Deadlift Form Check

[logjammin]

Hi SS Forums,

I humbly submit two videos, both quite recent, of a couple of reps of 305 and a 315x5x1 deadlift.

Revelant background info:

- I'm 33
- I weigh ~207lbs and am 6'0
- I injured my lower back long ago on a deadlift, before I paid a SSC to teach me how to do things safely. As a result, deadlifting has always been quite difficult, as much psychologically as physically.

I'm doing a 4-day Texas Method split routine at the moment. My lifts right now are:
- Squat: 355x5x1
- DL: 315x5x1
- Press: 142.5x5x1
- Bench: 217.5x5x1
- PC: 185 (I don't do these much; when I do, it's fifteen singles spaced a minute apart).

As you can tell, my squat is much higher than my DL. This has long been an issue for me, and part of my motivation for posting is to figure out what might be going wrong. So: I thank you in advance for your time, and don't hold back! (And let me know if you need anything else from me, information-wise. I'm sure I've left things out.)

Videos:

YouTube

YouTube

[Charles Jenkins]

Set your back harder. Your hips are shooting up, which is killing your drive. Get that back set hard, then focus on maintaining that back angle for the first half of the lift while you extend the knees.

[logjammin]

Set your back harder. Your hips are shooting up, which is killing your drive. Get that back set hard, then focus on maintaining that back angle for the first half of the lift while you extend the knees.

Thanks for the quick and helpful reply, Charles. It's something I've been told before (by an SSC well-known on these forums, actually - god help me if he sees this post!). But - and I know I'm inviting a ton of shit my way for saying it - it's so fucking difficult to set my back without dropping my hips I can't stand it. I know: if it's easy, you're not doing it right. I wholeheartedly agree. But it feels like something's going to break, or that I'm going to pass out from holding my breath. And this is only on rep 1 - let's not even talk about 2 through 5.

I've been stuck on my DL for over a year. I've worked with the above SSC on it in person. I've read and re-read SSBBT on this, and I've fiddled with different aspects (belt vs. no-belt, grips, straps, stance width, toe angle, etc.) to basically no avail. My other lifts keep moving nicely (if a little slowly), but this one stays where it is and I'm still achingly lower-back-sore for days afterwards.

Am I whining? Is this that old injury? Both? Neither?

(A word on that injury: I was DLing before I knew what that was, and my buddy - who didn't know either but insisted he did - egged me on to do a rep of 185 when I couldn't pull 110. I tried it and threw my back out immediately. Couldn't take a full stride walking for weeks. Docs said it was muscular, no disc damage, but then again they didn't do a scan. I've reaggravated it three times since, but not in two years. I'm much more careful now.)

[logjammin]

Another video, fresh out of the oven. This is today, 225x5x1.

YouTube

[Stefan Theimer]

It'd be nice to see these from the front angle as described in the form check filming suggestions sticky.

I agree with you and everyone else that you're dropping your hips as you try to set your back. I know you know. We all know. What can we do on the internet? Sometimes a coach needs to be there, touching your sacrum and yelling at you to leave it where it is.

One related thing that I see, that may be an issue for you (as it was for me), is that you are bending over and bending your knees a lot before and while you're trying to get your hands set. That ends up shifting your weight forward at the ankle, and can send you forward of midfoot and maybe move the bar forward as your hips drop (I think I saw a little rolling forward of the bar as you set your back). I recall somewhere in a video of Rip coaching where he instructs the lifter to bend over "with straight legs" after getting your feet set. Also, I think the Alan Thrall video on deadlift errors covers this issue.
Once we get a video from a front angle, we'll be able to see more.

Additionally, I think there might be some value in re-framing for you what back pain is and what the docs (Baraki, Feigenbaum) say about what to do when something happens:

YouTube
YouTube
YouTube

Their advice on this has really helped me when a tweak happens. Above all don't be afraid.

[logjammin]

Thanks so much for this, paddler. The videos are great, and Thrall describes exactly what I've gone through. Chewing through the Baraki/Feigenbaum podcast right now.

I'd seen the sticky about the front angle, but forgot about the front angle. I'm gonna powerclean on Sunday, so I'll throw in another look at 225 while I'm there. I'll also try to take my grip with straight legs - though I'll tell you right now, I have legendarily tight hamstrings and have always found bending over that way to be very difficult. But I'll keep my balance in mind during the setup -- I think you may be right about shifting my weight forward a little.

I guess there's no other way but forward. I'll keep working at it. Thanks again!

[tfranc]

Agreeing with paddlers assessment, it’s hard to tell from this angle, but I suspect you are starting with the bar too close to your shins. There should be a full 1-2 inch gap between the bar and your shins when you are standing straight up. When you bend down and grab the bar, your shins should have plenty of room to touch the bar when you bend your knees.