Critique my deadlift form?

**BozzBanks** · 04-04-2014, 10:23 PM

Just trying to get this lift down right, would love some feedback. Oh, and ignore the awkward grunting, it just worked out that way rofl.

**Hrothgar** · 04-05-2014, 02:37 PM

It looks pretty good from here. A side view would be better...

**Venom** · 04-05-2014, 06:24 PM

Good job buddy, the lift looks good. I would suggest trying to get those hips down a little more. One thing I noticed is your shoulders appear to come a bit over the bar and you want them to be behind it.

If you watch, it appears as if your butt pops up first on the lift, which naturally forces you to round your back (which is not a good thing) and then you begin the lift while your head appears to remain down and come up last.

Really try to focus on pulling your shoulders back, and puffing that chest out, that will keep your shoulders behind the bar and give you the appropriate curvature in your back. Make sure your head remains neutral or slightly looking up and get those hips a bit further down, and most importantly make sure before you start your pull there is no slack between your arms and the bar.

You got this my man!

**scotty51312** · 04-05-2014, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Venom

Good job buddy, the lift looks good. I would suggest trying to get those hips down a little more. One thing I noticed is your shoulders appear to come a bit over the bar and you want them to be behind it.

If you watch, it appears as if your butt pops up first on the lift, which naturally forces you to round your back (which is not a good thing) and then you begin the lift while your head appears to remain down and come up last.

Really try to focus on pulling your shoulders back, and puffing that chest out, that will keep your shoulders behind the bar and give you the appropriate curvature in your back. Make sure your head remains neutral or slightly looking up and get those hips a bit further down, and most importantly make sure before you start your pull there is no slack between your arms and the bar.

You got this my man!

^^this. engage your back and legs at the same time. Looks like you're using a lot more back than legs and glutes. are you feeling more weight on the balls of your feet at the beginning of the lift than your heels?

**kelkel** · 04-05-2014, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by Venom

Really try to focus on pulling your shoulders back, and puffing that chest out, that will keep your shoulders behind the bar and give you the appropriate curvature in your back. Make sure your head remains neutral or slightly looking up and get those hips a bit further down, and most importantly make sure before you start your pull there is no slack between your arms and the bar.

You got this my man!

Solid advice.

**BozzBanks** · 04-06-2014, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Venom

Good job buddy, the lift looks good. I would suggest trying to get those hips down a little more. One thing I noticed is your shoulders appear to come a bit over the bar and you want them to be behind it.

If you watch, it appears as if your butt pops up first on the lift, which naturally forces you to round your back (which is not a good thing) and then you begin the lift while your head appears to remain down and come up last.

Really try to focus on pulling your shoulders back, and puffing that chest out, that will keep your shoulders behind the bar and give you the appropriate curvature in your back. Make sure your head remains neutral or slightly looking up and get those hips a bit further down, and most importantly make sure before you start your pull there is no slack between your arms and the bar.

You got this my man!

Thanks for taking a look, I will try to exaggerate the chest and shoulders next time to really emphasize the proper lower back position. And I'll make a mental note to keep my shoulders behind the bar throughout my lift as well.

As far as the mechanics of the lift are concerned: I was under the impression that for the first part of the movement (off the ground) the hamstrings and the glutes are engaged. I read in "Starting Strength" that only when the bar gets to my knees should I begin to change the angle of my back. That was sort of my mindset going into this session, but I noticed that my back became extremely horizontal at some points in the lift.

And I've always felt a little awkward when it comes to head position in the the squat, deadlift, and press. Are there any mental cues that might help me keep the appropriate position?

**BozzBanks** · 04-06-2014, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by scotty51312

^^this. engage your back and legs at the same time. Looks like you're using a lot more back than legs and glutes. are you feeling more weight on the balls of your feet at the beginning of the lift than your heels?

Yeah I think you're right, I do feel too much weight in front of me and not enough on my heels. I don't think these powerlifting shoes with their elevated heels help. So even at the starting position off the ground I should be engaging my back simultaneously with my hips? I had the opposite impression going into this lift.. I thought I needed to drive off the ground using only my hips, sort of like a squat, and once the bar hits knee-level to engage my back muscles and straighten back out.

**jdc91gt** · 04-07-2014, 09:21 PM

All good advice, and pretty good self-assessment! You do appear to have too much weight forward which shows when your butt is coming straight up. I try to visualize driving my hips forward as I start, and everything else follows simultaneously. But, overall - good job!

**lil johnny** · 04-12-2014, 11:01 PM

Dude your legs are insane! kudos

**lil johnny** · 04-12-2014, 11:01 PM

Thanks to OP for posting. Learned alot from this thread.

**Schwarzenegger** · 04-13-2014, 12:29 AM

Lose the shoes, Deadlifting with shoes, especially O-lifting shoes with a heel, will A. put undue stress on ur lower back and B. cause u to lift less.

Case in point - I wore regular shoes which i thought were relatively flat, deadlifted 455 for 3. 2 weeks later i went barefoot cuz all the guys made fun of me for wearing shoes all the time. i thought going barefoot was bogus. But i tried it and my deadlift went up. 495 for 4 in just 2 weeks. Only difference was no shoes.

Shoes and esp O-lifting shoes, shift ur weight forward which causes back rounding. Barefeet causes weight to be balanced on heels which u like.

Secondly, dont lock out ur legs and then pull with the back. It looks like u are using more back than legs. Think of it as a squat with dumbbells in ur hands at the sides like ur picking them up off the floor. U dont extend ur legs then pull with ur back if they are heavy. You combine it.

To get this movement down proper, on the negative come down slowly and u will be locked into place and repeat similarly by standing up.

Its a movement in which functionally everything is combined and works synergistically. Ie. Not pushing with the legs then pulling with the back once bar has cleared knees. U gotta combine both aspects. The only way to explain how to do it properly is to come down slowly and bend at the hips AND knees (slightly at first, then gradually fully as bar clears knees). Instead of all hips and no knees then knees only when bar clears.

On the initial pull get ur butt lower and drive with the glutes and hamstrings. (use the cue of pushing through ur heels barefoot). Getting ur butt lower and ur shoulders back will cause u to be more upright and use less lower back and get more drive from the bottom

**Docd187123** · 04-13-2014, 06:42 AM

Also, they stop being DEADlifts when you touch n go

**TONYdanza** · 05-02-2014, 09:45 AM

Sit back with the weight when you pull it up. The key is to use your glutes and hamstrings, not your lower back. Other than that solid. Breathing pattern is good.