Going from 10lb to 5lb DL jumps

[timelinex]

You should ask for a form review from one of the coaches. Personally, I notice that my back tends to flex when I'm not initiating the pull with my legs pushing the floor. Helps to focus on your knee extension to begin the lift, instead of trying to pull solely with your back.

Already saw an SSC in person a few weeks ago. We spent a good 30 minutes on my deadlift. It was close to impossible to get my back into full extension at the bottom position. Luckily I've gotten better since then. If I didn't just move forward while getting more limber, I would still be spinning my wheels at 225 lb.

I would love to hear any feedback on the DL, if there is anything else they see outside of my back extension.

[timelinex]

Success! 10# jump to 365.



I think I will have to for real change over to 5lb jumps next week. My back feels GREAT, but judging off the video, my middle back is going out of extension pretty good by the last rep.

The only problem I had was a sick glute cramp. My right one cramped up hard right after for a few minutes, and now both of them are cramping lightly even 1.5 hrs later. I've had cramps in my glutes every once in a while from deadlifts since the first time, but todays was the worst. Anything specific I'm doing wrong, or is my ass just the weak point in the chain?

[Satch12879]

More squoze and stay over the bar longer. Consider shoes; the little bit of heel may help you set your back.

[Matt Stacks]

You have to set your back harder and also stay tighter.

Why are you taking 15 seconds in-between reps? THAT by itself could be part of the issue. Lift. Set it back down. Count to three. Get tight. Pull. The longer you hang out and the bottom, the more your DL suffers.

[timelinex]

More squoze and stay over the bar longer. Consider shoes; the little bit of heel may help you set your back.

Staying over the bar longer means extending your knees first/faster right?

I have shoes, but unfortunately at this time I cannot wear them. The inch it adds between me and the ground, is an inch further in flexibility I don't have (to set my back while bending over)

You have to set your back harder and also stay tighter.

Why are you taking 15 seconds in-between reps? THAT by itself could be part of the issue. Lift. Set it back down. Count to three. Get tight. Pull. The longer you hang out and the bottom, the more your DL suffers.

The bottom position is not confortable, so i definitely hear you! I'm assuming my conditioning is just that bad. I usually wakeboard and that's my conditioning, but I haven't in a a little over a month, to focus on my LP. So I'm getting pretty damn winded. Maybe it's a mind over matter thing though and I just need to squeeze and go. My 135 warmup is fast and i dont get winded. Kinda hard to experiment when my only two full sets are very light or at maximal weight!

Thanks for the advice. I'm gonna see if I can start pulling before catching my breathe.

[Matt Stacks]

You don't need to catch your breath. You just need to get more air at the bottom. Quick breath (valsalva) and pull. Stay mostly tight between reps. Then breathe and just get tighter.

[mdelvecchio]

Looks like your back is rounding on your pulls. As already noted setting your back with your spine neutral, tight bracing, and lats tight is your friend -- you do not want to pull the bar with your backing rounding over, because eventually it will cause compression on your discs with is never a Good Thing (tm).

[timelinex]

So I did 370lbx5 yesterday. I really limbered up using RDL's as warmup and felt good about setting my back. I think I'm finally getting flexible enough to get a semi OK starting position.

I think they started out good. I tried to focus on keeping my back set. As far as I can tell my first 3 were pretty good, there was little change in the back and my shirt still had all the folds in it (versus being smooth if I rounded). I was also able to speed up the set just as you guys suggested. Turns out I don't have to catch my breathe in between, just give it a few breathes and go.

I am 100% not extending my knees soon enough, also just as you guys mentioned. I think you guys mentioned it as not staying over the bar long enough. So that is something I have to work on.

The biggest problem is that the last rep my form completely fell apart. Back rounded & knees really didn't extend till the top. I still locked everything out, but not sure what I should do? Should I move up 5lb again next DL day or do the same weight?

Here's the video, but I'm warning you that the last rep is REAL UGLY!



I was so disappointed with how difficult that set was and how my form fell apart that I figured maybe I needed more DL volume. I decided to do a back off set. I did a set with 300lb. When is a good time to add backoff sets? Was this a bad idea? I'm BEAT today! I am ever usually too sore after DL's. My mid/lower back still feels great, but upper back MUSCLES are super sore and sore are my quads. My traps are even sore and they have never been sore from DL's.

[timelinex]

The other small thing I realized is I have floated up and down in body weight (205.4-209.6) in the last 2 weeks, but yesterdays body weight(205.6) was actually the same as I was 10 days ago. So Obviously not eating enough and the floating up was probably from water retained (carbs?). Gonna try to kick that up and hopefully that will give me a little more juice for next weeks session!

[timelinex]

Well, I officially failed. Last week I did 270LBx5 and today I couldn't do 275LB more than once. The 2nd rep didn't even break off the floor. I tried again and that didn't work. Then I tried taking 10% off and I could only do 2. Took another 10% off and could barely do it a few times. Toast.

I'm seeing an SSC on Saturday, so I will talk to him about it. But what do you guys think. What now? Do I try the same weight again next week? Do I change something? I'm just surprised that I couldn't even break the second one off the floor.