T Nation

DL Form Check, Please?

Beginners
#1

Ok, I read a lot about deadlift form and I’ve sunken into something over the last year and a half. Something inside me tells me its nowhere NEAR proper when I watch the video, but lifts come easy and I have zero lower back pain. Maybe its just the camera angle, but I swear I “sit” deeper than the video shows. Either way, I’m about to get back to lifting (moving has destroyed my schedule, need to rebuild my minigym setup)

For the record, it was a 355lb PR I was going for, so it may explain shit form but I’m not using that as an excuse. I don’t care if the critique is vicious, if it saves me from back problems that I can’t tell I’m going to have.

ALSO the horrific music is b/c its from the vintage ghettoblaster.

and yeah, thats my realtor. woooo

#2

dude…

well for 1 thing there are some people that can use horrific deadlift methods for years & never have a back problem… there are also people that win the the lottery twice

if you truly want create a deadlift method that is “safe” you MUST learn to

1 - push with the legs
2 - drive with the hips
3 - stabilize your spine (at least down low)

4 other ideas that quickly come to mind

1- overhaul your starting position, if your are not able to acheive a properly aligned spine with your current stance try using a narrow sumo method to get used to leg drive first, hip drive second

2- learn how to execute Romanian Dealifts

3- once you learn Romanian Deadlifts do some rack pull work with the bar a couple of inches below your knees

4- watch some big deadlifters on youtube & take notes (& do not try to imitate Konstantin Konstantinovs method)on their starting position & especially on the hip drive that almost all really strong deadlifters use

#3

Thanks for the advice on the start - I always thought I felt funny pseudo-squatting. When I actually start to pull, where should my ass be in space? Still parallel to the ground?

Also, NORMALLY when I’m DLing my spine/back is near parallel to the ground - this is good or bad?

Ty again, nice to get straight advice from someone whos been around the block

#4

Hips shoot up too early.

Get a belt. Won’t prevent you from hurting yourself but gives you more leeway.

Spine should not be parallel with the floor during a deadlift. Mechanically disadvantageous.

Likewater had great advice for you. With regards to the Konstantinovs thing, the man is one of the world’s greatest deadlifters but he has a very unique style, you’d be much better off copying the more standard style.

Watch how he gets his hips through and keeps his torso more upright the entire time.

#5

I feel like he leans his shins into the bar, is that just me being blind? Its something I could deff replicate, I don’t mind scrapping my form at this point with only a year and a half behind me if it means saving my back in the longrun.

#6

[quote]CapnYousef wrote:
I feel like he leans his shins into the bar, is that just me being blind? Its something I could deff replicate, I don’t mind scrapping my form at this point with only a year and a half behind me if it means saving my back in the longrun.[/quote]

Well yeah, the bar is suppose to be close to you. The bar should run up your legs. Your shins might get fucked up in the process.

#7

Yea whenever I finish deadlift day I will usually have scrapes up my shins if I am doing conventional or right about my knees if I am doing sumo.

#8

there’s an andy bolton article from about 3 months ago about deadlifts that breaks down the form really well.

you should drive those legs into the floor and try to be upright at least until the bar flexes and begins to rise off the floor.

#9

Poundstone is using a slight bounce off the floor between every nrep, don’t get into that habit.(If you can do 800lbs for 9 reps like that, do what you fucking want to do!)

But, here are some tips that really helped me:
-Think about pushing with the legs first, when the bar gets just past your knees, think about following through with the hips.
-Keep the chest up, always.
-Don’t ‘pull’ the bar from the ground, ‘squeeze’ it.
-Push through the heels.
-In order to avoid using the rebound off the ground with every rep, aevery rep as it’s own set.

#10

You need a much tighter setup. You especially need to get your chest up (show me your shirt), and your ass down.

You are not locking out. Push the bar forward with your hips. Poundstone does it perfectly in the above vid.

EDIT: Instant-PR tip - get some chucks to DL in, or lift barefoot. Those shoes are costing you pounds.

#11

obviously you’ve never been coached.
what you did was a mix between a RDL and a stiff leg
you turned it into a hamstring deadlift if there is such a thing.
terrible posture (kyphotic)
there’s no lockout
basically, thats how you would deadlift to INDUCE a back problem
chest is way too low
and you’re ugly as shit.
there’s your vicious critique :wink:

#12

[quote]jinsanity wrote:
obviously you’ve never been coached.
what you did was a mix between a RDL and a stiff leg
you turned it into a hamstring deadlift if there is such a thing.
terrible posture (kyphotic)
there’s no lockout
basically, thats how you would deadlift to INDUCE a back problem
chest is way too low
and you’re ugly as shit.
there’s your vicious critique ;)[/quote]

The only thing so far that I’m not totally keen on is the no lockout - I feel like I’d be hyper-extending if I go back any further. Might be a camera trick… I’ll get a side shot next time I DL (once I set the gym back up) with a more managable (less HURRDURR) weight.

#13

hyper extending would be leaning back at the top.

(hips protruding out in front)
you got good strength, keep it up and JERSEY PRIDE bitches