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Thread: Where should I feel the weight when breaking the deadlift off the ground?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    6

    Default Where should I feel the weight when breaking the deadlift off the ground?

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    I'm having trouble getting a feel for the deadlift. I was able to advance adding 10 lbs per day 3x a week until I got to 385 lbs, but now I'm stuck. I've been keeping my hips high and trying to break the bar off the floor with my quads, but as the weight has gotten heavier it's been harder to keep my hips in position. Really, I just don't feel like I'm in a position to generate a lot of strength even though I'm setting up (or at least trying to set up) how the book recommends. I think my problem is that I'm not pushing from the right place.

    I think to keep my hips high I would probably feel the weight somewhat in my hamstrings, pushing with my heels. But trying to start the lift with my quads has me attempting to extend my knee and that doesn't feel very powerful, and seems like it forces my hips down. Can anyone explain what a good deadlift FEELS like, in terms of where are you pushing/pulling during the movement off the ground?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
    Posts
    4,909

    Default

    Push the floor away from you with the MIDDLE of your foot.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Thanks for the response. So for the first few inches should my back angle be basically static? Then after the bar breaks the ground the hips get involved?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Atlanta area
    Posts
    4,909

    Default

    The hips are always involved in the lift, even if your back angle remains static, because if they weren't, the back angle would change towards horizontal. Hamstrings maintain the back angle off the floor, and that means the hips are "involved." For the first inch or two, the back angle is relatively constant. That begins to change, and more rapidly, the higher the bar gets.

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