Deadlift form check

[Marcelo de Lima Marcolin]

Hey coaches, I'd like a form check on my most recent Deadlift work set. Watching the video I have the feeling that maybe my hips are too high, and my balance seems to shift to my heels, despite me trying to follow the 5 steps. What cues would you suggest me to improve my form? I remember this set feeling a lot heavier than it seems in the video, I don't know if it's just how it is or if an inefficient pull can be the cause.

The video was from the 7th workout into my NLP, 121kg at a body weight of 78.3kg.

DL_121kg

Thanks!

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Marcelo

You're too close to the bar, making the hips too high as you pointed out. Back up a centimeter or two and increase the angle of the shins a little. Then you should be able to use your quads to break the bar off the ground and stay midfoot.

Good luck!

[Marcelo de Lima Marcolin]

Hey Pete

Thanks a lot for the advice. On today's session I tried to back up my positioning and the set felt better.
DL_126kg

I felt that in some reps my balance shifted to my toes, so I'll try next time to adjust my weight to midfoot before breaking the bar off the floor.

I don't know if I can ask about this here, but do you think it's time to drop one deadlift session at this point of the LP? I'm currently on the default 3x/week. Or maybe reduce the jumps in weight (I'm adding 5kg per session). I'm inclined to not do power cleans, but I'm able to do a decent amount of chins, so I was thinking if it was not the time to alternate the DL with chins.

Thanks again, I really appreciate the work you put here!

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Marcelo
Is there any way to get out of those squishy-soled shoes and into some lifters or flats with a non-compressible sole? You'll find it easier to keep your weight balanced.

The bar speed is still pretty good, but 5kg jumps 3x a week is a lot after the first few weeks. You could drop the jumps to 2.5kg for another week then start to alternate, or do both now. I'm not a fan of waiting until failure on the deadlift before changing the program and prefer to stay ahead of that.

[Marcelo de Lima Marcolin]

Hey Pete,

My shoes are supposed to be "cross training" shoes, they were the most rigid soles I could find. I still haven't found weightlifting shoes in trusted stores in Brazil, not even online. I'll definitely buy a decent pair of proper weightlifting shoes as soon as I can. Do you think deadlifting barefoot would be better until then?

I'll start alternating my deadlifts with chins, and reduce the weight jumps to avoid stalling too quickly.

Thanks!

[Pete Troupos]

Socks are fine while you're waiting for your shoes.

[Marcelo de Lima Marcolin]

Hey Pete,

I'm still not happy with my deadlift form. I feel that when I try to start a little further from the bar, it comes back at the start of the movement, and when it does comes straight up from the floor, it seems that I'm not really using my legs, like my shins get vertical right away.

This was from my last workout:


I thought about trying a frog stance to be able to use more leg drive to break the bar off the floor. What do you think? Any other tips?

Thanks!

[Pete Troupos]

Hey Marcelo
Congrats on the new sapatos.

You're setting up with your weight toward your toes and your shoulders way out in front of the bar. Rock back to midfoot before you set the back, and you should be in the right spot, with the shoulders just slightly in front of the bar.

[Marcelo de Lima Marcolin]

Thanks Pete, I'll focus on the pressure in my feet for the next workout.

What you described, being in the toes with the shoulders too forward, wouldn't this result in the bar rolling forward instead of backwards? When I watch my deadlifts I always have the impression that the bar comes towards my shins and that my legs are not helping to break the bar off the floor.

[Pete Troupos]

If you watch very carefully, when you first go to break the bar off the ground, it moves forward a bit and then back as you rock back to your midfoot/heels.