Deadlift form check (lower back tweak)

[jeremyg]

Hi Coach - I'm 39, 5'8", 215lbs. I tweaked my lower back (approx a hand's-width to the left of the lower lumbar spine) 12 days ago while deadlifting 265. I'm working to correct my form and set my back properly so I took a one week layoff and then deloaded the deadlift to 225 on Monday and pulled 5 reps with no apparent issues. My lower back still has some pain at times throughout the day when not lifting (I sit a desk much of the work day), but I don't notice any pain when squatting, pressing, benching, or when deadlifting (unless I'm tweaking it again).

Hoping you can point out the issues with this lift and possibly offer some additional advice about rehabbing this lower back pain.

Here is today's video when I pulled 230 and felt the same "tweak" on the 5th rep, although it was slight and I dropped the weight before it got worse.

[Pete Troupos]

You're setting up on your heels and your shins are too vertical. Get the bar across midfoot, then sit your ass down until your shins just touch the bar. Then make sure you're on midfoot before you set the back. Because of your setup your quads can't help as well with breaking the bar off the ground, so you rock back more and open the hips to get it going and then make your low back work harder than it has to.
If you can fix your setup and break the bar off the ground by extending the knees, you'll get a straighter bar path, a more efficient deadlift, and a happier back.

On a side note, completely laying off for a week is not a good strategy. Doing some lighter squats the next day or the day after would be a better course if you suspect it's your technique on the deadlift that caused the issue.

[jeremyg]

Ok, so I was convinced that the bar was over mid foot, and about an inch from my shins.

So the main takeaway is to figure out where midfoot really is, which should set me up the correct distance from the bar, leading to proper shin/knee angle, and everything else.

Noted re the layoff. I thought it might not be the best idea at the time... Also coincidentally listened to the “returning from a layoff” podcast the day before. Still ended up with really sore legs the next day

[GioFerrante]

Ok, so I was convinced that the bar was over mid foot, and about an inch from my shins.

I can tell you're on your heels because your toes keep popping up off the floor. Can you see your toes tapping around in the video?

[Pete Troupos]

With those lifting shoes, covering the strap with the bar when you look down will get you closer to midfoot. Start there and adjust accordingly.

[jeremyg]

All right, here is what feels like mid-foot to me. These felt pretty good, and more importantly my back feels great right now (better than when I woke up today), but how do these look?

Deadlift - 240lb 1x5

Thanks for all of your help!

[Mark Rippetoe]

The last 3 reps were a little forward coming off the floor. Get your hips up and the weight off your toes before you start the pull.

[jeremyg]

Thanks for the feedback Coach. Just rewatched and I see what you mean. Looks like I even paused between 2nd and 3rd reps to check the bar placement and must have missed that it was still a bit too far forward.

Seems like a silly question, but is there something in the way I’m putting the bar down that’s causing it to end up too far forward?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If your knees slide forward at all before the bar passes them on the way down, the bar will be forward when it hits the platform, and you have to reset it.