Posted: 4/8/2013 9:31:10 AM EDT
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I finally got my wife to record and upload two videos so that I can get a little criticism and feedback.
Not long ago I was struggling with deadlifting 135 for 5, with back pain etc. I have since worked most of the kinks out and dead lifting is quickly becoming my favorite, although I have a long way to go. I am doing a program that my coach calls the "Bear", which includes three primary lifting sessions per week; dead lift, squat, and bench press. You estimate your 1 rep max and start (after warmup) with 1 set of five at 90% of that number. After two more sets of five, dropping 10% each time, you complete up to ten sets at that final weight (although I usually do 3-5 final sets, due to finding myself overly sore after too many reps). You add 10 pounds to your first set of five every week, and I have been able to do that rather comfortably withe all three lifts and I feel awesome doing it. I supplement this lifting routine with metcons and running 3 times a week, and the plan is after six weeks of this we are going to move to a 5/3/1 lifting program. However, I am a little concerned with my form after seeing the videos because I do not feel like I am extending my hips completely. When I am doing it it feels like I am, but watching the videos is pretty disappointing. I really think the full extension is necessary, and it doesnt look like its happening for me, no matter how hard I try. Here are the videos; go easy on the newb http://youtu.be/Vat67S0M5mA http://youtu.be/Vat67S0M5mA Thanks! UPDATE Warmup set http://youtu.be/O9tbtKmlrNE One rep at 235. I did a set of five after. All six felt like ass. http://youtu.be/KcY80T-HkSo trying to keep shins verticle. It felt terrible and sucked. But if its the right form then whatever (I got five or six sets of five in, total) |
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Quoted: I finally got my wife to record and upload two videos so that I can get a little criticism and feedback. Not long ago I was struggling with deadlifting 135 for 5, with back pain etc. I have since worked most of the kinks out and dead lifting is quickly becoming my favorite, although I have a long way to go. I am doing a program that my coach calls the "Bear", which includes three primary lifting sessions per week; dead lift, squat, and bench press. You estimate your 1 rep max and start (after warmup) with 1 set of five at 90% of that number. After two more sets of five, dropping 10% each time, you complete up to ten sets at that final weight (although I usually do 3-5 final sets, due to finding myself overly sore after too many reps). You add 10 pounds to your first set of five every week, and I have been able to do that rather comfortably withe all three lifts and I feel awesome doing it. I supplement this lifting routine with metcons and running 3 times a week, and the plan is after six weeks of this we are going to move to a 5/3/1 lifting program. However, I am a little concerned with my form after seeing the videos because I do not feel like I am extending my hips completely. When I am doing it it feels like I am, but watching the videos is pretty disappointing. I really think the full extension is necessary, and it doesnt look like its happening for me, no matter how hard I try. Here are the videos; go easy on the newb http://youtu.be/Vat67S0M5mA http://youtu.be/Vat67S0M5mA Thanks! Watch:  No offense to your wife, but she's wrong about wanting your hips lower- you need them a bit higher so that your shins will be vertical or near vertical in the setup. As it is right now, the bar is way too far in front of you, and your shins have way too much angle. Next, on the way down you'll notice the bar is moving around your knees- that's because you need to bend at the waist just a bit first, then your knees so that the bar can move in a straight line back down. Your right arm looks like you're almost trying to curl the bar. Relax the arm and straighten it all the way.
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Focus on flexing your triceps should help keep your arms straight. You put yourself at risk of rupturing a bicep tendon pulling with your arms like that.
And everything else Roland said. Your really can't squat up a deadlift, except for that one in every million person with a freakishly short femur coupled with a freakishly long torso. At least not a heavy one. |
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Thanks so much for the replies! This is going to help me a lot.
I had not seen that particular Rippetoe video and its definitely helpful. As far as the arm issue; I had this awful tendency of doing what was basically a shrug at the top of each rep, which was quickly corrected. I dont know why I felt that was part of the lift, but perhaps what you are seeing in my right arm is leftover from that. I will focus on straightening it come Saturday or Sunday. |
| Follow everything mentioned above. You are basically trying to squat with the bar hanging from your arms instead of on your back. That is not what the exercise is supposed too look like. Despite your wifes direction your butt should be higher and shins more vertical. What MrK. is trying to point out is watch your arm in the video. When you get to the top your arm is bent 15-20 degrees. So your bicep is holding that wieght, not good especially when it gets heavy. Your are should be perfectly straight. If you flex your tricep really hard during the lift there is no way to have a bent arm. Watch some of Rip's videos and post up another video after you implement the stuff mentioned. |
| I want to hijack real quick with a question. As some of you know I'm doing the 531 program. During dead lift I feel like I'm doing okay but after doing the workout and the accessory work my forearms are pretty shot. Does this say anything about my form? After watching the video above I realize I'm not getting close enough to the bar. I always thought you put the bar over where your toes begin. Any suggestions? |
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I want to hijack real quick with a question. As some of you know I'm doing the 531 program. During dead lift I feel like I'm doing okay but after doing the workout and the accessory work my forearms are pretty shot. Does this say anything about my form? After watching the video above I realize I'm not getting close enough to the bar. I always thought you put the bar over where your toes begin. Any suggestions? The bar goes over the middle of your foot. That means your entire foot. Which looking down puts it close to your shin. Remember you're pulling the bar up in a straight line. When you put the bar out in front of you, you're pulling it back towards your body which creates unnecessary movement and leverage. |
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Quoted: I want to hijack real quick with a question. As some of you know I'm doing the 531 program. During dead lift I feel like I'm doing okay but after doing the workout and the accessory work my forearms are pretty shot. Does this say anything about my form? After watching the video above I realize I'm not getting close enough to the bar. I always thought you put the bar over where your toes begin. Any suggestions? I think the forearm thing is pretty common especially with beginners. I remember when I first started lifting I was limited very quickly by my grip- now it's not even a factor. Keep working on it, and keep doing things that will work the grip (rows, pullups, etc..) and pretty soon it won't be as much of a problem. |
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I want to hijack real quick with a question. As some of you know I'm doing the 531 program. During dead lift I feel like I'm doing okay but after doing the workout and the accessory work my forearms are pretty shot. Does this say anything about my form? After watching the video above I realize I'm not getting close enough to the bar. I always thought you put the bar over where your toes begin. Any suggestions? I think the forearm thing is pretty common especially with beginners. I remember when I first started lifting I was limited very quickly by my grip- now it's not even a factor. Keep working on it, and keep doing things that will work the grip (rows, pullups, etc..) and pretty soon it won't be as much of a problem. Oh yeah, I meant to address the forearm. What roland said. My forearms have gotten notably stronger and larger doing these things. |
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I want to hijack real quick with a question. As some of you know I'm doing the 531 program. During dead lift I feel like I'm doing okay but after doing the workout and the accessory work my forearms are pretty shot. Does this say anything about my form? After watching the video above I realize I'm not getting close enough to the bar. I always thought you put the bar over where your toes begin. Any suggestions? I think the forearm thing is pretty common especially with beginners. I remember when I first started lifting I was limited very quickly by my grip- now it's not even a factor. Keep working on it, and keep doing things that will work the grip (rows, pullups, etc..) and pretty soon it won't be as much of a problem. adding to RoG. To built my forearm strength the day after I did my deadlifts (saturday for me) I would just load up the bar with a bunch of weight picked it up and held on to it as long as I could. I did 4-5 sets of that and I would have a week before I needed my grip strength again. After a month my grip was no longer an issue. |
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Quoted: Thanks again for the advice, I will report back with straightened arms. Be sure you using a mixed grip. The first shot I gave at a set at 235 it nearly slipped out of my hands and the mixed grip helped tremendously. -straight arms -higher hips/vertical or almost vertical shins -bend at waist first, then knees on the way down to prevent bar path going around knees then report back
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I want to hijack real quick with a question. As some of you know I'm doing the 531 program. During dead lift I feel like I'm doing okay but after doing the workout and the accessory work my forearms are pretty shot. Does this say anything about my form? After watching the video above I realize I'm not getting close enough to the bar. I always thought you put the bar over where your toes begin. Any suggestions? I think the forearm thing is pretty common especially with beginners. I remember when I first started lifting I was limited very quickly by my grip- now it's not even a factor. Keep working on it, and keep doing things that will work the grip (rows, pullups, etc..) and pretty soon it won't be as much of a problem. adding to RoG. To built my forearm strength the day after I did my deadlifts (saturday for me) I would just load up the bar with a bunch of weight picked it up and held on to it as long as I could. I did 4-5 sets of that and I would have a week before I needed my grip strength again. After a month my grip was no longer an issue. Also farmers walks  |
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Yes bar over the middle of your foot. After a day of heavy deadlifts I usually have some skin missing and blood trickling down my shin, If you want to stop that. Get some long socks that go almost to your knees. Then take a 2 liter coke bottle cut it in half slip it inside your sock and no more missing skin and bloodly socks. I have also seen people use tape but I have hairy legs so that option is out for me. |
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Yes bar over the middle of your foot. After a day of heavy deadlifts I usually have some skin missing and blood trickling down my shin, If you want to stop that. Get some long socks that go almost to your knees. Then take a 2 liter coke bottle cut it in half slip it inside your sock and no more missing skin and bloodly socks. I have also seen people use tape but I have hairy legs so that option is out for me. I just wear long pants on DL day... |
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Yes bar over the middle of your foot. After a day of heavy deadlifts I usually have some skin missing and blood trickling down my shin, If you want to stop that. Get some long socks that go almost to your knees. Then take a 2 liter coke bottle cut it in half slip it inside your sock and no more missing skin and bloodly socks. I have also seen people use tape but I have hairy legs so that option is out for me. I just wear long pants on DL day... I lift in my garage in AZ so in the summer it is 115 degrees long pants suck. So I just use the coke bottles. |
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Yes bar over the middle of your foot. After a day of heavy deadlifts I usually have some skin missing and blood trickling down my shin, If you want to stop that. Get some long socks that go almost to your knees. Then take a 2 liter coke bottle cut it in half slip it inside your sock and no more missing skin and bloodly socks. I have also seen people use tape but I have hairy legs so that option is out for me. I just wear long pants on DL day... I lift in my garage in AZ so in the summer it is 115 degrees long pants suck. So I just use the coke bottles. You metro, nancy boys. If deadlifts weren't supposed to hurt they would call it elliptical machine. |
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Yes bar over the middle of your foot. After a day of heavy deadlifts I usually have some skin missing and blood trickling down my shin, If you want to stop that. Get some long socks that go almost to your knees. Then take a 2 liter coke bottle cut it in half slip it inside your sock and no more missing skin and bloodly socks. I have also seen people use tape but I have hairy legs so that option is out for me. I just wear long pants on DL day... I lift in my garage in AZ so in the summer it is 115 degrees long pants suck. So I just use the coke bottles. You metro, nancy boys. If deadlifts weren't supposed to hurt they would call it elliptical machine. My wife bitches about the blood on my socks....plus I don't want to ruin my sexy legs 
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Yes bar over the middle of your foot. After a day of heavy deadlifts I usually have some skin missing and blood trickling down my shin, If you want to stop that. Get some long socks that go almost to your knees. Then take a 2 liter coke bottle cut it in half slip it inside your sock and no more missing skin and bloodly socks. I have also seen people use tape but I have hairy legs so that option is out for me. I just wear long pants on DL day... I lift in my garage in AZ so in the summer it is 115 degrees long pants suck. So I just use the coke bottles. I loved to run on those days on an asphalt track, temperature easily above 130. But I had on shorts. And no shirt.  I DIDN'T want a "breeze" as the wind would be 130 degrees of hot, sandblasting air to the lungs. 
Good times. Nothing like jumping in the lake after. |
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Thanks again for the advice, I will report back with straightened arms. Be sure you using a mixed grip. The first shot I gave at a set at 235 it nearly slipped out of my hands and the mixed grip helped tremendously. The mixed grip is a wonderful thing for getting max pulls. However, you should not use mixed grip all the time. For everything you can do supinated pronated, holding your hands like the giant Silver Back Gorilla that you want to grow up to resemble, should be done with that grip. By training without mixed grip, you're actually training your grip. |
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I do use a regular overhand for at least half my sets (warmups etc), but anything over 225 is past my grip strength for more than three or four pulls, and I am doing sets of five on this program.
Also, we are not allowed to bring chalk into the gym (we have snuck it in before but have to use tiny amounts) for some b.s reason so that inhibits the grip for heavy sets as well. |
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didn't see anyone mention, but your head positioning needs work. looking at you from the side, follow your spine up to your head...see that un-natural curve that is made from forcing your eyes up? get your head in a more neutral position by looking at a spot out in front of you and video it so you can adjust accordingly
Bell explains it better here: http://www.markbellpower.com/head-position-for-deadlifts/ |
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didn't see anyone mention, but your head positioning needs work. looking at you from the side, follow your spine up to your head...see that un-natural curve that is made from forcing your eyes up? get your head in a more neutral position by looking at a spot out in front of you and video it so you can adjust accordingly Bell explains it better here: http://www.markbellpower.com/head-position-for-deadlifts/ Funny you mention that, but I actually had noticed that the eyes up wasnt helping me by the end of that lift. Im going to focus on a neutral head tonight (squats) and will try to remember it when I dead lift next. |
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Quoted: Quoted: didn't see anyone mention, but your head positioning needs work. looking at you from the side, follow your spine up to your head...see that un-natural curve that is made from forcing your eyes up? get your head in a more neutral position by looking at a spot out in front of you and video it so you can adjust accordingly Bell explains it better here: http://www.markbellpower.com/head-position-for-deadlifts/ Funny you mention that, but I actually had noticed that the eyes up wasnt helping me by the end of that lift. Im going to focus on a neutral head tonight (squats) and will try to remember it when I dead lift next. I also prefer neutral, but I know there are some coaches that teach head up (I don't agree with them, but there it is) |
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didn't see anyone mention, but your head positioning needs work. looking at you from the side, follow your spine up to your head...see that un-natural curve that is made from forcing your eyes up? get your head in a more neutral position by looking at a spot out in front of you and video it so you can adjust accordingly Bell explains it better here: http://www.markbellpower.com/head-position-for-deadlifts/ Funny you mention that, but I actually had noticed that the eyes up wasnt helping me by the end of that lift. Im going to focus on a neutral head tonight (squats) and will try to remember it when I dead lift next. I also prefer neutral, but I know there are some coaches that teach head up (I don't agree with them, but there it is) The head up helped me to get comfortable when I made the jump from just over 200 to 235. It felt really heavy and my lfiting partner shouted "eyes up!" when my shoulders started to drop on the second rep. It worked but im realizing its not part of a healthy habit. |
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a better cue than "eyes up" would be "chest up"...that will help with pulling the slack out of the bar and enforce the neutral head position Chest up "in-the-moment" always cause me to draw my shoulders back and do a shrug. You are seeing leftovers from that bad habit in the bicep issue which has already been discussed. |
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Also, we are not allowed to bring chalk into the gym (we have snuck it in before but have to use tiny amounts) for some b.s reason so that inhibits the grip for heavy sets as well. Get a pitchers resin bag. They are not as messy as chalk. Or the liquid chalk shit if you can find it- basically feels like hand sanitizer with chalk mixed in. Works great for a while, but too much application actually left a slippery residue on my hands. But the first half dozen or so squirts of it actually helped me more than straight chalk. |
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Quoted: Nothing? Sorry, missed this! You still have some bend in that arm- though it's better. You really need to get that taken care of. Setup looks better. You're still tracking the bar around your knees on the way down....it's better, but still there. Definitely better than the 1st one though.
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Thanks for the reply.
I really focused on my tricep, using it to keep my arm straight. As I was watching the YouTube video of rob Orlando doing a 1-1-1-1-1 deadlift WOD I noticed his arm looked a little bent as well, and since I am doubting that his form is flawed it might just be the way te arm looks. It certainly felt straight. As for the change in the shin position, it was difficult to maintain. I was doing a completely different lift before and I could definitely feel it in my back more. It didn't change my five rep max, but it did feel like crap. |
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Thanks for the reply. I really focused on my tricep, using it to keep my arm straight. As I was watching the YouTube video of rob Orlando doing a 1-1-1-1-1 deadlift WOD I noticed his arm looked a little bent as well, and since I am doubting that his form is flawed it might just be the way te arm looks. It certainly felt straight. As for the change in the shin position, it was difficult to maintain. I was doing a completely different lift before and I could definitely feel it in my back more. It didn't change my five rep max, but it did feel like crap. Drop the weight some and work on your form. Get your form right before going any higher in weight. You can add more sets to get enough volume or add in another DL day. Just make sure your form is really good before going any higher. You have done tons of reps with less than perfect form. So when the weight gets heavier your body will want to go back to the old form.. |
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Quick update: the form critique has been very valuable. Today, after a nice long warmup and stretch I hit 245x5 easily. I was going to stay at 235 but I pulled 225x1 and it felt phenomenal.
I know my form was 90% better, and no where near where it was before. The program I am doing is relatively high volume and I really focused on the form on those lighter sets. Very productive and I think 255 is going to be cake, along with the subsequent increases. |