Nick Delgadillo SSC: Scraped Shins on the Deadlift

[Mark Rippetoe]

Scraped Shins on the Deadlift | Nick Delgadillo

[AndrewLewis]

"Cessation of skin debridement" sounds like a death metal song title.

I've used "scrap the shins" as a reminder to keep the bar close when a trainee lets the bar swing forward when the bar comes off of the floor (after a proper setup). Do you think this is a useful cue?

Perhaps "keep your butt high" would be better. What do you think?

[Nick Delgadillo]

Rippetoe and I discussed this last night. As long as the setup isn't the problem, I think that for some people, telling them to keep the butt high or to pull the bar with the back or butt may work for a bar swinging away. I haven't tried it yet, but there are a few specific folks I know who we're going to test this on.

I've definitely told people to scrape the shins or drag the bar up the shins, and no one should assume we're telling you not to pull the bar into the shins. I'm talking specifically about the problem of ripping skin off the shins which really should never happen.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I like the idea of "keeping the bar on the socks" on the way up. Implies the necessary level of control.

[AndrewLewis]

Rippetoe and I discussed this last night. As long as the setup isn't the problem, I think that for some people, telling them to keep the butt high or to pull the bar with the back or butt may work for a bar swinging away. I haven't tried it yet, but there are a few specific folks I know who we're going to test this on.

Ok. That makes a lot of sense. I have found good success with the "keep your butt high" cue. It seems to counteract the mental image of the deadlift as a squat with the bars in the hands as opposed to something totally different. It also seems to be extremely versitile. I have noticed when my clients who have problems "squatting" the bar down after the deadlift and having it ride their thighs hear "keep your butt high", they'll put the bar down with a vertical bar path. "Put the bar down fast" seems to work, but not as well. I haven't had many clients, but that's my experience.

[Mark D]

And here I thought I was doing something wrong because my shins didn't get beat up....

Live and learn. Die and forget it all.

[Pluripotent]

You know, you can solve this problem pretty easily just by using a trap bar...

[Chris Lippke]

You know, you can solve this problem pretty easily just by using a trap bar...

I thought about saying it. Better that you did.