Fixing a lagging deadlift

[Smeed]

I can deadlift what I squat, but its ugly. It leaves the floor easily, but my low back position deteriorates throughout the set until it is in flexion.

Now, I only squat/DL 270. I've verified that my squat depth is fine and that I'm indeed setting my back and dragging the bar up my legs. Ive fucked around and haven't given DLs the attention they deserve. I spent a while doing them incorrectly, wearing oly shoes with heels which were too high.

I assume doing more deadlifting is the best way to correct this imbalance. Since I'm not moving much weight, would deloading the DL and doing it every workout (or at least mon/fri with a light wednesday) instead of power cleans be a good plan?

[MattJ.D.]

you're going to have to post a video of your squats to anyone believe that your squat and DL are the same. The most of common sign of that is high squats, and if you can't keep an extended lumbar at the weight its obviously a recovery or musculature problem. Meaning you're going to have to deload.

[Smeed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUUtb...ature=youtu.be

Please note this is from a couple weeks ago. Its set 1 of 275lbs. I was only able to complete 3 reps each on set 2 and 3, so its about as sloppy as a set of 5 gets for me. It looked a little high, and my knees didn't seem very stable so I deloaded 10%, got the extra depth I needed, payed attention to my knees and fixed the hitch/over-extension at the top of the rep.

I use the same belt to DL with and find it awkward, almost as if its not tight enough at the beginning of the pull, but I can't imagine that should stop me from nailing a set of 5 equal to what I squat.

[MikeC1]

Nice Ristos. Your squats are indeed a little bit high, not by much though. I doubt that is the reason your squat and deadlift are the same. It's more likely that you just don't know how to deadlift. You probably never got in the habit of pulling with a locked lumbar extension, and it got worse over time as the weight increased. It's funny, I just posted in another thread about this very topic.

[Smeed]

Thanks, the ristos are great. Definitely a good shoe for squats and pressing. And I think you're right, I've always followed the "perfect deadlift setup" but I've only just realized what chest up/tits to the wall meant. I reviewed a deadlift set from the same day I took my squat video and its apparent I was never setting my back.

Ill hunt down the thread you posted in and give it a read.

[DV]

In a situation like this someone yelling loudly is of immense benefit. I straightened out my brothers DL in a few sessions this way. Some of us just don't have a very good kineaesthetic sense, but yelling seems to make things "click" somehow.

Barring that, videoing every set (including warmups) can also help straighten out minor form errors, I find.

[Mac Ward]

I visited Jim Steel's gym at U Penn last Friday. He gave me a tip on the deadlift that I am sure has been said before, but didn't make any sense (to me) until he said it/showed it to me.

It was so obvious, it hurt. Here goes:

When you set up for the DL, (everything as described in SS), once you grip the bar and lower your butt until the shins touch the bar, TAKE THE SLACK OUT OF THE BAR by RAISING YOUR CHEST.

He had 315 on the bar and was working it for 3 sets of 10 that particular day. Each rep he would start by pulling the tension out of the bar (bar would actually start to bend) by raising his chest, putting tension on his "butt, hamstrings, and calves" (his words) and then pull the bar back (into his body) and up as he conducted the lift.

He had so much tension on the bar that it appeared that any more effort would cause the bar to start to come off the floor. I tried it, and it really helped get that rock hard setup, and added pounds to my DL.

Good stuff. Hope it helps.

[mcclamic]

To keep locked extension, I think of pushing my feet through the floor instead of thinking stand up. I have know idea why it works, other than maybe it's my mental clue, but it is night and day difference on my deadlifts. So much so, that my training partner can see the form down and says "You forgot to push through the floor didn't you?" Right before the lift, I think push feet through the floor. Helps keep it locked unless going for near maximum weight. Maybe you need to find a similar mental cue? Good luck!