Deadlift Form Check

[Don Babo]

Gentlemen:

45YO, 6' 4", 215 lbs

Squat 285X5, Bench 255X5, OHP 150X5

First request for DL form check. 350 lbs on the bar:

DL 350# - YouTube

Appreciate any and all guidance. At a minimum, I'm hoping to know if form seen here indicates that I'm putting myself at increased risk of injury.

From Blue Book and videos I know not to jerk with my arms or drop my hips and to pull the slack out before pushing the floor away. All seems to fall apart though as I break that first rep off the ground. I think reps 3 & 4 might be the closest I come to hitting all the wickets.

I also recognize 6'4"/215lbs is not ideal. I'm down about 40lbs over the past few months as I work with docs on my first real "old man" malady. Seems headed in the right direction to enable calorie increase in the coming weeks and months.

Thanks for all you folks do. Since finding this program, I'm more optimistic about aches and pains over the next two decades than I was leading up to the last two.

[Mark Rippetoe]

As the set progresses, look where the bar goes, and how your knees did that.

[Don Babo]

Appreciate your time and expertise.

I read your response to indicate I’m allowing the bar to drift forward of mid-foot as set progresses. This gives me plenty to work with.

Good chance I’m missing the specific mechanics involved though. I now see shins pushing bar forward as my hips drop throughout the set (a failure to maintain the 5-step setup). I don’t see egregious ramping or pulling around my knees (a failure of knee timing). Appreciate clarification of this detail if time allows.

I also note no mention of excessive spine flexion. Safe to assume the video indicates no apparent issue in this regard?

Thanks again.