1x5x325# Deadlift critique

[H.M.]

Would appreciate any comments on my form. Lifts felt ok to me, but it looks like they had a pretty brief lockout at the top.

Yes, I know I'm fat, lack fashion sense and need a better camera.

1x5x325#:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyh7ToedQhs

And in case you want to see if there's a change on form only at my higher weights....

1x2x255#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4mubKR-vQM
1x5x135#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xJ0HEt1FaY

[tnumrych]

The exposure on the video is a little high and you can't clearly see the lumbar but they look damn good to me. No change between warmups and work weights that I can notice. Nice job.

[Tom Campitelli]

I did not watch your warmups, but I saw a few small things you may want to adjust.

• Your stance looks wide, although it is tough to tell from the video angle. Jump up and down a few times and see where your feet are. That's a good place from which to start deads.
• You need to stand all the way up in order to finish the lift. You are not currently doing this.
• Watch your hips and the front of your shoulders carefully at the beginning of each lift. They move about a little before the bar leaves the ground. Start with your hips a little higher (an inch or two) and your shoulders slightly more in front of the bar. You are pretty close right now, but this tweak will make the pull feel shorter.
• I can't see if your back is in extension because the highlights are completely blown out on the video.

On the whole, things look fine.

[Alex Bond]

You need to stand all the way up in order to finish the lift. You are not currently doing this.

A good way to cue this is to really squeeze your glutes at the top. Lots of times people who aren't opening their hips all the way compensate by hyperextending the lower back. This is bad. Your glutes aren't firing all the way, and the cause is probably tight hip flexors. Stretch the hip flexors and squeeze your ass as you lockout, and you will not only be at full ROM but the extra glute involvement will mean you can lift more.

[famendoza]

H. M. for what it's worth, based on the angle I see (and what I tried in the mirror about 2 seconds ago) I also deadlift in a stance width similar to yours and have had no trouble off the floor. In fact, it makes the above knee pull feel easier. My stance is about a hair width outside hip width (outer part of ankle JUST outside hip width). I can't comment on the other points that others have mentioned though. The brief lock up at the top, would it have anything to do with a slipping grip?

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi,

you seem to be spending a lot of energy holding the bar on the way down. It's not a technical point, after all the deadlift is all about moving the bar up, not down, but if you could let it go a bit more (always under control) you will have more gas in the tank.

One more note: a couple of times the bar seems to move away from you, just as it breaks from the floor. Always check you are in the correct starting position before pulling (sorry about making an obvious point).

IPB

[H.M.]

THANKS!

Got some things to watch for next time:

• stance looks wide … Jump up and down a few times--That's a good place from which to start deads.
• Not standing all the way up to finish the lift.
  
  • To cue this - squeeze your glutes at the top. Your glutes aren't firing all the way, and the cause is probably tight hip flexors. Stretch the hip flexors and squeeze your ass as you lockout, and you will not only be at full ROM but the extra glute involvement will mean you can lift more.
• Hips and the front of your shoulders move a little before the bar leaves the ground. Start with your hips a little higher (an inch or two) and your shoulders slightly more in front of the bar - this will make the pull feel shorter.
• Spending a lot of energy holding the bar on the way down – lower faster.
• The bar seems to move away from you just as it breaks from the floor. Check you are in the correct starting position before pulling