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Barbell Deadlift Socks/Shin_Guards

Steve Freides

Steve Freides

Staff
Senior Certified Instructor Emeritus
Elite Certified Instructor
Good news, bad news. Apparently through years of what some would call a successful amateur career as a deadlifter, I've had the bar a little too far in front of me and I never really dragged the bar up my shins. Now that my form has changed some, I am dragging the bar up my shins and everything feels lighter - that's the good news. The bad news is that I seem to be beating up my right shin to the point where it's got a nice bruise on it. Soooo ...

Recommendations for thick-ish socks and possibly shin guards to use in my deadlift training, please.

I am a size 40/41 Euro, 7.5/8 American, in shoes, which means that "one size fits all" socks don't work for me; I need socks that come in sizes so I can get something smaller than usual. "Over the calf" size seems not quite "over" enough so we're looking at some sort of knee sock - I've worn soccer socks that are big enough that I have to turn the tops down, and those are what I use in competition, but my ideal solution here is thick enough socks to not need shins guards for my training deadlifts.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-
 
I use deadlift shin guards from Tuff. And my deadlift socks are from Cerberus. The shin guards are great and I use them almost exclusively. The deadlift socks from Cerberus are long but not sure they would go over the knee. I’ve had these shin savers for a few years and this company makes everything very durable. Looks like Tuff has deadlift socks in sizes and not one size fits all.

www.tuffwraps.com

TUFF Shin Savers / Guards

Tired of beating up your shins when deadlifting? Then our TUFF Shin Savers / Guards are perfect for you! These were designed to help prevent you from damaging your shins. Our TUFF Shin Savers / Guards are not just for deadlifting, but they are also perfect for keeping your calves warm.
www.tuffwraps.com www.tuffwraps.com
 
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Steve Freides said:
Good news, bad news. Apparently through years of what some would call a successful amateur career as a deadlifter, I've had the bar a little too far in front of me and I never really dragged the bar up my shins. Now that my form has changed some, I am dragging the bar up my shins and everything feels lighter - that's the good news. The bad news is that I seem to be beating up my right shin to the point where it's got a nice bruise on it. Soooo ...

Recommendations for thick-ish socks and possibly shin guards to use in my deadlift training, please.

I am a size 40/41 Euro, 7.5/8 American, in shoes, which means that "one size fits all" socks don't work for me; I need socks that come in sizes so I can get something smaller than usual. "Over the calf" size seems not quite "over" enough so we're looking at some sort of knee sock - I've worn soccer socks that are big enough that I have to turn the tops down, and those are what I use in competition, but my ideal solution here is thick enough socks to not need shins guards for my training deadlifts.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-
Click to expand...
I used to use soccer socks. The are very long and pretty thick.
 
Steve Freides said:
Apparently through years of what some would call a successful amateur career as a deadlifter, I've had the bar a little too far in front of me and I never really dragged the bar up my shins.
Click to expand...

Good Point

The following is in regard to individuals who continue to allow the Bar to remain a little to far forward.

THE DEADLIFT: A SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS

Nutrition & Health OnLine Magazine

Nutrition & Health OnLine Magazine
www.nhomag.com

The following is based Dr Tom McLaughlin's (PhD Exercise Biomechanics/Former Powerlifter) research.

"The studies show that for every inch the bar swings out during the lift the effective load is actually increased 25 percent. Since even experienced lifters let the bar swing out as much as a couple of inches it is apparent that everyone can improve in this area."

Steve Freides said:
I am dragging the bar up my shins and everything feels lighter
Click to expand...
The Bar Weight Is Lighter

The farther away the Bar is from the Body's Center of Gravity, COG, the greater the Bar Weight is magnified (Torque).

400lb Deadlift Example

400 lbs (with the Bar an inch farther out) magnifies the True Bar Load; Increased Loading; 1.25% X 400 = 500 lbs!

With that said, even minutely allow the Deadlift to drift forward magnifies the True Bar Load.

Secondary Factor In Dragging The Bar Up The Shins

Dragging the Deadlift Up The Shins provide more Stability.

Research and anecdotal data have determine the Limiting Factor in a Strength Movement is the Stabilizer Muscles; previous informaing has gone into this.

That is one of the reason that individual can Push or Pull more weight when with a Exercise performed with Gym Equipment. It locking in the Path of the Movement. It take the weaker Stabilize Muscle out of the equation. The workload is place on the larger, stronger Primary Muscles in the Movement.

Dragging the Bar Up The Shins is similar to performing in a Smith Machine. The Smith Machine take the Stabilzer Muscles out of the equation.
 
I have Darn Tough over the calf socks that I wear for skiing. If you go for thick ones I'm sure they'd be good enough for deadlifting. I have the Paul Bunyan ones, they hold up on the calf very well and reach up to just under the knee.

Darn Tough socks are the most comfortable, best quality socks I have ever owned. They have a lifetime warranty that I've used with my regular pairs every 2 years since I started buying these socks.
 
I think a real shin guard is your best bet. Though if you hit the shin high enough it may still not work. I'd visit a sports equipment store nearby that has soccer gear.

Socks are good to contain the bleeding but I'm not sure they prevent rashes that much.

I'd make sure to disinfect the shin after deadlifts.
 
I was gonna order either Eleiko or SBD socks but I might just keep working on not actually having my shins come in contact with the bar but just super close. It's only really a problem on my left side sometimes but it might be from an imbalance.
 
metaldrummer said:
I was gonna order either Eleiko or SBD socks but I might just keep working on not actually having my shins come in contact with the bar but just super close. It's only really a problem on my left side sometimes but it might be from an imbalance.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that's a good idea. Better to accept that there's contact with optimal technique. Or do a variation or a different lift altogether.
 
Antti said:
I'm not sure that's a good idea. Better to accept that there's contact with optimal technique. Or do a variation or a different lift altogether.
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You don't have to scrape the f*** out of your shins to have optimal technique. Obviously everyone's different but I was always taught that you just want the bar close. If you're dragging the bar up your whole leg you're just adding unnecessary resistance. But in my case it was just in one spot on my left shin which made me think I just got in the habit of pulling slightly off kilter or there's some sort of imbalance.
 
as someone who has only used leg hair and then had that awkward moment of noticing I have bled on a public gym’s bar, I am following with interest.

In line with the above, I basically let my skin “toughen” over time and the issue reduced. I am not a competitive lifter though so your frequency probably doesn’t allow this approach without unnecessary discomfort!
 
metaldrummer said:
You don't have to scrape the f*** out of your shins to have optimal technique. Obviously everyone's different but I was always taught that you just want the bar close. If you're dragging the bar up your whole leg you're just adding unnecessary resistance. But in my case it was just in one spot on my left shin which made me think I just got in the habit of pulling slightly off kilter or there's some sort of imbalance.
Click to expand...

Too much friction is obviously bad. But even a little bit can wreck your shin with a properly knurled bar.
 
metaldrummer said:
Eleiko or SBD socks
Click to expand...
Best Option
Antti said:
a real shin guard is your best bet.
Click to expand...
Soccer Shin Guard

1) The Bar will Glide Up the Soccer Plastic Soccer Shin Guards much better than some type of fabric sock.

As you put it...

metaldrummer said:
adding unnecessary resistance.
Click to expand...

2) The Soccer Shin Guard provides greater protection than a fabric sock.

The Soccer Shin Guard enables an individual to make and maintain constant contact of the Bar being Pulled Up The Shins.

metaldrummer said:
You don't have to scrape the f*** out of your shins to have optimal technique. Obviously everyone's different but I was always taught that you just want the bar close.
Click to expand...

The Body's Center of Gravity

This was addressed in Post 4, more so for those who want to optimize their 1 Repetion Max Deadlift.

The closer the Bar is kept in the Deadlift to the individual's Center of Gravivity, essentially the less the magnification of the Load.

The most effective way of ensuring the Bar is optimally kept as close as is can be to Body's Center of Gravity is to Drag It Up The Shins.

To reiterate, Dragging The Bar Up the Shine also provide greater Stability and Support in Pulling The Bar Up.

metaldrummer said:
If you're dragging the bar up your whole leg you're just adding unnecessary resistance.
Click to expand...
Baby Powder

Apply Baby Powder to the Legs and the Bar will Glide Up.

Baby Powder is allowed and used in most Powerlifting Organization because it is so effective.
 
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"The proper bar path for the deadlift, is UP. Not back and up, just up. If you start with the bar over your midfoot or so, and place your shoulders in front of the bar, and pull straight up, it will drift outwards just a bit just below the knee level or so. This is a mechanically awkward phase of the lift. But this will not automatically injure your lower back! The solution to overcoming a the mechanically disadvantaged part of a lift is not to make it more disadvantaged. The solution is to learn to maintain force output throughout the lift. Keep pulling."

www.strengthminded.com

In Deadlifts Should You Drag the Bar Against Your Legs?

Some say that you should drag the bar against your shins and over your knees when deadlifting. Is this true? I have a secret way to find information. Not just any information, but wrong information. I just go the Stronglifts site. There, I can find an author with absolutely no idea what he is talki
www.strengthminded.com www.strengthminded.com
 
metaldrummer said:
"The proper bar path for the deadlift, is UP. Not back and up, just up. If you start with the bar over your midfoot or so, and place your shoulders in front of the bar, and pull straight up, it will drift outwards just a bit just below the knee level or so. This is a mechanically awkward phase of the lift. But this will not automatically injure your lower back! The solution to overcoming a the mechanically disadvantaged part of a lift is not to make it more disadvantaged. The solution is to learn to maintain force output throughout the lift. Keep pulling."

www.strengthminded.com

In Deadlifts Should You Drag the Bar Against Your Legs?

Some say that you should drag the bar against your shins and over your knees when deadlifting. Is this true? I have a secret way to find information. Not just any information, but wrong information. I just go the Stronglifts site. There, I can find an author with absolutely no idea what he is talki
www.strengthminded.com www.strengthminded.com
Click to expand...
Mis-information

There is too much mis-information to addess on this article

Secondly, ...

Your Knowledge Base

You appear to be much wiser, as you know, that those on this forum.

So rather than being 'Dogged", as you put it by other a previous post, with recommendation (such as Antti). ignor them.
 
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Kenny Croxdale said:
Misinformation

There is too much mis-information to addess on this article

Secondly, ...

Your Knowledge Base

You appear to be much wiser, as you know, that those on this forum.

So rather than being 'Dogged", as you put it by other a previous post, with recommendation (such as Antti). ignor them.
Click to expand...
Oh the thread where I ended up cutting back on my warmup and hit my new max by 20lbs? I thought that went pretty well actually apart from some disagreements in semantics. As far as deadlifting no one will ever convince me to drag the bar up my legs. Maybe that works for some people but I don't believe it's necessary or that optimal form is merely defined by how much you scrape the bar up your shins. I must say that it's fairly rich that you accuse others of misinformation while stating that having the bar even an inch away adds 100lbs to the lift. I don't know how anyone could ever honestly believe that at all. ROFL
 
metaldrummer said:
I must say that it's fairly rich that you accuse others of misinformation while stating that having the bar even an inch away adds 100lbs to the lift. I don't know how anyone could ever honestly believe that at all. ROFL
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I’ve failed lifts because of that exact thing. Watching the meet footage it drifts out of groove just an inch and grinds to a halt.
The article you quoted says the exact same thing. Don’t let it drift out.
metaldrummer said:
As far as deadlifting no one will ever convince me to drag the bar up my legs
Click to expand...
You might want to read the recommendations again. There is going to be some contact. But it shouldn’t be a scrape the shin pull.
 
@metaldrummer and @Kenny Croxdale, let's please keep the conversation civil and respectful.

We note in PlanStrong that, while beginning and intermediate lifters should spend most of their time performing the basic lifts, advanced lifters will benefit from specialized variety and assistance work, sometimes even to the point where those "auxiliary" lifts are half or more of their training volume. To say the same thing in other words, we're all similar but we're nonetheless all different, and this effects our training as follows: up to a certain point we can all train in a similar way and make progress, but once we reach a certain point, we need to focus on what changes will break us from a plateau and help us improve. I have reached that certain point.

Whether or not I should be dragging the bar up my shins is not up for discussion here. I'm not asking for deadlifting technique advice, which @Kenny Croxdale has offered and with which @metaldrummer has disagreed. If you attended Programming Demystified (which was held in Phoenix, AZ and online in October, 2023), you heard me getting deadlift guidance from Pavel and Fabio; suffice it to say I'm very happy to have received their guidance and am following it to the best of my ability. Please go fight about shins and bar path somewhere else.

Thanks.

-S-
 
It took me a few months to really get it into my head about the bar/shins. I wear sweat pants when I'm lifting, but I've gotten bruises/scrapes a few times now.
 
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