Deadlift Technique

When i start the lift my hips move first

The bar doesn't begin to rise until my back is parallel to the floor

Mt stance is shoulder width and my arms brush my legs when i lift

It looks more like a stiff-legged or Romanian type lift (my legs are still
slightly bent when the bar starts moving)

I am unsure if my problem is down to having weak hams and glutes or a weak lower back - or something else i haven't even thought of

My squat is very low compared to my deadlift which i shows weak hams and glutes (i think)

But as i said i near stiff leg the weight when i'm deadlifting which i guess
shows stronger hams and glutes (i think)

As you can tell - I'm struggling with this one

Make sure you start the lift by pushing your chest and head up and back at the start of the lift. This should help keep your hips down.

try also focusing on keeping your shoulders just slightly above your hips and try to move the bar, hips, shoulders up all at once to the top position...also, I use the "sumo" technique which places my hands inside my legs rather than legs inside my hands...

When doing squats your not meant to let your knees go infront of your feet
Is this true of deadlifting?

When you deadlift, try to make sure that you hips do not rise any faster than your shoulders. If they do, it will turn into a romanian deadlift. You will not hurt your back but you not using your quads, enough, to help in the movement. When people hurt their back is when the spine loses a neutral position and starts to flex.

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

When i start the lift my hips move first

The bar doesn't begin to rise until my back is parallel to the floor

Mt stance is shoulder width and my arms brush my legs when i lift

It looks more like a stiff-legged or Romanian type lift (my legs are still
slightly bent when the bar starts moving)

I am unsure if my problem is down to having weak hams and glutes or a weak lower back - or something else i haven't even thought of

My squat is very low compared to my deadlift which i shows weak hams and glutes (i think)

But as i said i near stiff leg the weight when i'm deadlifting which i guess
shows stronger hams and glutes (i think)

As you can tell - I'm struggling with this one

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Do you lean forward, a significant amount when you squat? If you do, this could be a flaw in technique or weak quads. When you lean forward, you are trying to recruit from the glutes and hamstrings. By leaning forward, I mean do you go past a 45 degree angle?

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

When doing squats your not meant to let your knees go infront of your feet
Is this true of deadlifting?

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The most important aspect is keeping the bar close to the body. If there is too much space, it can put a strain on the lower back. Big men, obviously, will have to keep the bar a little farther away from them than thin men.
A lot of big men hate the deadlift for this reason. On the squat, they can use their bug gut as a launching pad of sorts, on the concentric phase.

Ok, I now understand the proper technique

Apart fron lack of practice - why can i deadlift so much more with incorrect technique than with proper form?

Do i need more assistance work on my hams and glutes or my lower back?

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

Ok, I now understand the proper technique

Apart fron lack of practice - why can i deadlift so much more with incorrect technique than with proper form?

Do i need more assistance work on my hams and glutes or my lower back?

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I have noticed that most individuals can deadlift more weight with improper form. The only thing is that the risk of injury goes up if you are flexing the spine. The reason? The hip extensors are much stronger than the knee extensors.
I don't believe it is your lower back and glutes-hamstrings that are the weak link. If you maintain neutral spinal alignment, your lower back strength is sufficient. If you are trying to recruit from your glutes and hamstrings, that's means they are not the weak link either.
I would say, without seeing your form, that the quads could be the weak link because you are trying to avoid using them in your technique.

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

Ok, I now understand the proper technique

Apart fron lack of practice - why can i deadlift so much more with incorrect technique than with proper form?

Do i need more assistance work on my hams and glutes or my lower back?

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look at benedict magnuson, his dead looks like a stiff leg deadlift, his hips are very high when he pulls, but he has the highest dead of all time

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Originally Posted by Doc.Sust

look at benedict magnuson, his dead looks like a stiff leg deadlift, his hips are very high when he pulls, but he has the highest dead of all time

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If you were teaching proper technique for the deadlift, what would you say to your trainee?

Another problem i have is:

I have long limbs

When i deadlift conventionally - with proper form - i cut my shins with the bar

I tried sumo today - form was much better

I kept nearer to the bar
My hips were low
I lifted together
My shoulders stayed behind the bar
And i didn't cut my shins to pieces

Are there any downsides to sumo?

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

Another problem i have is:

I have long limbs

When i deadlift conventionally - with proper form - i cut my shins with the bar

I tried sumo today - form was much better

I kept nearer to the bar
My hips were low
I lifted at together
And i didn't cut my shins to pieces

Are there any downsides to sumo?

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Do you wear workout pants when you deadlift? This usually clears up the issue. You will need many workout pants during the year though :lol: .

I have very long femurs so use the sumo deadlift as well. If you think about it, it is a similar position to how Westside says to squat. Feet out wide and trunk as vertical as you can get it. I also like the reduced ROM on the sumo.

Yeah - that was my thinking after i tried it today

I was just wondering if it still worked the muscles as much as conventional

Just measured my legs

I'm 6 ft tall
Inside leg is 36"
Distance from floor to the crease/line at the back of the knee joint is 22"

Will it be better, worse or no different whether i lift conventional or sumo?

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

Just measured my legs

I'm 6 ft tall
Inside leg is 36"
Distance from floor to the crease/line at the back of the knee joint is 22"

Will it be better, worse or no different whether i lift conventional or sumo?

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What are your goals, to move as much weight as possible or increasing muscle mass?

Both (ish)

I fancy a go at strongman one day

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

Both (ish)

I fancy a go at strongman one day

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If you are looking at strongman, I would pick the one that allows you to lift the heaviest weight. Afterall, that is what is most important in strongman comps, isn't it? Those strongman dudes rarely look like bodybuilders. Only the genetic freaks.

I was watching WSM last night

They all lifted conventionally - with very high hips like Benedikt does

Didn't know if that was coincidence

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

I was watching WSM last night

They all lifted conventionally - with very high hips like Benedikt does

Didn't know if that was coincidence

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Yeah, you can always lift more weight with your hips. The hip extensors, glutes and hamstrings, are very strong. Much more than the knee extensors, quads. Most beginning weight trainers wouldn't want to watch strongman comps for form because they are only concerned with lifting as much weight as possible. If you want to be a strongman though, you will need to be sport specific. Tire flipping, etc.

If you really would like to be a strongman some day, I would go to sites that teach training for strongman comps. There is a lot of functional training included in their programs. Not too many concentration curls, broomsticks twists, etc. will be included in their programs. :lol:

I think the technique has been pretty well covered here.

In terms of strength relationships between the hip extensors and knee flexors, I'll say this. The preferred strength ratio for static exercises between the quads and hams is 3:2, 1:1 for explosive concentrics and 2:1 for for slower contractions. A lot of people neglect their hamstrings with both direct curling movements, hip extension exercises and plyometric or explosive exercises, whilst they are hitting their quads hard with squats and lunges. This leads to a strength imbalance between the two opposing muscle groups and may effect how can you can perform certain movements such as deadlifts. Unfortunately I have no data on glute vs. knee extensor strengths, but this would be a very similar factor. The glutes together with the hams would be far stronger than the quads, so there is the issue. You need to balance quad vs. ham and glute strength. Squats would probably be the answer

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Originally Posted by Flexor

I think the technique has been pretty well covered here.

In terms of strength relationships between the hip extensors and knee flexors, I'll say this. The preferred strength ratio for static exercises between the quads and hams is 3:2, 1:1 for explosive concentrics and 2:1 for for slower contractions. A lot of people neglect their hamstrings with both direct curling movements, hip extension exercises and plyometric or explosive exercises, whilst they are hitting their quads hard with squats and lunges. This leads to a strength imbalance between the two opposing muscle groups and may effect how can you can perform certain movements such as deadlifts. Unfortunately I have no data on glute vs. knee extensor strengths, but this would be a very similar factor. The glutes together with the hams would be far stronger than the quads, so there is the issue. You need to balance quad vs. ham and glute strength. Squats would probably be the answer

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Thanks Flexor. It's always valuable to get a second opinion.

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Originally Posted by ant_8u

I was watching WSM last night

They all lifted conventionally - with very high hips like Benedikt does

Didn't know if that was coincidence

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WSM is a little slanted toward taller athletes.

That means that they will normally all start with their hips a little high, because tall folks tend to have proportionally long arms as well. The longer your arms are, relative to the rest of your body, the more likely you are to have DL form that looks like that.