World Class Lifter Who DL with Rounded Back?


of curse, i know that he(Konstantinovs) is Professional and topclass powerlifter

but i’ve never seen any guide or tutorial which says that start deadlift with roundback

i think that he makes the best use of his long arms and long legs (just like Lever in physics)

is ther anyone who thinks that that could cause lower back injuries ?

i guess starting DL with rounded back abuse lower back …

His shoulders are rounded to keep his hands lower and shorten the range of motion, but he’ll still be keeping his lower back from rounding

I remember reading somewhere that he has worked both neutral and rounded back deadlifts so his technique is proficient in both. He just prefers the latter because he’s stronger in it.

IMO, a person shouldn’t start learning how to deadlift using a rounded upper back. It would seem more beneficial to learn to brace the shoulders, hips and spine in a neutral position since that carries over well to most other lifts. A strong core (abs, erectors, hip flexors and glutes) should be prioritized before optimizing leverages.

Once the hip hinge movement pattern is learned, the upper back rounding is easier to control. Most times a rounded upper back can interfere with learning to use the core effectively. At least that was the case for me.

I’m guessing that high injury rates in the lower spine correlate more with a weak core and not just upper back rounding.

There is a difference between intentionally rounding and just rounding because you arent set up tight enough and most likely a beginner. That said if you look youll see alot of higher level lifters that pull conventional set their hips too low, then they shoot up and the back rounds over.

KK’s reasoning is that he begins the lift with lumbar flexion, but he keeps his core braced and doesn’t go any further into flexion once the lift begins. He’s probably right that going from extension to flexion while under load is more dangerous than starting in a (relatively) safe degree flexion and maintaining it. Its always going to be more dangerous than starting in extension and staying there, and I’d argue that’s its going to be a totally inefficient position to lift from for most people, but he’s a special case.

There are zero humans deadlifting over 900 lbs without a rounded upper back.

Also, deadlifting can hurt you no matter how you do it. Injuries are part of the game, buddy. That being said, I do not believe his deadlifting style puts his lower back in any more peril than any other lifter’s does. KK has been one of the top deadlifters in the world for years, and as far as I know, he has never had a seriously debilitating injury. As others have said, his lower back remains braced throughout the lift.

Side note: beginners should not try to learn from watching the strongest men in the world. It doesn’t translate well at all.

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
There are zero humans deadlifting over 900 lbs without a rounded upper back.

Also, deadlifting can hurt you no matter how you do it. Injuries are part of the game, buddy. That being said, I do not believe his deadlifting style puts his lower back in any more peril than any other lifter’s does. KK has been one of the top deadlifters in the world for years, and as far as I know, he has never had a seriously debilitating injury. As others have said, his lower back remains braced throughout the lift.

Side note: beginners should not try to learn from watching the strongest men in the world. It doesn’t translate well at all.[/quote]

I agree. There’s always a risk even if someone is strong and has great technique. Not warming up enough, lack of focus, performing at the limit regardless of lifting style, etc. can all increase risk for injury. All we can do is accept the risk and try to reduce the chances but it can’t be eliminated.

Chris Duffin has sumo deadlifted 900 and kept his upper back straight but it was with straps and it wasn’t OVER 900 so I guess it doesn’t count, lol. I think it’s possible to see someone pull over 900 using sumo with flat back within our lifetime. They would probably be in the 220-242 weight class since it’s pretty rare to see much heavier guys pull sumo.

[quote]lift206 wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
There are zero humans deadlifting over 900 lbs without a rounded upper back.

Also, deadlifting can hurt you no matter how you do it. Injuries are part of the game, buddy. That being said, I do not believe his deadlifting style puts his lower back in any more peril than any other lifter’s does. KK has been one of the top deadlifters in the world for years, and as far as I know, he has never had a seriously debilitating injury. As others have said, his lower back remains braced throughout the lift.

Side note: beginners should not try to learn from watching the strongest men in the world. It doesn’t translate well at all.[/quote]

I agree. There’s always a risk even if someone is strong and has great technique. Not warming up enough, lack of focus, performing at the limit regardless of lifting style, etc. can all increase risk for injury. All we can do is accept the risk and try to reduce the chances but it can’t be eliminated.

Chris Duffin has sumo deadlifted 900 and kept his upper back straight but it was with straps and it wasn’t OVER 900 so I guess it doesn’t count, lol. I think it’s possible to see someone pull over 900 using sumo with flat back within our lifetime. They would probably be in the 220-242 weight class since it’s pretty rare to see much heavier guys pull sumo.
[/quote]

An over 900 pound (lol just barely) deadlift has already been hit sumo stance in the 220 class.

Andrey Belyaev and Konstantin Poozdev have both nearly done it. Obukhovich and Yury Fedorenko are also up there.

Yea I should have been more specific with my language. I meant conventional. Sumo deadlifting is a different animal. Whatevs. My overall point is reasonable enough. If the only exception is Chris Duffin, I’m good with that, lol. Chris Duffin breaks a lot of rules.

Eric Cressey is who I always think of with a ton of rounding.

Tons of strongman lifts are performed with a rounded upper AND lower back.

The back isn’t as fragile as people make it out to be. It’s SUPPOSED to be strong, and training it to be strong in a weak position is a good way to avoid having it be weak.

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Tons of strongman lifts are performed with a rounded upper AND lower back.

The back isn’t as fragile as people make it out to be. It’s SUPPOSED to be strong, and training it to be strong in a weak position is a good way to avoid having it be weak.[/quote]

This right hurr!!!

Oh I see, I didn’t realize. He breaks enough rules to deadlift 405 every second on the second and then end the set with a high pull.

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Tons of strongman lifts are performed with a rounded upper AND lower back.

The back isn’t as fragile as people make it out to be. It’s SUPPOSED to be strong, and training it to be strong in a weak position is a good way to avoid having it be weak.[/quote]

That is true. Muscle recruitment and leverages are both important but muscle recruitment is always going to be the constant while leverages change depending on situation and individual. Asking a person who can’t brace to lift a boulder could be asking for trouble while the risk would be much smaller for a person that has better muscle recruitment.

[quote]DaneMuscle wrote:
Oh I see, I didn’t realize. He breaks enough rules to deadlift 405 every second on the second and then end the set with a high pull.[/quote]

Hahahaha. yes, he does that. And he had that crazy squat record he set recently. If I remember right it was 20-something squats with 500 in a minute? or something along those lines?

I personally think Duffin’s the best strength coach on the planet, without question.

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
KK has been one of the top deadlifters in the world for years, and as far as I know, he has never had a seriously debilitating injury.[/quote]

Actually he messed up his back pretty bad a few years ago doing some MMA training, he didn’t really post anything for a while, and I believe that’s why he hasn’t pulled over 9 since (that and him getting older).

Just a fun fact, not trying to argue anything.

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:

[quote]flipcollar wrote:
KK has been one of the top deadlifters in the world for years, and as far as I know, he has never had a seriously debilitating injury.[/quote]

Actually he messed up his back pretty bad a few years ago doing some MMA training, he didn’t really post anything for a while, and I believe that’s why he hasn’t pulled over 9 since (that and him getting older).

Just a fun fact, not trying to argue anything.

[/quote]

That’s actually pretty funny. he goes for most of his powerlifting career without sustaining a major back injury from lifting, then fucks up his back in another sport, one I would bet most people would think would be less likely to cause such an injury.