Hey guys i have an issue i have ran into recently with deadlifting. I have fitness and deadlift 1-2 a week, rather new to it my max being around 275 pounds. I took the time to learn the main lifts before fitness class and deadlifting is probably my favorite.
The problem is my school is very strict with “slamming weights” and I was warming up the other day and one of the health/fitness teachers told me to put the weight down lighter or take weight off (Was only doing 205) I have tried to control the weight on the way down but I feel my form breaks down. Should I ditch deadlifts at fitness and do them at another gym, or adapt to not slamming the weights?
[quote]ThyArtisMurder wrote:
Hey guys i have an issue i have ran into recently with deadlifting. I have fitness and deadlift 1-2 a week, rather new to it my max being around 275 pounds. I took the time to learn the main lifts before fitness class and deadlifting is probably my favorite. The problem is my school is very strict with “slamming weights” and I was warming up the other day and one of the health/fitness teachers told me to put the weight down lighter or take weight off (Was only doing 205) I have tried to control the weight on the way down but I feel my form breaks down. Should I ditch deadlifts at fitness and do them at another gym, or adapt to not slamming the weights? [/quote]
what i started toind was bring 2-4 towels to my gym and fold them up so when u drop the weight on them it makes less noise. just put the empty barbell on them and start loading it up and lining it up at the same time. at first i didn’t do that and had to slowly put down the weight on max days and i think thats why i have a lumbar disc issue now and out for 5 more weeks.
That’s a good idea man! yeah my top priority is avoiding injury, I train muay thai for recreation out of school the last thing i want to happen is injury. Thanks for the input i’ll try it out. I swear the guys at my school act like the weights are going to break or something.
If your form breaks down on the descent then the weight could just be too heavy? I count a proper ascent, and a SLOW, CONTROLLED DESCENT as one full rep. To me you are only doing half reps. If you can’t control the weight on the way down lower the weight until you can. Uploading a video for us to critique your form wouldn’t hurt either.
I don’t mean literally drop the weight when i reach the top of the pull. I reach the top, and when the bar lowers below my knees or so the momentum makes it hit the ground decently hard. When i try to lower it really slow I feel it puts pressure on my lower back.
In my experience, dropping the weight quickly with a dead lift is more conducive to injury. At 275 the weight dropping shouldn’t be that loud unless you are on a concrete floor with uncoated weights. If it put pressure on your lower back I would suspect you aren’t lowering enough with your legs. But, I’m not an expert so idk. Either way, moving too fast with the dead lift will result in injury.
[quote]Massthetics wrote:
If your form breaks down on the descent then the weight could just be too heavy? I count a proper ascent, and a SLOW, CONTROLLED DESCENT as one full rep. To me you are only doing half reps. If you can’t control the weight on the way down lower the weight until you can. Uploading a video for us to critique your form wouldn’t hurt either.
Just my 2c.[/quote]
Slowly lowering the weight with deadlifts is not at all required. It’s actually not smart in most cases (read one of the first comments on this thread) If you pick it up and lock out your hips, you’re done: whether you drop it or lower it quietly. He is just looking for a way to do them somewhere dropping weights loudly isn’t allowed.
[quote]Massthetics wrote:
If your form breaks down on the descent then the weight could just be too heavy? I count a proper ascent, and a SLOW, CONTROLLED DESCENT as one full rep. To me you are only doing half reps. If you can’t control the weight on the way down lower the weight until you can. Uploading a video for us to critique your form wouldn’t hurt either.
Just my 2c.[/quote]
Slowly lowering the weight with deadlifts is not at all required. It’s actually not smart in most cases (read one of the first comments on this thread) If you pick it up and lock out your hips, you’re done: whether you drop it or lower it quietly. He is just looking for a way to do them somewhere dropping weights loudly isn’t allowed.
[/quote]
yeah more people need to understand this. A lot of coaches consider the deadlift to be a concentric only lift, just like cleans and snatches. If you’re working in the 6+ rep range the weight is probably light enough a controlled eccentric isn’t a problem, but 1-5 reps its going to get heavy as you get stronger and there’s no reason to control the eccentric
yeah more people need to understand this. A lot of coaches consider the deadlift to be a concentric only lift, just like cleans and snatches. If you’re working in the 6+ rep range the weight is probably light enough a controlled eccentric isn’t a problem, but 1-5 reps its going to get heavy as you get stronger and there’s no reason to control the eccentric
It will depend on the trainee. For every strong person that does a concentric only style dead, there is also a strong person that does a controlled negative. For instance, George Leeman
I personally get a lot more out of my deadlift training by using a controlled eccentric and touch n go style, and whenever I employ deadstop deadlifts, my strength suffers and injuries flare up.
yeah more people need to understand this. A lot of coaches consider the deadlift to be a concentric only lift, just like cleans and snatches. If you’re working in the 6+ rep range the weight is probably light enough a controlled eccentric isn’t a problem, but 1-5 reps its going to get heavy as you get stronger and there’s no reason to control the eccentric
It will depend on the trainee. For every strong person that does a concentric only style dead, there is also a strong person that does a controlled negative. For instance, George Leeman
I personally get a lot more out of my deadlift training by using a controlled eccentric and touch n go style, and whenever I employ deadstop deadlifts, my strength suffers and injuries flare up.
[/quote]
I agree and I’m aware of your training style, but I really wouldn’t recommend it in the beginners forum. Only for experienced lifters with excellent proprioception
Thanks for the input guys. I’ve just found at that at my school there’s two or so spare gym mats i can use as a deadlift surface. Muffles the sound pretty well.
I should also add that when i deadlift I do a 1x5 style. 5 sets of 1 repetition, i believe thats what most people recommend for beginners? I only strength train twice a week.
[quote]ThyArtisMurder wrote:
I should also add that when i deadlift I do a 1x5 style. 5 sets of 1 repetition, i believe thats what most people recommend for beginners? I only strength train twice a week.[/quote]
That would be optimal. Don’t worry so much about getting sore, or getting hyuuuuge, not yet at least… (although it will happen)
Use those heavy singles to find holes in your technique. Simply by encouraging technique, you can add more weight to the bar… quicker.
Actually, usually the 1x5 for beginners is a single set of 5 reps.
The main idea is usually to stay away from anything too heavy keep in the 5RM territory, getting stronger there, working on form.
There are arguments both ways. E.g., “the heavier you get, the more chance your form will break down and you’ll injure yourself”. Or, the other side “every rep you do is another opportunity to hurt yourself.”
I haven’t really made up my mind one way or another.
If you can do singles with great form, I don’t see much of an issue.
[quote]LoRez wrote:
Actually, usually the 1x5 for beginners is a single set of 5 reps.[/quote]
Very, very much this. The common accepted form is to write “Sets x Reps”. Flip-flopping them can lead to some pretty major misunderstandings.
Not most people. The Starting Strength program is the only routine that comes to mind calling for 1x5 deadlifts. The thinking behind it being, more volume on deads gets counter-productive on top of the three-times-weekly squatting and the power cleans that are alternated session to session with the deads. If you’re only lifting twice a week, you can probably handle more volume, but it depends on what the rest of your training looks like.
As for your original question, “slamming” the weights is unfortunately going to be relative to whoever’s doing the complaining. Odds are you’re just not going to be able to make them happy no matter what, and purposely slowing down the lowering of a deadlift is only going to increase the risk of injury. I’d probably look for an alternative exercise, unless some kind of padding really does a significant job without raising the plates too much (turning it into a small deficit dead).
Oh i see. I am running starting strength for the two days i strength train, only difference is I use “Pendlay rows” instead of power cleans because i have never been taught them, not to mention my fitness room doesn’t even have a mirror, so I’m straying away from the olympic lifts until i can learn them properly. I really enjoy deadlifting and feel my form is pretty good for the singles, i never train TOO heavy either. I have a pretty busy routine with Muay thai and cardio days in the mix, so more volume might be pretty difficult. Not sure though. As for the padding, i stand on the padding, it’s two gym matts that i put side to side so that the whole bar is on the matts not just the plates, not sure if thats considered a deficit or not.
[quote]ThyArtisMurder wrote:
I am running starting strength for the two days i strength train[/quote]
I just replied to your other thread about this and some other stuff.
If you can teach yourself to squat and deadlift without breaking yourself, you can teach yourself to clean. Treat it like any other big barbell lift and progress gradually.
B-O-O H-O-O.
I get that a mirror is a nice perk and can be useful, but it’s not what I’d consider essential to lifting. The argument could be made that training without a mirror encourages even more body awareness and attention to technical detail. Anyhow, just my thoughts on that.
If the bottom of the plates is lower than the soles of your feet, you’re in a deficit. So actually, sorry, brainfart on my side. If the plates were up on pads and they ended up higher than your feet, it’d be a shortened-ROM deadlift (the opposite of a deficit).
In any case, since it sounds like you’re standing on the padding too, it’s a non-issue.
