Old Forum Deadlift Head Position

[Patrick O]

Hello,
I’m starting Pavel’s Power to the People program and wanted to clarify a point about proper head position in the deadlift. PTTP recommends you tilt your head back and “never let your eyes leave the ceiling.” I have been watching some frequent StrongFirst posters, mainly Steve Freides, deadlift on YouTube, and often they seem to gaze not at the ceiling but at the floor a few feet in front of the bar (for example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d5M73VOi5E).
Has thinking changed on this since PTTP?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Patrick O]

First-time poster having trouble here. Here is the link to the Steve Freides video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d5M73VOi5E.

 

[Steve Freides]

Patrick, I don’t teach how I deadlift to new deadlifters. I lift with a rounded upper back and my neck near neutral to that, which means I’m basically looking down, not up. It is an advanced skill to be able to round your upper back while keeping your lower back flat. The rounded upper back allows me to be closer to the bar at the start, and the lower head position makes me – my build, my relative strengths and weaknesses, stronger off the floor, and that’s the weakest part of my deadlift.

We also encourage most new deadlifters to preserve something of the natural, inward arch to their lower back, something that I also don’t do. There are several reasons for this – no need to go into them here and now but suffice it to say that, for those who understand it, it’s a fine thing to do.

I started deadlifting with PTTP and I don’t think one can find a better book with which to get started. Once the weight starts to get heavier, and/or around a year into serious deadlifting, you may find certain adjustments to your form allow you to lift more safely, more comfortably, move more weight, or some combination of the above.

Here is my deadlift session from today, 270 lbs for 12 singles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH6vZDaJ-B4

I think you’ll find my neck and head position a little more up than the video you linked to, and I like today’s form better than what I demonstrated in the earlier clip. I am still learning and still experimenting with changes to my form in order to find the ideal combination for me, the one that is both safe and strong. Today I was able to get much tighter than last week, and as a result, I felt like I didn’t need the extra strength I get from looking closer down so I elected not to do it.

Hope that helps explain some.

The _best_ thing you could do would be to attend the StrongFirst Barbell User course, where you will learn both a narrow sumo stance and a conventional stance, and have the opportunity to ask questions like this.

 

[Patrick O]

Thanks for your detailed reply, Steve! That's a huge help.