Deadlift Form Check

[Brent Miller]

Hello, I've struggled mightily with my deadlift form and have deloaded several times due to lower back pain at heavier weights. Due to this, my squat has left my deadlift in the dust and my bench will soon surpass it as well. I use the SS deadlift setup religiously. My hips seem high but Rip says it is normal to feel like your hips are too high in the beginning. In watching this clip, it looks like my back is rounded and is not properly set. However, I don't know how I can set my back without also lowering my hips. I've tried to implement all of the cues (pull the slack out of the bar, chest out) but am still struggling with form. I never feel anything in my hamstrings or glutes when I deadlift. This set is at 215 and my lower back was somewhat painful throughout. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

YouTube

[Karl Schudt]

I think Nick Delgadillo's recent video about getting your belly down between your thighs will be helpful. If you think about it, when you get your lower back set, what will happen to the front of your lower back (your belly)? It will move forward. In order to move forward, it needs to have somewhere to go. Right now, you've not done step 3.5 (shove your knees out into your elbows) and you don't have any room for the midsection to go. Point your toes out a little, get your knees out, and get your belly down between your knees. See if it helps.

Fixing a Rounded Low Back in the Deadlift | Nick Delgadillo

[Brent Miller]

Thank you Karl, very much appreciate the feedback. I do try to shift my knees out but perhaps I am not doing it forcefully enough. I watched that clip and will also try to force my abdomen down next time (without lowering my hips, which has been my sticking point in the past). Quick question, I usually set up with my heels about 4-5 inches apart. Would widening my stance make it easier to force my stomach down? I have resisted trying this because I did not want a wide stance to force a wider grip and lengthen the range of the pull but would try 2-3 inches wider if you think it would help. Thanks again!

[Karl Schudt]

You may have to play with it a bit. I find adjusting the toe angle out more generally does the trick. You may even want to bring your heels slightly in and your toes slightly more out.

[Brent Miller]

I wanted to check in and see if I am getting closer to proper back extension in this recheck clip. I deloaded to 185 pounds to focus on setting my lower back. My back is decidedly less rounded here but not sure if it is in proper extension quite yet. Hopefully you can see me trying to push my abdomen down. The good news is I felt a twinge of hamstring and glute activation for the first time ever with this exercise. When I was pulling with a more rounded back, the deadlift felt like I was using all back and quads. Apologize for the intermittent focus issue here, hopefully you can still see everything you need to:

YouTube