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Thread: DL question

  1. #1
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    Default DL question

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    Shoulders shrugged back, similar to bench, at the top is proper form. However I'm just wondering whether or not I need to maintain this throughout the lift? I re read SS and found this part a bit ambiguous. Thank you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GripAU View Post
    Shoulders shrugged back, similar to bench, at the top is proper form.
    Says who? You just have to stand erect and your shoulders can't be rounded, they certainly don't need to be shrugged back like in the bench. And no, you don't have to maintain that throughout the lift, your shoulders can be rounded provided your lower back stays flat or extended.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason B View Post
    Says who? You just have to stand erect and your shoulders can't be rounded, they certainly don't need to be shrugged back like in the bench. And no, you don't have to maintain that throughout the lift, your shoulders can be rounded provided your lower back stays flat or extended.
    Last edited by misspelledgeoff; 03-03-2010 at 09:53 AM. Reason: misread original post

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    Quote Originally Posted by GripAU View Post
    Shoulders shrugged back, similar to bench, at the top is proper form. However I'm just wondering whether or not I need to maintain this throughout the lift? I re read SS and found this part a bit ambiguous. Thank you.
    Actually, SS specifically says NOT to shrug your shoulders back. Maybe re-read it again?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by GripAU View Post
    However I'm just wondering whether or not I need to maintain this throughout the lift?
    Depends on who you talk to. Some coaches recommend retracting the shoulder blades strongly from the start and keeping them tightly pinched together throughout. Rip himself has stated that he has changed his opinion regarding this point since the 2nd edition of Starting Strength and will be recommending shoulders blades pinched together in the next edition.

    Personally, I've always just kept my shoulder blades neutral; having said that, this is no longer a concern now that I'm switching to round back DLs.

    Experiment with both (shoulders squeezed together hard/shoulders engaged at neutral) and come back and tell us what you learn.

    -S.

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    Quote Originally Posted by PVC View Post
    Actually, SS specifically says NOT to shrug your shoulders back. Maybe re-read it again?
    I'm wondering whether he actually means "shrug" or "retract."

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    Quote Originally Posted by nisora33 View Post
    I'm wondering whether he actually means "shrug" or "retract."
    Isn't there a significant difference between the two?

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't "retraction" be accomplished by raising the chest, while "shrugging" would be accomplished by actively pulling the shoulder blades back?

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    Quote Originally Posted by PVC View Post
    Isn't there a significant difference between the two?
    Yes.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't "retraction" be accomplished by raising the chest, while "shrugging" would be accomplished by actively pulling the shoulder blades back?
    Retraction involves bringing the shoulder blades toward midline/the spine. Rhomboids do this, in large part, with some help from the trapezius muscle. Shrugging the shoulders involves scapular elevation--i.e. bringing the shoulder blades toward the ceiling (if you're standing up); the trapezius and levator scapula muscles do this. Different muscle actions, different scapular movements, so yes there is a difference.

    -S.
    Last edited by nisora33; 03-03-2010 at 11:07 AM.

  9. #9
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    Okay, partly what might confuse someone here is that the term "shrug" is not a technical term, while the terms retraction and elevation are. I suppose if you were bent over as when doing a row and retracting your shoulder blades, this would look like a shrug. But the muscle actions are different, nevertheless.

    -S.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nisora33 View Post
    Okay, partly what might confuse someone here is that the term "shrug" is not a technical term, while the terms retraction and elevation are. I suppose if you were bent over as when doing a row and retracting your shoulder blades, this would look like a shrug. But the muscle actions are different, nevertheless.

    -S.
    I think this is what got me stuck. Thank you for clearing this up.

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