Deadlift form check

[nkupianist]

Hey all

I have a deadlift video, the angle of which doesn't conform to sticky requirements, so I'll keep it out of the coach forum

This video angle actually does mercilessly expose flexion, still my biggest deadlift flaw aside from tending to drop my hips instead of just set my chest/back angle. The last 2 reps here got a little more sloppy in that regard than I prefer. I think a badly ventilated gym on a hot summer day didn't help matters by the time I got to pulls - just had very little left in the tank.

Anyway, suggestions to continue improving my pull are welcome and appreciated.
Deadlift form check - YouTube
Thanks
Scott

[Alexander Rix]

You say you tired, but bar move so fast ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don't be lazy, set your back.

Also, you do this where thing where you start the pull and pause, then pull. Don't do that!

[Pete Troupos]

A few things...
You're starting a bit further away from the bar than you should. You can tell because when you squeeze your back, your shoulders end up directly over the bar. Also, it's light enough that it comes off the ground when you squeeze and amplifies this.
Also, you're pulling around your knees. Your back starts to open, and your knees never move when you initiate the pull.
1. set up an inch away so your hips are at the right height and your shoulders are slightly in front of the bar.
2. squeeze the back.
3. break the bar off the ground by extending the knees and getting them out of the way while you drag the bar up your legs.

Edit: you're actually dropping your hips slightly after the set up and when you initiate that squeeze/pull from the floor the way you're doing it. Watch the end of the bar move forward then back.

[Dalton Clark]

Most of your issues come about during your set-up, which is kind of not the greatest. Follow the 5 steps to a perfect deadlift (that is searchable on google) and it will help you out. So yes, you noticed that your back is in all kinds of flexion which isn't good. This is actually "I'd stop you at the gym unsolicited" territory. When you set up, place your shins about an inch from the bar, bend down to grab the bar without flexing your knees. Keep your hips high, get your chest out over the bar more (your scapulae should be over the bar, not your shoulder joint), and squeeze your chest up while gripping the bar with straight arms. It looks like you aren't getting your chest out over the bar enough and are all scrunched up.

Also, setting your back occurs BEFORE the pull. Your back should be completely set (you'll hear the clink of the bar when all of the slack is out) and squeeze the bar off the floor. It is looking jerkier than I like.

Edit: Listen to SSC over me

[nkupianist]

Thanks for all responses thus far. Out of no disrespect at all toward any other responses, I'll primarily address the comments from the SSC.
Thanks for watching so thoroughly Coach Pete. Interesting comment about the distance from the bar - thought I had that piece locked down.
To clarify, in your edit, were you concluding that my distance on set up is right but the hips dropping (my constant source of form breakdown even after working with a couple SSC) was what initially caused you to conclude the distance was off, or is the distance off in addition to my hips dropping?

Ok, noted on the leg drive upon start of the pull. Believe it or not, my hip dropping issues were so much worse for a while, I've only recently started fully addressing this. It's a work in progress. Thank you. This lift is my continual form struggle.

Yes, I know what you mean on the light weights amplifying my shoulder position issues due to the bar budging from the squeeze. On a close to maximal weight like 380, the "float" effect doesn't occur. I seem to have relatively short arms, and this happens on all my warm ups, with the distance from the ground getting smaller as I pyramid up and only truly disappearing in the mid 300s. I recently met with a SSC who concluded that the weights I'm pulling are pretty submaximal and that I should progress faster. I'm trying 10 pound jumps until I stall.

[Alexander Rix]

Imo, don't go up 10 lbs every time you pull if you pull with a back like that. The weight is light, take advantage of that fact and fix your back while you don't need to deload. If those reps were grindy/ you were hitching the bar up, things would be more problematic.

[Pete Troupos]

Thanks for all responses thus far. Out of no disrespect at all toward any other responses, I'll primarily address the comments from the SSC.
Thanks for watching so thoroughly Coach Pete. Interesting comment about the distance from the bar - thought I had that piece locked down.
To clarify, in your edit, were you concluding that my distance on set up is right but the hips dropping (my constant source of form breakdown even after working with a couple SSC) was what initially caused you to conclude the distance was off, or is the distance off in addition to my hips dropping?

Tough to tell from this angle if it's definitely setting up too far or just a hip drop. I screen shot the vid. It looks like the latter.

Yes, I know what you mean on the light weights amplifying my shoulder position issues due to the bar budging from the squeeze. On a close to maximal weight like 380, the "float" effect doesn't occur. I seem to have relatively short arms, and this happens on all my warm ups, with the distance from the ground getting smaller as I pyramid up and only truly disappearing in the mid 300s. I recently met with a SSC who concluded that the weights I'm pulling are pretty submaximal and that I should progress faster. I'm trying 10 pound jumps until I stall.

It happens, but in your case your hips drop at the same time and bar kicks forward.

Here are some screen caps. Check out your hips relative to the chair in the background. This is where I assume your shins are touching because the bar doesn't move forward until a second later. Look at where your shoulders are relative to the bar.
Setup.jpg

Here's where it's about to break off the ground. See how the hips drop? Also, look at the angle of your back and your thigh compared to the third picture.
Pull.jpg

See how the back angle has changed, but your thigh hasn't?
Break.jpg

Hopefully these pics upload, or none of this will make sense.
Again...correct distance from the bar, don't drop the hips, tighter squeeze, and extend the knees.

[Pete Troupos]

Edit: Listen to SSC over me

Don't beat yourself up. We're all here to help and improve.

[nkupianist]

The screen caps are really helpful, thanks for taking the time. It all makes total sense. I'll continue trying to ingrain that bullet list at the end into my set up - especially the hips one. That's been my big issue from day 1. It's improved a lot, but still not there.

Thanks again all.

Scott

[nkupianist]

Imo, don't go up 10 lbs every time you pull if you pull with a back like that. The weight is light, take advantage of that fact and fix your back while you don't need to deload. If those reps were grindy/ you were hitching the bar up, things would be more problematic.

I fully can understand that logic. I'm still trying to find an adequate explanation for why, but I've actually found that the pull itself looks progressively better the heavier I go. For example, 380 for a single last week Press and deadlift PR - YouTube with a lot less rounding than yesterday. While it shouldn't have the effect on my pull that it does, I think all of my form breakdowns are the worst when the weight is easier. Again, I'm not making an excuse for that - it shouldn't be happening - but I'm wondering if getting a little closer to my limits, where the "squeeze" just removes slack from the bar and doesn't lift it off, will clean some of this up while I work out the mechanics of my warm up lifts better.
I say none of this with an argumentative tone at all, BTW - I've just been playing with "form-tune up" deloads for quite a while now, and lately, if anything, I've been finding that my form cleans up substantially when the weight isn't an inch off the floor before the pull. I suspect your initial comment about not being lazy has some validity, too - I bet I'm subconsciously giving singles a better squeeze because I'm not dreading the next 4 reps. That's something I need to correct.