DL form check

[ba0412]

First off coach I want to say thanks for all the hard work you have put into writing your books, moderating this forum, putting together all the platform videos and all of the articles. Thank you for providing such a great resource to so many people.

That being said can you please critique the hell out of my deadlift form? I have hurt my low back twice now and both times it happened when I passed the 400 lb mark. I was sacrificing form for weight on the bar and I do not want to make that mistake again. The first time I was able to continue to squat with my normal weigh and I reset the weight on deads to 135. I worked my way back up with little problem. The second time I got passed 400 I hurt my low back even worse. I had to reset my squat as well as the deads. So please let me know what you think. Also I do plan to attend the training camps next time they are available in the mid to north east region to help me further with this matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3_2S...&feature=g-upl

[Mark Rippetoe]

Thanks for the kind. words. Some common mistakes here, moving this to the technique forum.

[Brodie Butland]

Let's start with the set-up. Remember that you approach the bar, with your shins about an inch from the bar while standing erect, i.e., not looking down at the bar. Then, with legs straight, bend over and grab the bar. Once you grab the bar, bend your knees to the bar and spread them out. Then, while not dropping your hips, pull your chest up. When you can't pull your chest up any more, begin the pull. (Do a search on the five-step set-up...I know someone has more eloquently restated them than I have here...I'm using shorthand.)

Here are your issues:

Problem 1: You started grabbing the bar with knees bent. The bar accordingly is a little ahead of your midfoot. Don't bend the knees when grabbing the bar.

Problem 2: You didn't actively pull your chest up before beginning the pull...on any of the reps. Really force your chest up before pulling.** Slow down a little between reps so you can get this ingrained into your head.

Problem 3: When you set the bar down, you bend your knees early...when the bar loops around your knees, it ends up being ahead of your midfoot for the next rep. Set the bar down in the exact reverse order as you picked it up...unlock your back first, then unlock your knees once the bar gets past them.

Problem 4: Just stand up, don't jerk back at the top. You don't want to potentially hyperextend while holding a lot of weight.

Hope this helps.


**Note: you may have to add some weight to the bar to learn how to do this properly, because 135 looks really easy for you...when I pull my chest up on 135, the bar actually begins moving up a little because it's too light.)

[ba0412]

Ok thanks for the tips. I can't grab the bar without bending my knees what you see in the video is actually an improvement. My flexability is a problem. That is also as high as I can lift my chest without dropping my hips or like you said actually starting the pull. I'm working on my flexability hopefully that will solve some of these problems