Deadlift Form

[theshrew]

I have tended to stay away from this lift due to me having a rounded back, standing or sitting it's always rounded. Time to man up I'd like to get this lift into my routine. I had a go today with light weight, tried a few different things but my form was poor.

It doesn't seem to bad going up I can sort of keep my back straight ish however as soon as start to come back down I'm back looking like the hunchback of notra dame.

Could anyone give me some tips or links to good vids that might be able to point me in the right direction please.

[Efbe]

start by lifting from a raised platform if your form is that bad. lifting 20kg weights is actually easier due to not having to go as low!

lift parralel to a mirro, not looking at it when you practice (with only a bar)

concentrate on your shoulders and pulling them back all the way through the lift.

edit:also try romanian if you still really struggle.

Edited by Efbe on Sunday 20th November 23:28

[hyphen]

Have you looked into using a hex bar?

[TheBALDpuma]

Unfortunately asking for advice on a forum isn't going to help - you need real time coaching to be able to fix an issues eith your form, especially when you're new to it.

For example "pull your shoulders back" is a bad coaching que, as your shoulder should be loose when deadlifting not pinched back. Lifting from blocks treats the symptoms not the cause as it takes away the part where mobility can be an issue/limiting, so may not help in the long run. And romanian deadlifts are significantly harder to maintain solid form as the load on the back is increased - sorry to the chap that posted this.

And a Hex or trap bar is not a deadlift, so if you want to learn to deadlift, learn to deadlift not to hex/trap bar deadlift.

Watching form in the mirror is also not a good idea as if your neck is twisted to the side, your form isn't right anyway.

Wathing videos and reading online tips on form won't work for a beginner, especially if you struggle with form generally. You won't have enough special awareness or kinesthetic feedback to be aware of/fix any form problems that do exist.

I can coach anyone to deadlift in 10 minutes - most people it take 30 seconds to get form correct on a light bar - others can be a bit more problamatic but I will still be able to do it! Just need to make sure you keep folllowing the rules when weight goes on the bar. DL form is pretty simple and easy to coach so just ask a coach/PT/Instructor at your gym to give you some tips.

Edited by TheBALDpuma on Monday 21st November 10:07

[markcoznottz]

Hex bar is like a squat but with the bar in your hands, I wish I had known about these back in the day. Far safer than deads fir the average joe.

[TheBALDpuma]

markcoznottz said:

Hex bar is like a squat but with the bar in your hands, I wish I had known about these back in the day. Far safer than deads fir the average joe.

In terms of muscle activation/bias for anterior:posterior chain it sits somewhere between a squat and a DL. It's not an alternative to a DL as far as I'm concerned it's just another lift. And DLs aren't dangerous for anyone, just do them right and load light to start just like anything else.

[alteredracer]

I'll second the suggestion to book a session with a good personal trainer, it's very hard, if not impossible to coach deadlift technique remotely.

As you increase the weight there are so many small adjustments that can make a big difference to both the max weight you can lift and the risk of injury due to poor form.

In general, any exercises that strengthens your core, upper back, lats & overall posture are good supplements to being able to deadlift fairly heavy with good technique. Strong glutes & legs are also useful but you might struggle to hit bigger numbers without a strong upper back.

[didelydoo]

Watch various vids, then try and see what suits you- we all pull differently and you'll soon see how you do it. Most important thing is a tight core throughout the movement, the rest will fall in to place.

[anonymous-user]

As above, get a coach, or watch YouTube.

[Lynch91]

Do you stretch regularly? once you have good flexibility it'll help massively.

[ambuletz]

deadlift is all about lifting up, not that eccentric movement. some people don't bother with the latter and simply drop the bar. IMO i think people who simply drop them are knobs. best thing is to let it fall with it in your hands, under control so that it's not going to bounce off forward/back or sideways. only time i sometimes ever bother with the downwards movement is if I'm doing very light weight (10-20kgs plates on the bar). the only reason why i think you'd wana do it is if maybe you're doing bent over rows?

[theshrew]

Thanks for the tips. Plenty to think about, hopefully I can grab one of the guys in the gym to help me out.