T Nation

Deadlift Technical Issue

Powerlifting
#1

aba50-5536_130741648059_26865848059_3190343_5763243_n.jpg420×562 31.3 KB

okay so ever since I started Powerlifting I’ve lived by a few virtues that Separate the purists from everyone else. you know like Go RAW, compete in all three lifts, that kind of thing and ever since I started lifting I’ve wanted to be a Record holder in the deadlift! but my conventional DL sucks!

when I started I would pyramid up in weight, practice technique, NEVER dare finish a bad rep. if I felt my back rounding or that I was about to hitch I would just throw the bar down, take off some weight and try again.

so I just decided to go semi sumo. go watch Ed Coan or Mike Miller Deadlift my and there’s look basically the same. the reason is because if I go very wide like you see most lifters do to relay on leverage I lose balance and my strength is useless. but if I go heels together I feel like I’m going to pass out. and not a good way.

and then I watched the videos of the 1977 Worlds again and noticed that no matter how flexible or strong they were they all were blood red in the face and struggling with there true max which brings up my next question.

I should just embrace the blood rushing to my face and not let it bother me and just gut out the pain shouldn’t I? but also I shouldn’t feel light headed with 135 should I? I deadlift almost 400 with the semi sumo (forget what I posted about almost shoulder width. I have wide shoulders so my stance is almost shoulder width but only if I bring my feet inward.

#2

i wouldnt consider shoulder width semi-sumo. most conventional dl’ers use a hip/shoulder width stance. on my dl my toes arent pointed out as far as they are when i squat, but i also squat with a wider stance than when i dl.
call me weird but i absolutely love a hard pull, whiting out after a huge pr pull is what keeps me going for bigger numbers

#3

Some lifters mark a good deadlift session by how many blood vessels they broke in their eyeballs.

If it’s a real max, it’s going to be hard, you will turn different colors, and your form will NOT be perfect.

#4

[quote]DaCharmingAlbino wrote:
Some lifters mark a good deadlift session by how many blood vessels they broke in their eyeballs.

If it’s a real max, it’s going to be hard, you will turn different colors, and your form will NOT be perfect.[/quote]

Amen.

How’s your breathing?

#5

I can’t get passed 275 due to feeling like my back is going to give out and that I’m very light headed. it’s not like the I’m about to pop a blood vessel high that I like it’s the I’m about to lose consciousness type high. is it just that I’m not as strong as I thought I was?

#6

You said you have trouble keeping your balance what kind of shoes do you wear? I had the same problem then tried bar foot and that helped alot, but now I lift in a pair of chucks and it is working great, might wana try that

#7

[quote]WABWSM wrote:
I can’t get passed 275 due to feeling like my back is going to give out and that I’m very light headed. it’s not like the I’m about to pop a blood vessel high that I like it’s the I’m about to lose consciousness type high. is it just that I’m not as strong as I thought I was? [/quote]

Regarding the light-headedness:
I used to get this, but after learning not to brace my abs too hard and yet keep the spine neutral it went away.

#8

[quote]jakjak824 wrote:
You said you have trouble keeping your balance what kind of shoes do you wear? I had the same problem then tried bar foot and that helped alot, but now I lift in a pair of chucks and it is working great, might wana try that[/quote]

  • I have been wearing Nike airs since they seemed similar to the Asics that Matt Kroczaleski wears that I want something awful. but yes I will try the chucks. thanks man!
#9

[quote]mccl8262 wrote:
i wouldnt consider shoulder width semi-sumo. most conventional dl’ers use a hip/shoulder width stance. on my dl my toes arent pointed out as far as they are when i squat, but i also squat with a wider stance than when i dl.
call me weird but i absolutely love a hard pull, whiting out after a huge pr pull is what keeps me going for bigger numbers[/quote]

Ditto, that hardly sounds like sumo.

Last I recall, even when I’m training in reps of 3 let alone a comp, my face is red as hell! It’s supposed to be work, baby! You get stuck half-way up and consider dropping it, but if you hold on, grind your teeth and hope you don’t mess your pants in front of several hundred people, you’ll stand all the way up. From my limited, but so far successful experience in competing and training, I’d say that’s most likely what separates the losers and the winners in all three lifts.

#10

[quote]FiveFootTwo wrote:
mccl8262 wrote:
i wouldnt consider shoulder width semi-sumo. most conventional dl’ers use a hip/shoulder width stance. on my dl my toes arent pointed out as far as they are when i squat, but i also squat with a wider stance than when i dl.
call me weird but i absolutely love a hard pull, whiting out after a huge pr pull is what keeps me going for bigger numbers

Ditto, that hardly sounds like sumo.

Last I recall, even when I’m training in reps of 3 let alone a comp, my face is red as hell! It’s supposed to be work, baby! You get stuck half-way up and consider dropping it, but if you hold on, grind your teeth and hope you don’t mess your pants in front of several hundred people, you’ll stand all the way up. From my limited, but so far successful experience in competing and training, I’d say that’s most likely what separates the losers and the winners in all three lifts. [/quote]

^like!^

#11

okay. the reason during training I drop the bar is only if I feel myself hitching or my back rounding through the lift. watch this video of Ed Coan - THIS is my normal DL technique. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9L5XJta3Ag watch at 1:22 seconds in when he’s doing 815. that’s my contest form right now that I doaround 350, 365 in.

#12

[quote]WABWSM wrote:
okay. the reason during training I drop the bar is only if I feel myself hitching or my back rounding through the lift. watch this video of Ed Coan - THIS is my normal DL technique. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9L5XJta3Ag watch at 1:22 seconds in when he’s doing 815. that’s my contest form right now that I doaround 350, 365 in. [/quote]

Looks good to me! Looks like a lift of hard work!

I know that I often feel as though I’m starting to round when my trainer assures me I’m not. A feeling of rounding feels whole lot different than actually taking on too much with your back, not enough legs, and literally being rounded.

Other little things to always remember…but that I’m sure you already know much better than I do: digging into your hells, pressing your abs out, pulling your shoulders back before you even begin the lift, taking the slack out of the bar before lifting, pulling the bar right up to your shins…etc. I’m a conventional deadlifter, so I’m sure there are sumo techniques I’m missing here.

Either way, it sounds like you’re really pushing yourself hard, and therefore you’re walking the line of true work and a rounded back…and it looks like you’re on the good side of the line!

#13

I have the same thing. I can lift a lot more than my max of 335 but my back starts rounding, and I can only imagine the amount of damage that could do.

#14

Do you take your breath in before you bend down, or while at the bottom?

Also, when im going for my heaviest set of deadlifts I get more out of breath than anything else. I usually start breathing deeper as I set up. Then I blow out completely, take in a huge breath bend down, grab the bar and lift.

#15

[quote]dankid wrote:
Do you take your breath in before you bend down, or while at the bottom?

Also, when im going for my heaviest set of deadlifts I get more out of breath than anything else. I usually start breathing deeper as I set up. Then I blow out completely, take in a huge breath bend down, grab the bar and lift. [/quote]

Yeah I think I could lift more if I paid attention to breathing. I literally don’t pay any attention to how I’m breathing when I deadlift and I just grab the bar. I started fairly recently though so I’m still new to it. I’m 17 170-175 pounds so I want to try to get up to a 425 deadlift…or 2.5x bw.

#16

Since I have fairly small hands and new as well, how I breathe depends on how heavy I’m lifting. With non-max sets, I take a deep breath after gripping the bar with a hook grip as it takes some time for me to set up. With max sets I use a mixed grip and inhale before bending down to grip the bar.

#17

Since I have fairly small hands and new as well, how I breathe depends on how heavy I’m lifting. With non-max sets, I take a deep breath after gripping the bar with a hook grip as it takes some time for me to set up. With max sets I use a mixed grip and inhale before bending down to grip the bar.

#18

It also could be something not related to breathing at all. Deadlifts involve every muscle in the body, and thus require a ton of oxygen. Some kind of metabolic/conditioning work might be needed.

#19

I don’t think that’s it for me. I can run a 5:14 mile and run a lot.

#20

[quote]shootingman99 wrote:
I don’t think that’s it for me. I can run a 5:14 mile and run a lot.[/quote]

That may be, but there is a big difference between running a mile and deadlifting a lot of weight.