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Old Forum Deadlift form check

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By intent I mean this. Your arms should be pumped from squeezing that bar like the neck of Bigfoot. Your backside should be sore from the explosive hip extension once it passes the knees. And the floor should rattle from putting the bar down like you own it. Not in a bravado way, in a real confidence of strength. And when that session is done you should itch to add weight and make the next session faster and better. I need to go pull.
 
Thanks Al and Eric for the observations/suggestions...I felt a little off today and sloppier than usual, but that puts things into perspective a bit. The bar is not what I'd prefer to be using, but I'm saving up for a proper one right now(money's been tight since getting married). Having confidence and owning the bar sounds like great advice. It seems that each time I try to really tweak things, I end up focusing on too many variables and form suffers. I need to match the form of the deadlift to my body, not the other way around. And get tighter..so simple but easy to skip over at times. Thanks guys!
 
Logan, I don't think your deadlifts are too bad looking - if you watch carefully, you'll see that you make quite a few adjustments just before and just after the bar comes off the ground.  That is the weight functioning as self-correcting - see if you can figure out those things, and there are several things going on, some of which have been mentioned here already - and try to make your start such that you don't need to correct anything, you just grab the bar and it goes up with minimal fuss.

Conditioning while on a PTTP cycle?  My vote goes for 2-3 minutes of non-stop kettlebell swings.  I prefer sets of 5 and switching hands after that, but you may also do 2-hand swings and mix it up however you like, just swing the bell for at least a minute and aim for 2-3 minutes without putting it down.

-S-
 
Thanks Steve, I'll keep working on it. I'll give your suggestion to perform 2-3 min on swings a try. Are the swings to be performed daily after lifting? I appreciate you weighing in.

 
 
On staying tight.....  You could try a great cue I was given.  Has worked well for myself and many of my students.

Before hinging back; reach as far down as you can, gluing your inner arms to your ribs.  Shortening the distance between the arms and body in this way not only keeps your torso tighter, but you'll find you start to really have to hinge properly to get down to the bar, increasing the load you place in your legs.  You may have to change the width of your stance wider or more narrow given the new arm position.

What's your intent as you start your pull?  The hip movement as noted by others could be a result of your intent on pulling the bar up.  If you change your intent to driving your legs as hard as you can into the ground and "wedging" your hips forward, under the bar as it raises your hips can't raise too early.

Hope you find any of that useful.  As noted it's a personal journey for each of us to find our optimal technique.
 
One thing I notice upon reflection of Al's advice, on the way down you seem to find that right height naturally (probably not overthinking).  So your biomechanics aren't so wonky that you have to get really low like a parallel squat at the start.  Some interesting tips there too Zach.  Nice.
 
Zach, that is an excellent que, I'll try this tomorrow. I'll keep the intention in driving through with the legs and hips , thanks, for the tips!

Matt, you're probably right, the body knows the best way, we just need to listen!
 
Yes, 2-3 minutes of non-stop swings at the end of your workout.  When I used to do this, I was able to keep my resting pulse in the 40's.  Another good choice, although I haven't tried this myself, would be to finish off with 5 minutes of on/off swings  to let you get in the same volume but go for better form, better explosiveness.

-S-
 
Thanks Steve. Been doing this a week now, just using a 24 and not counting reps. It's a great way to finish up a session of deadlifts. I'll post on the effects it has on my conditioning after a month or so.
 
Logan,

Try doing sets of swings before each set of deadlifts, so, 5 swings, rest a minute, DL, repeat.  Don't use the swings for conditioning, but to groove your hinge pattern ... then take that groove and apply it to the DL.  I've had a lot of success with this drill.

Use a weight that is heavy-ish for you, and be explosive, don't just go through the motion.  Make sure your breathing is under control before you begin your DLs.

Then, use the swings to condition at the end of your session as Steve described.

Let us know how it goes if you try it.
 
Thanks Al, I've been incorporating these in, and think I've got my hip hinge groove a little more "greased", and I've been playing with stance width and incorporating Zach's que from above(I am . Here is another batch of clips. I have been focussing on tension and leg drive. From watching the clips, I feel like my leg drive is always strongest on the first rep, then I tend to use my back almost exclusively. So I'm going to make a point of setting up each rep from the beginning. Also, if anyone knows an SFL in the Spring TX area, I'd love to get some hands on coaching.

 

@Steve, I'm pretty darn happy with the level of conditioning I've been able to maintain using your suggestion. Thanks a ton!

http://youtu.be/ZVtH58seLCE

http://youtu.be/pENVxEstjms

http://youtu.be/jWWJgvtSrUI

 
 
Logan,

You sexy animal you ... in the first two vids, you set up properly for the first pull, then lost it in the subsequent pulls - your hips were too high.  In the third vid, when you stood up between reps, you properly set each time.  Maybe incorporate this technique ... or, don't think so much.  Just feel the hip and leg drive.

Much better though.
 
BTW, you're just north of Houston ... isn't that an SFG hub?

I'll be in Abilene next month, if you care to take the drive up one weekend.  We'll get you sorted out.
 
Thanks Al, that's kind of what the video showed me, just have to take my time on each rep. I appreciate the offer, but my work schedule is  pretty tight and I doubt that I'd be able to swing it. As for this being an SFG hub, I've not had much luck with the search engine  seems like there's two relatively close, one of which may not work out, the other I have yet to contact. Either way, thanks again!
 
Logan,

The search engine on the instructor site doesn't work ... you have to scroll through each page manually and read where each instructor is working.  I'm pretty sure that Houston has a few.
 
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