate it though.

[Mark Rippetoe]

But none of them are CrossFitters.

[Steve Hill]

Strongmen hitch because it's a legal way (in a Strongman comp) for Strongmen to pick up more weight than they can in a strict DL. Three guesses as to how much shy of 750 a Strongman who can hitch 750 is on a strict DL. Hint: it ain't much.

[Mike C]

Strongmen hitch and plenty of them deadlift 750. I still hate it though.

They hitch in training?

[conklinb]

Hitching the deadlift is a combination of supporting the bar on the thighs and rebending the knees to obtain a sequence of knee extensions to crawl the bar up the thighs in a series of steps. It is only acceptable in CrossFit because it is not a single pull and does not strengthen the movement the way a legal deadlift does. This is similar to their insistence on bouncing deadlifts off the floor. A good rule of thumb is: if CrossFitters do it and it deviates from the traditional technique, it's easier. Easier does not make you stronger. This is why no CrossFitters deadlift 750.

You are stalling at 355 because you are 6'2" and 215.

Sooooooo you're saying stay at 395 until i get 5 without hitching.

And i should gain weight..

Gotcha.

Thanks Rip

[strideknight]

Is that what they're doing when they do that little wobble back and forth thing as they get the bar up on a deadlift?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sooooooo you're saying stay at 395 until i get 5 without hitching.

And i should gain weight..

I'm saying that you should stop hitching and back down to 335.

Was reminded of this while grading a test: a hitch also shortens the distance between hip and bar, thus improving the mechanics by shortening the moment arm between the gravity vector and the hip.