Why my deadlift is so weak ?

[Josselin]

Dear Starting Strength community,

New to the forum, let me introduce myself :
My name is Josselin, I am french, 29yo, lifting for multiple years especially for rugby in the rugby gym. Now I've quited rugby and want to get stronger and started a novice linear progression.
I've bought the blue book, read the articles on the website and still don't understant why my deadlift is so weak.

info:
Height : 6'2 - 189cm
bodyweight : 240 lbs - 109kg


My numbers in the gym when I was playing rugby were :
high bar squat (way below parallel) near 200kg - now I low bar squats 3x5 at 170kg
Bench 150 kg
Press 100 kg
Power clean 115 kg
Power snatch 100 kg
BB Rows : sets of 5 around 100kg
Max bw chin-ups is 12reps

Like you can see, we never deadlifted in the rugby gym. I remember I snatch grip deadlift with straps once with 150kg for one rep, but it was for fun.

The problem is that since i've started the novice linear progression, i feel my deadlift form very bad, and it is hard to me to get into the starting position.
I don't know how to push my feet into the ground instead of pulling with my back and begins to feel heavy above 100kg.
For information, I am much more stronger using snatch grip with straps, and power cleaning 100kg feels easy to me.

In the wetransfer link below, an example of 3reps at 120kg deadlift :
WeTransfer - Send Large Files & Share Photos Online - Up to 2GB Free

What should I do to correct my form and improve ?

Many thanks to you all,

Josselin

[Mark Rippetoe]

Post a video on YouTube.

[Josselin]

https://youtube.com/shorts/cDJniTloMPI

Here is 100kg power clean of this morning (for warmup before deadlift) :
https://youtube.com/shorts/aFBhE6gct_w?feature=share

Then 120kg deadlift :
https://youtube.com/shorts/hkrOq7a8rH8

Then 130kg deadlift :
https://youtube.com/shorts/r0gFwbtiVEg?feature=share

It looks easy but really it doesn't feel like, I feel my midback rounding, even with the belt... (I tried differend belt position just like mentionned in the article "the belt and the deadlift").
Grip is ok.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Your deadlift is weak because you don't have enough weight on the bar. These are not even close to limit deadlifts. Your form is fine. Either hook grip or alternate grip, and go up. This looks like 150kg is an easy triple.

Why are you doing 3s instead of 5s?

[Josselin]

Your deadlift is weak because you don't have enough weight on the bar. These are not even close to limit deadlifts. Your form is fine. Either hook grip or alternate grip, and go up. This looks like 150kg is an easy triple.

Why are you doing 3s instead of 5s?

Hello Mark,

It was just for the videos. I'll try to put some more weight and see what's happen.
Even triples at 150kg is way below my squats (and I ensure you they are breaking parallel).

Is a lack of "practice" a reason why I'm not strong enough on my deadlift compared to my squat ?

Thank you Mark.

[Matt James]

It looks easy but really it doesn't feel like, I feel my midback rounding, even with the belt... (I tried differend belt position just like mentionned in the article "the belt and the deadlift").
Grip is ok.

Your feelings are inaccurate. Your back looks good, and these aren't hard for you. Watch the video a few times and recalibrate your perceptions and expectations.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes. See my discussions of RPE.

[Josselin]

Many thanks for your precious advises that I will put in practice the next session. I'll post a video with more weight on the bar.

Is it ok for you if I still warmup with power snatch, then power clean when weight gets heavier and then deadlift or do I need to practice my deadlift and then start deadlifting with 2 plates ?

Josselin

[SouthernLifter]

Many rugby players, fighters, etc., are afraid of going heavy in the deadlift because they worry when their lower back starts to feel "loaded". It is a syndrome that I have noticed many times among these people (I have played some rugby, and I have trained with dozens of them), however they are not afraid to squat 200 kg with a high bar and "load" their knees too much . Or even going too heavy on the bench press to the point of screwing up their shoulders, or even risking death, since they do it outside of the power rack. The deadlift often gets a bad name in those training rooms (woke coaches do their job of spreading hatred for the deadlift, too).

By the way, what rugby position did you play?

[Josselin]

Yes Southernlifter it is exactly this feeling and I think now that with enough practice and once I get used to heavy weight it will be OK.

I was playing blindside flanker and second row.
Rugby gym (and sports gym in general) are not the best place to train, definitly... I remember the coach who asked us to jump off a 20inches step with a 100kg barbell on our shoulders, I answered to him that I'm fine if he wants to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life but I don't want to. He also asked us to do planks on a swiss ball, to lunges with kettlebells... this kind of shit...
Actually I was doing m own program based on basic barbell mouvement and learned with the Oly guys who were training next to us because I believed into it.

I listened a podcast with Mark (I think it is muscle for life) and he's right, these coaches don't know anything about what they are doing, and we were actually exercising, not training.

I hope I will squat 500lbs and deadlift more than I squat soon with hard work and the help of your advice since I'm now getting serious with training.