My gym has one, and I use them for deads. I like the extra clearance the bar gives compared to the straight, and save the first few times I deadlifted, I’ve always used it. A few questions.
anyone else prefer the cambered bar exclusively? or do you switch between both?
do you find you can pull more with the cambered bar, or about the same as straight? is this a pussification of the deadlift?
(unrelated to the actual bar) I use a mixed grip, but its always the same mix. right hand pronated, left supinated. my grip sucks, so I tend to keep the grip I feel strongest with. any problems with this method?
It would be best is you alternate the hands you pro/sup. Also if your grip sucks work on it. The first thing that stopped my deadlift from going up was my grip. Recently I pulled a 400lb PR. I was stoked.
If your using a cambered bar then yes your pretty much doing a partial dead like a rack pull sure it can be a tool to pull higer loads but should not replace full ROM work and even deficite deads.
If you use it only then you are changing it from a Tool to a crutch.
[quote]Phill wrote:
If your using a cambered bar then yes your pretty much doing a partial dead like a rack pull sure it can be a tool to pull higer loads but should not replace full ROM work and even deficite deads.
Phill[/quote]
Thanks for your response. but how is it a partial? Im not turning the bend upwards and pulling from there, Im just using the bend in the bar to keep it closer to my legs on the come up. when I look down at the bar it looks like this _/-----_
follow me? I was thinking about that today cause I bumped up my working sets to 275 last night on deads, and was pretty stoked to get 3 solid sets of 8-10 in (dont laugh). Then I started to think about if I had done them with a straight bar would I have been able to pull as much, and instead of reracking the whole shit just to find out, I figured I’d ask around here.
[quote]Frank Castle wrote:
Phill wrote:
If your using a cambered bar then yes your pretty much doing a partial dead like a rack pull sure it can be a tool to pull higer loads but should not replace full ROM work and even deficite deads.
Phill
Thanks for your response. but how is it a partial? Im not turning the bend upwards and pulling from there, Im just using the bend in the bar to keep it closer to my legs on the come up. when I look down at the bar it looks like this _/-----_
follow me? I was thinking about that today cause I bumped up my working sets to 275 last night on deads, and was pretty stoked to get 3 solid sets of 8-10 in (dont laugh). Then I started to think about if I had done them with a straight bar would I have been able to pull as much, and instead of reracking the whole shit just to find out, I figured I’d ask around here. [/quote]
The cambered bar shortens the distance you have to pull. Visualize a bar where the camber goes up three feet- how far would you have to pull it? It’s the same concept but on a much smaller scale.
[quote]Frank Castle wrote:
Ok. neither one of you are on the same page as me, and thats fine. thank you anyway. goodbye thread. on into bolivian…[/quote]
I understand what you are saying. You are using the bar to go around your shins, you are not pulling on the bent part.
My old gym had a cambered bar and I loved it for deadlifting. No scrapes on the shins. It seemed to be a bit more in the legs and less on the back.
I alternate my mixed grip. I have found that the grip I find unnatural is a bit stronger than the more natural feeling grip.
Dude, looks like nobody is even READING your posts.
My advice is: do NOT stick to one type of deadlifting exclusively, there are many types, mix them up, stick with one for say 2-4 weeks then move to another variation.
Especially, don’t stick to the same combination of one hand pronated/one supinated ie swap them, and also, train with both supinated.
Also deadlifts with a thicker bar is a good idea, if you cannot afford one, then options include using a pvc pipe over your existing (obviously non-olympic) barbell, or wrapping a towel etc… around the bar or taping it etc… to thicken it.
Also one arm deadlifts are good. One way to do them nicely is to load up the BARBELL, then put your right hand in the centre. Then put your left hand to the far left (near the plates) - then when you lift, you will be keeping your back etc… all squared nicely. You can even vary the positioning of hands to shift % of weight to one hand or the other. ie it does not have to be 100% lifted with one arm, perhaps an 80/20 split.
Variety is the key, and identifying then training your weaknesses.
[quote]Frank Castle wrote:
Ok. neither one of you are on the same page as me, and thats fine. thank you anyway. goodbye thread. on into bolivian…[/quote]
No now that you explained it yes I understand. Gotta give a brother a chance to read the second post that explains what your doing it sounded like you were pulling from the camber. Your using it much like a Trap bar DL.
No its not a good replacement for the DL but yes its good. It will put MUCH less strain on the lower back and hams and glutes as its much closer to your center of gravity.
More load will be purely on the legs, your body wont work so much like a lever to lift the load rotating at the waist.
[quote]Phill wrote:
No now that you explained it yes I understand. Gotta give a brother a chance to read the second post that explains what your doing it sounded like you were pulling from the camber. Your using it much like a Trap bar DL.
No its not a good replacement for the DL but yes its good. It will put MUCH less strain on the lower back and hams and glutes as its much closer to your center of gravity.
More load will be purely on the legs, your body wont work so much like a lever to lift the load rotating at the waist.
Short answer use them both and others,
Phill
[/quote]
thanks phill and others. I said fuck it and pulled tonight with the straight bar. What a difference, your both absolutely right about it being more legs with the cambered bar. I didnt feel as confident pulling the same weight from the night before though. I put it down after like 3 reps because I knew it just wasnt right. Im gonna get a clip up for critique soon I think, cause something didnt feel right tonight. thanks again.
[quote]Frank Castle wrote:
thanks phill and others. I said fuck it and pulled tonight with the straight bar. What a difference, your both absolutely right about it being more legs with the cambered bar. I didnt feel as confident pulling the same weight from the night before though. I put it down after like 3 reps because I knew it just wasnt right. Im gonna get a clip up for critique soon I think, cause something didnt feel right tonight. thanks again. [/quote]
No prob bro. Yes different animals it amazing what a Small change can do.
Hit them both prob have some make up time with a standard DL if you havnt done them in a while.