Deadlift Questions

[TommyBoy555]

Do rack deadlifts hit the back harder than deadlifts from the floor? I have never doen deadlifts from the floor but I'm assuming those hit the leg muscles as well. Also, how high should the rack be from the floor approx?

Thanx

[BIG TEXAN]

Never done rack deadlifts before. Just figured if I'm gonna do something might as well go all the way. Sorry...I'm not sure but I'll bump ya.

[withoutd0ubt]

knee level, yes it hits back more than hams

[WiLLpOwEr]

The difference between rack deadlifts and floor deadlifts mainly has to do with what muscles are being used.

Rack deadlifts involve only the top part of the movement. This is the range of motion where the lats and traps and doing most of the work, and you greatly take quadriceps, glutes, and lower back out of the movement. This can be an advantage if, for some reason, you work back and legs close together(i.e. not at least 3 days apart).

Floor deadlifts, on the other hand, involve more muscles, practically your whole body. You also work the back through a longer range of motion, which increases the potential for mass. Not only that, it's just more hardcore to do them from the floor, and thus you work harder at them. I can tell you from experience that deadlifts from the floor are the number one excerise for total back mass and thickness, nothing else comes close. But they're worthless if you are not doing them properly.

Equipment:
First of all, make sure you are in sturdy shoes, preferably either an Otomix power shoe(www.otomix.com) or a cross-training/basketball shoe. Always use a lifting belt. The belt not only increase torso pressure and prevents lower back injury, it makes it easier to perform the movement with proper form. I strongly recommend lifting straps. As you put the strap on, make sure the strap goes through your thumb and forefinger, not in the other direction, and put the strap on the bar in the opposite direction of your grip.

Grip:
Besides equiment, grip is probably the most improtant aspect of successful deadlifts. Why? Because if you can't grip it, you cant pull it. I prefer to use a double overhand grip(as if you were going to do reverse curls with the bar), but some trainers like an alternating grip. Do what feels most natural to you. Now, place your hands a little farther out on the bar then your feet, so they do not interfere with the lift.

Stance:
Your feet should be shoulder width apart, or slightly closer, with toes pointed slightly outward. Use the grip explained above, and place the bar about 3 inches in front of your calves. Bend your knees and lower your buttox to about 30-45 degrees above parallel, wherever you feel most comfortable. Now, make sure you back is straight before you lift! Do not attempt to lift with a rounded back!! You will know immediately if you did not have a straight back, because you will feel a tremendous amount of pressure on your spinal cord.

Lift:
Ok, now you are ready to rip shit up. Tighten your grip hard, and I mean really grab that bar hard...like you want to kill it. Now focus on tightening up your entire body, espically your legs and back. Keep your head up, and explode upwards, initially using your leg drive. Drive your heels through the floor as you pull the bar upwards, and straighten your legs and back out at the same time. There is no need to concentrate on your lower back while lifting, for it will work on its own. The bar should brush agaisnt your legs as you pull it upwards, or should be about an inch or two away from your legs. At the top of the movement, assume a natural stance, do not pull your shoulders back into an exaggerated stance, for this could damage your spinal erector mucles. Follow the same path down to the floor. Do not drop the weight. "Return" the weight to the floor, and avoiding bouncing the bar. Touching the floor is OK, but do not bounce it. I personally prefer to reverse direction when the bar is about 3 inches from the ground.

Sets and Reps:
There are many philospohies about sets and reps for deadlifts. Here is what I used to get to my current state(405 for 5 full reps at 185 pounds):

Set 1: Warmup 12 reps(about 33% 5-rep max)
Set 2: Pyramided warm up 10 reps(about 45% 5-rep max)
Set 3: Pyramided warm up 10 reps(about 55% 5-rep max)
Set 4: Power warm up(use straps if haven't already) 6 reps(about 83% 5-rep max)
Set 5: First working set 6 reps(about 96% 5-rep max)
Set 6: Second working set 5 reps(100% 5-rep max)
Set 7: Final working set 3 reps(about 110% 5-rep max)

Perform this once a week, and again, try to leave at least 3 days between leg day. As for the remaining back routine, try this:

Barbell Rows-3 working sets
T-Bar Rows-3 working sets
Front Pulldowns-2-3 working sets

Another critical aspect is stretching. Make sure you stretch for at least 5 minutes before training, and at least 5 minutes after training. It helps a great deal.

It is ok to mix up deadlift workouts. Do not always do this heavy routine, say every 3-4 weeks go high rep(10-12 reps for 3 working sets), or when your back become so abnormally huge from this routine, which it will, you can do deadlifts every 2 weeks and see results.

One final thought: Always strive for more weight. Next week go for 5 more pounds. Stagnation is regression. Remember that.

[FCECC2]

great info thanks

[TommyBoy555]

dayum that's some good info WILLPOWER.

Thanks.

[WiLLpOwEr]

Ur welcome...I do everything I said and it works great you can trust me on that.