Deadlift Form Check

[Christian Lee]

Hello, apologies for not exactly filling all the requirements for the deadlift film angles. It was more of a post-hoc decision of mine to post this on the forums after having done the set.

Here's my set of 5 @172.5kg/380lbs.

8 June 2022 Deadlift @172.5kg 1x5 - YouTube


More info on me and my training:

I'm 26 y/o and weigh 83kg/183lbs.

I've been on the NLP since the 13th of March, but with some missed sessions here and there, that comes up to about about 10 'training weeks' into the programme. Squat weights are being increased twice a week with the light Wednesday, and the the deadlift session shown above marks my transitioning the progression to once a week with the Day A Deadlift/Power Clean alternation and Day B chin ups. However, I don't actually do power cleans as I opted for Pendlay Rows instead.

[Satch12879]

How tall are you?

Fight to push the floor away and stay over the bar, particularly as the set goes on. You’re ramping these toward the end.

The clean is not hard to learn.

[Christian Lee]

I'm 168cm/5'6"

What does ramping mean exactly? When you say I should stay over the bar, I take it you also mean that my shoulders have gone behind behind the bar as I pull? Is my set up an issue? Now that I look at it again, it does seem like I drop my hips somewhat.

And I know, I actually more or less 'get' the movement pattern and have executed the lift with few (that I could see or feel) problems, as this isn't actually my first time attempting the NLP. I was running it before covid shutdowns hindered my training. My decision to swap them out was more out of curiosity. Back when I did PCs, I had gotten up to 72.5kg. Do you think it would be worth swapping back to it at this point?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Deadlift form check

[tiny&mighty]

What does ramping mean exactly?

Here's a great answer to that question:

Ramping is when the bar gets to about mid thigh with your knees sill appreciably bent. The bar ends up sitting on your thighs as if on a ramp. You're using your legs to take some of the weight off the bar as you pull as a consequence of a form error.

[Christian Lee]

Here's a great answer to that question:

thanks! that was from the thread Rip linked me to.

Deadlift form check

thanks for the link, Rip. What is the mechanistic connection between ramping and not setting the back into extension?

[Christian Lee]

I thought I would post an update. Here is 175kg for 5 done yesterday. 16 June 2022 Deadlift @ 175kg 1x5 - YouTube

I was deadlifting barefoot until now but decided to throw on my squat shoes for this session.

It seems like there's some improvement, but I think that last rep had some noticeable ramping. Would you say that my form is starting to creep? I'm trying to keep my back in extension but I also see rounding.

[Jovan Dragisic]

I do this too. As Satch said, you have to fight hard to keep your back over the bar as it starts to cross the knees. You are rushing to extend your chest when you should be focusing on following through the movement with your hips until lockout.

[Christian Lee]

How tall are you?

Fight to push the floor away and stay over the bar, particularly as the set goes on. You’re ramping these toward the end.

The clean is not hard to learn.

Is staying over the bar just a matter of keeping my back extended and not dropping hips at the beginning?

I do this too. As Satch said, you have to fight hard to keep your back over the bar as it starts to cross the knees. You are rushing to extend your chest when you should be focusing on following through the movement with your hips until lockout.

I'm not quite sure I understand how to better focus on "following through with my hips" any more than I think I am already doing.

[Jovan Dragisic]

I'm not quite sure I understand how to better focus on "following through with my hips" any more than I think I am already doing.

Once the bar reaches your knees, you have an instinctive reaction to pull it to lockout with your upper body. Fight this urge, instead think about keeping your shoulders above the bar for a while longer and continue pushing the floor away.