I’ve been running 5/3/1 for about 3 months now and am about to start my 4th cycle. The numbers are starting to get heavier but I am still making some sweet PR’s so generally, everything is going pretty well. However, I’d like to tailor my current assistance regiment (which isn’t very focused towards my weak spots) to hit my weak spots. I start slowing down hard right before locking out on my deadlifts and my grip starts slipping, even with a mixed grip. I’ve started to train my grip with grip trainers and am seeing some improvements but feel I can do more. Additionally, I have been trying to strengthen my abs and hams/glutes by doing hyperextensions, decline sit-ups, etc.
When I first started lifting, I could only deadlift 90lbs x 3 and that was heavy for me. Since starting, one of my dreams has been to deadlift 405x5 and I got a small taste of that dream when I hit 405x2 after my 5/3/1 week, hitting 345x9. I’d like to be able to make a decent attempt at my dream in about 2-3 months time. Any help you guys can provide to help me obtain that dream would mean the world to me.
Here are some videos to put a picture to my problems:
Ok, I can see you have no chalk on your hands. GET SOME. You can also try wrist wraps, when you get them tight enough and about 1" down from your palm you will find it snaps your fingers closed. Nothing wrong with wraps, they’re even fine in USAPL.
I’m also certain that bar is shit. If that’s a mainstream gym, the knurling is more than likely awful. The chalk will do wonders.
Your form looks fine to me. Narrow stance but it seems to work for you. Keep doing what you’re doing as you’re on the right track.
Keep kicking ass, the suggestions I made will get you to 450 easy.
your form is pretty good to me, the reset between reps is good, like late2thegame said, get some chalk, it seems like u may lose it in the sec vid. the bar is pretty shitty, is it the fat bar?
Ok, I can see you have no chalk on your hands. GET SOME. You can also try wrist wraps, when you get them tight enough and about 1" down from your palm you will find it snaps your fingers closed. Nothing wrong with wraps, they’re even fine in USAPL.
I’m also certain that bar is shit. If that’s a mainstream gym, the knurling is more than likely awful. The chalk will do wonders.
Your form looks fine to me. Narrow stance but it seems to work for you. Keep doing what you’re doing as you’re on the right track.
Keep kicking ass, the suggestions I made will get you to 450 easy.
My impression of your video from the side is that you’ve got a bit of lumbar rounding going on there, which (obviously) becomes more and more apparent as the set progresses. This might be partially from a slipping grip, which puts everything out of whack, so do get some chalk (liquid chalk is easy to find online and is more suitable for commercial gyms).
From my experience with the same lumbar issue, a number of things can help: you’re already doing reverse hypers, but hammer the good mornings as well. Go for higher reps with lighter weight and focus on welding the spine. Snatch-grip deadlifts and front squats also help strengthen and improve tightness in the spinal erectors, but especially in the quads, which will allow you to take some of the emphasis off of the lower back during the first part of the lift. Also, have you tried training sumo? I find it helps engrain the feeling of a neutral spine.
Work on strengthening that core big time. Good mornings are great like kgildner says, and you’ll also want to build up that abdominal and oblique strength to help avoid the rounding you’re experiencing at heavier weights. A stronger core and you’ll be finishing those deadlifts a lot stronger since you’re currently in a less-than-optimal position as you get above the knees.
Add in some leg raises and side bends in addition to the good mornings. I’d avoid the decline sit-ups.
Chalk makes a world of difference with grip, especially with a shitty bar like the one you’re stuck with. Commercial gyms really won’t say anything about it in my experience so long as you try to be clean about it. Keep the chalk in a ziplock baggy or a tupperware container if you don’t have a chalk bag, and keep a towel with you just to tidy up quick after.
Congrats on the good progress so far. Keep at it and you’ll be blowing past 405x5 in no time.
Sorry, one last thing: Fill your belly up with as much air as you can before you pull, focusing on flexing your abs hard.
I’d consider putting on a belt for lifts above 90%. Helps keep that spine in a neutral position by giving you something to push your abs out against. Build up as much pressure as you can in the core.
Head should be in the natural position, which isn’t. Weak hip hinge. You don’t show the whole glutes to someone behind you :). Unless you’re one in the million with the spine of steel, you’re hurting yourself. You have to stretch the hamstrings. Start with the bar higher and keep good spine alignment. Gradually reduce the height of the bar until you will be able to do proper deadlift from the ground.