Another Dead Lift Question

[RoadToRecovery]

Ok so how do you guys perform your dead lifts... Do you bend over and keep your legs straight and just straighten out your body... or do you slightly bend forward and lift with your legs... Also I got into an argument with some kid I see at the gym about the back belt... He places it so the bottom of the support is resting on his ass... I have the support in the center of my back. Whos right?

[skank]

I do 3 different types of deads all with no belt. No belt because I don't lift 400+ like many of the powerlifters here.

Stiff leg- great for hams, use slightly less weight than with the other deads.

Romanian- slight bend in legs, my favorite one! hams, butt and low back.

Traditional- bend legs more, you will be able to lift the most this way. Uses more legs, butt and low back.

Love them deads!

[RoadToRecovery]

If im not mistaken... you can get a back injury from lifting 50lbs improperly... I think a belt is important as long as your putting strain on it.

[skank]

I use very strict form, head up and no bent back. I believe the belt takes away from strengthening support muscles in the back,abs. But of course after so many sets of warmup and increasing the weights its time to throw on the belt. For stiffs and rdl's I just don't use enought weight imo to need the belt.

[soulstealer]

If im not mistaken... you can get a back injury from lifting 50lbs improperly... I think a belt is important as long as your putting strain on it.

There are different forms of the deadlift but one thing holds true if you lift with a rounded back.. or rotate your back during the movement(to the left or right) then you risk serious injury, the idea whatever deadlift your doing is to use those spinal erectors in exactly how they were ment to be used, rigged back neutral spine, bend at the hips and knees(just hips if for RDL or straight leg DL)
I personally dont find a need for a belt unless I'm goin for trips,doubs, or singles

hope that helps

[skank]

Thankyou Soulstealer. You explained it much better than I could have.

[RoadToRecovery]

The thing is... I dont know if i have a strict form or not...

[soulstealer]

2 Ways to check... either watch your self in the mirror, or simply ask on of the guys at the gym who does deads properly to check your form... thats all...

[RoadToRecovery]

My gym is on a Closing naval base where all the guys are 50+ and who look like theyve never lifted a weight in there life. I seem to have the best physique in the whole gym so thats not saying alot. And i do look in the mirror... but i cant tell if I am doing them right.

[Jakspro]

I round my shoulders over but not my back, i feel that this puts more effort on my traps. And only at the bottom.

[Dude-Man]

belts aren't that important. When we're talking deadlifts, as opposed to stiff legged deadlifts (which are mostly a ham excersise to me) there are two schools of thought.

There's the sumo stance, legs wide, hands inside of knees, toes pointed slightly outward.

Then there's the conventional stance, feet roughly shoulder distance apart, hands outside of legs, toes pointed straight forward.

In both stances you keep your back as upright as possible throughout the movement.

[Schwarzenegger]

i read somewhere that you should always look up, or in the mirror, and if water was poured onto your lower back, it should pool there when in the lowest position of the exercise (for SLD). This means stick chest out, keep back as straight as possible. For SLD i let my hams and glutes do most of the work, back secondarily.

Belt = d e pends how strong your lower back is or how fatigued it is. I usually do stiff legged deads after heavy squats and my lower back is fryed so sometimes i lower the weight on deads or use a belt for the last set or two.

[skank]

Yeah, with the head up and back straight you will save your back. So easy to mess up your lower back from bad form in deads and especially squats. Strong abs don't hurt either.

[Ajc330]

ok i can only do 275 for 3 with deads but here is my .02 take it or leave it, my lower back is never sore..

bend at knees keep ass below hips and back straight, picture a rounded back, you want to do the exact opposite and have sort of a "u" figure instead of the "n" figure if that made sense...keep head up and straight with the shoulders back and chest out, straighten knees and hold at top, slowly bend back down by bending knees keeping back totally straight


i hope this helped a little

[HomesliceYEA]

You want your LOWER back arched/flat, but if you lift conventional, a rounded UPPER back is good. all the best dl'ers do it. watch andy bolton pull conventional and you will see

[MFT81]

1st off I pull conventional. when I begin the movement I want to look like im in the bottom postion of a front squat, only with my hands attachet to the bar in front (obviously)

also this might sound weird but I imagine my upper body and hips as a rocket ship. and the floor is a launch pad. so when I start to pull mentally it helps keep my body upright and not bent forward. (hence keeping the bar dragging up my shins/thighs).

BTW, I pull 405 for 5 and never wear a belt. I also fancy myself as someone with a bad back too.....