Deadlift form check appreciated

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

Would appreciate some more deadlift advice as its been a while since my last check. This is 120kg x5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMe-XVsu9L8

I realise I still have issues with this. I'm dropping my hips a bit at the start of the pull. However I have such long legs that if I follow the exact SS form then my back would be worse than horizontal at the start.

Any advice appreciated.

[manveer]

Looks like you don't know how to get your lower back tight. You tighten it a little before pulling, then relax it and drop your hips, and then pull. Drop your shins to the bar, "chest up" hard without dropping your hips, and then start the pull.

It may be easier to do this without the belt at first, then bring the belt back in later once you're used to it.

[danlightbulb]

My hips are dropping in relation to the tightening of my back I'm sure. If I try and hold my hips high, the act of tightening my back makes me feel a very tight pull in the back of my legs i.e in the hamstrings (like when you try and touch your toes) and I cannot get the necessary back extension. It certainly does not feel like I'm relaxing at all during the pull. I'll try again tomorrow though thanks.

[danlightbulb]

Deadlift not good today. Repeated 120kg trying to keep my hips high. Did not feel that I was getting a good back contraction at all, and have hurt my knees with a narrower stance. No video today unfortunately, the gym was too busy for me to set up my phone on a bench.

I also attempted a sumo deadlift. How does this work because the grip comes inside the legs so is narrower, but that part of the bar is smooth (no knurl), so grip was a real problem? I also didn't like the feeling of the hands coming over the thighs as it interfered with the lift.

[carson]

Sumo is probably not for you. In the video you don't have much squoze but you to crank your neck out of place. Look at a point 2-4 feet in front of you on the floor.

[Bill Hannon]

My hips are dropping in relation to the tightening of my back I'm sure. If I try and hold my hips high, the act of tightening my back makes me feel a very tight pull in the back of my legs i.e in the hamstrings (like when you try and touch your toes) and I cannot get the necessary back extension. It certainly does not feel like I'm relaxing at all during the pull. I'll try again tomorrow though thanks.

A sensation of tightness in the hamstrings is normal. Make sure your toes are turned out slightly, and shove your knees out a little into your arms - this should help you with setting your back. You can get the necessary back extension, you'll just need to work at it. Lock the hips in the place, and squeeze your chest up hard. Practice just the setup without lifting the bar if you need to until you get it down.

[danlightbulb]

I have been deadlifting a while, and have had this issue throughout, and have experimented with different stance widths etc. I wonder if I am just not flexible enough or my proportions are fucking it up.

With slightly bent legs (say 20 degrees), I can only reach my extended arms down to my knees if I keep my back locked. Can go no further. So this is why when in the deadlift position, my hands a good 8" lower than my knees, that I need to drop the hips to lock my back, otherwise I simply cannot get into back extension. But this of course puts my knee angle at around 45 degrees as can be seen in the video and its more of a squat start which obviously I know is wrong.

If my stance is approx 15-18" apart the length of my legs means that I cannot get my knees out of the way, hence why I hurt my kneecaps with the bar. For this reason, I have tended to go with quite a wide stance, circa 20 to 24" at the heels. This allows me to shove my legs out but because of this I need to take a wider grip too.

FYI I did see Carl in London last year, and he said I had a very odd looking deadlift because of my proportions. I've never really solved the problem. I don't want to go blaming my proportions but I do want to solve the issue.

[Bill Hannon]

Don't get discouraged, you're not that far off, just keep after it. The proper setup is uncomfortable. As mentioned above, you start to set your back, but don't every fully set it. As soon as you drop your hips (and let the hamstrings win the tug of war over your pelvis) your lumbar flexes. Get fully squoze with hips locked in place. You're almost there.

[danlightbulb]

Bill I'm squeezing as hard as I possibly can, genuinely. My back cannot lock unless my hamstrings are shortened by dropping my hips a bit. I sit down all day, could I need to stretch regularly?

[carson]

What is your height? Why do you crank you head up so far?