Deadlift – Mental Imagery

This is the only lift that starts from the floor. The body should be completely unloaded before you start each rep. It is important to note that the most crucial part of this lift is setup.

Step Up to The Bar – Place bumper plates on the bar. This will raise it 7.5 “off the ground, which is the standard height you will deadlift from. Walk up the bar, and look down. The bar should be centered over the middle of the feet. Center your body between the bumper plates. Take stance with your heels under your hips and point the toes out about 10-15°. Grasp the bar outside of your legs making a mental note on how far away it is from the center smooth part or the indicator ring. The arms should be outside of your legs. Next slowly bend you knee until the shins touch, the bar. Because we are setting up around the bar make sure not the move the bar. Flatten out your back, by getting your chest up then shift the weight towards your heels. Next take a deep breath in and hold it.

Breaking the ground - While maintaining proper body position ease the weight off the ground. You’ll hear a clicking the bar, feel the bar bending in your hands. Essentially you are pulling the slack out of the bar which simultaneously load the body. This process feels uncomfortable, so don’t panic, get use to it!

Lift off – As you initate the pull the bar moving vertically and the knees slides backwards. Keep the shoulders forward of the bar and the weight balanced in the middle of the foot. This is considered the lift off or in weightlifting the First Pull.

Stand up – This stage is indicated by a noticeable opening the back angle. The shoulder stays forwards of the bar but because of the changing in back angle the distance between the barbell and how forward the shoulders are minimized as the lifter becomes vertical.

Lockout – At this phase the lifter is at the easiest part of the lift. Through hip hyperextension the shoulders move behind the bar and legs are fully locked out. The spine remains neutral.

Eccentric – While keeping the back neutral, guide the bar down by sending the hips backwards, keeping the bar close to the body while a forward shoulder position. As the bar passes the knees bend the knees to bring the weight down to the floor.

When first learning the deadlift the two hardest things to get right in the deadlift are proper set up and execution (removing the slack) of the lift. Unlike the squat and bench press before the rep starts the weight is not loaded through the body and because of that it poses a big risk to balance and setup issues. That’s why it’s important to take the time to set up and execute properly. Endure the struggling now and it will lead to long term future success with the deadlift.

How to Build An Excellent Deadlift

The Lift off

Unlike the Squat or Bench Press, the Deadlift starts with a concentric movement. Which means proper execution is highly dependent on two things:

Positional Setup

1)      The bar is over the middle of the foot

2)      Shoulders are slightly in front of the bar

3)      Weight is bias towards the heels (this is a feeling in your feet)

Breaking the ground –This requires “pulling the slack out”  and creating enough tension to lift the weight off the ground.  

1)      You should feel the bar bend before it comes off the ground

2)      The weight should be over the middle of the foot

3)      After liftoff, the back angle should not change for the first few inches off the floor (video)

 There are two challenges to overcome

1)      proprioceptive awareness - One must have the ability to know where your body is without having to look at it, to know if the body is in the right alignment.

2)      Loading the Body - The lifter’s body must go from “no tension” to “full tension” in order to get the weight moving off the ground.

How To Do It

Static Start:  (2 Phases)

Phase 1: Positional Set up

• Put the middle of the foot directly under the bar

• Grasp the bar and bend you knees until the shoulders are slightly in front of the bar

• Then shift your weight on to the heels

Phase 2: Pull The Slack Out (video)

• Using your feet, slowly press into the floor while maintaining your back position

• If you’re slow enough, you’ll her a “click” from the collars of the barbell. (you’ll feel the bar bend a bit)

• While “keeping the click engaged”  

• Continue to increase effort through your feet into the ground

• When the weight breaks the floor

• Accelerate to lockout

Dynamic Start: (1 Phase)

Positional set up while pulling the slack out

• Put the middle of the foot directly under the bar

• Grasp the bar

• Start pulling up on the bar

• You’ll hear a “click”

• Keep the tension (you’ll feel the bar bend a little bit)

• While maintaining that tension into the bar bend your knees.

• As your hips lower, keep the weight over the middle of the foot, press into the ground and think about wedging yourself into the bar.  

• Keep wedging until the shoulders are slightly in front of the bar. (You should feel the bar bending more)

• While keeping the tension in the bar press the feet into the floor and accelerate. (note: by the time the body is in position you should have the slack out)

Difference between Static and Dynamic Starts

The biggest difference of the two is when the slack is taken out of the bar. The Static Start is easier to setup properly but can take longer to execute. The Dynamic Start reduces the effort to pull the slack out because it blends two steps together. This is known as wedging; the lowering of the hips while pulling the slack out. This allows for a quick loading the posterior chain so the body is ready to go. This minimizing the amount of time from positional setup to the liftoff. When done properly may enhance your ability to lift more weight.

 Troubleshooting

Master the Static Start first then Master the Dynamic Start

If you are having trouble with start position and taking the slack out I recommend to use a Static Start until you are consistently executing proper liftoff sequence.

The modalities below are ways to fine tune starting position and pulling the slack out. Use it for both Static and Dynamic Starts.

Using the “Click” of the Bar

Feeling the bar bend can be a hard thing for beginners because the wight is usually light and this does not cause the bar to bend much. Here you can use the “click” sound of the bar. Having it “click” holding it for a moment can be a helpful indicator that enough slack pulled out to keep tension on the bar. Try not to “loose the click” upon initiation.  

Increasing Proprioception

You can use a deadlift bar or place the bumper plates at the very end regular bar. Or use a combination of both. This will allow more tension to be removed from the bar before it breaks the ground so you can “feel” the weight in the hands and feel where you are balanced in your feet.

Controlled Eccentric Deadlift

Use this in conjunction with a deadlift bar or with bumpers on the end. Stand up and lower the weight under control until you feel the bumper touch the ground. While keeping your body in its position release the tension from the bar. When all the tension is released reverse the process, taking the slack out and maintain the same body start position. This will help eccentrically reinforce that proper start position while build positional strength.

 Final Thoughts

The deadlift, being a concentric only lift, is what makes this lift unique and hard at the same time. You are responsible making sure the body is in the correct start position then creating maximum tension to lift off. Learning to properly position the body and remove the slack are the elements for an excellent deadlift.   

Why Pause a Deadlift?

The pause deadlift is a great special developmental exercise to improve form and technique.

This movement helps correct

-Lumbar rounding

-Jerking the weight off the floor

-Poor deadlift mechanics

-Balance issues

The first part the deadlift (floor to around the knee) is knee extension while holding the back in extension, the weight is under the scapula, balanced over the mid foot. This is where the cue, “push the ground away” comes into play.

After the bar reaches this point, the knees finish their travel backwards, hips open more. And the lifter stands tall.

It is crucial for the lifter to

-Pull slowly off the floor up until the transition point where the knees should stop traveling backwards and the hip starts to open

-During the pause the lifter confirms correct positioning, bar under scapula, back is locked into extension and the weight is balanced over the mid foot

-Review their set by video review or coach’s feedback

In the beginning the weights used will be relatively light and it’s easy for it to “feel” right when it is not right.

Can you describe how this lift should be performed by heart?

To ensure you're doing it right you should be able to describe what you body should look like comparing the model (the way is should be done) to what is actually happening and pinpointing what, if anything, needs to be improved.

The Deadlift

The deadlift is all about setup. Learn to set up the correct way every time and you’ll be able to unleash your strength potential.

It is the most fundamental human movement and is applicable in every day life learning to hinge at the hips properly while maintaining a neutral spine Is the safest most effective way to load the body. And learning how to master the set up will allow you to unlock the door to strength.

The deadlift, due to it’s shorten range of motion is the barbell lift you can lift the most weight with. Also, if not performed properly, can wreak the most havoc. The tendency to rush the pull off the floor is a huge urge for lifters to do. It’s heavy, it’s uncomfortable, you just want it over. The weight being in the front of the body also promotes the spinal flexion. Unlike a squat, where the bar being in a secure position on your reactively keeps your spine in extension, the deadlift requires brute strength from posterior musculature and abdominal to prevent the spine from deforming under a load which allows the hips and knees to the job of moving the weight.

Another reason the Deadlift is so hard is because the lifter is starting the lift at the most disadvantageous part using only a concentric. Try this. Set up the squat on pins at the bottom position and try to lift as much as you can. I bet you it will be far less weight than what you can do if your were to utilize an eccentric component first. This is because in the deadlift does not use the SSC (stretch shortening cycle). The squat gives you a chance to stretch the muscles potentiating the amount of force you can produce. The eccentric component also allows to a change to balance properly. Catering to your proprioceptive environment. Starting from a dead stop makes that process more difficult.

Mastering the Deadlift Set up.

1) Heels under the hips, step up to the bar 1-3” away.

2) With straight legs grasp the bar just outside the legs

3) Slowly bend your knees until the shins touch the bar. This will set the height of your hips

4) squeeze your chest up and shift your weight on your heels

5) Take a big breath and drag the bar up the body (note: I don’t want you bleeding here, just make sure to keep the bar close)

6) At the top while keeping the knees and hips locked out get the shoulders behind the bar. This should happen from the hips not the spine

7) Reverse the process down, by sending your hips back, keeping the chest up, don’t bend the knees until the bar passes them

8) Let go of the bar, step back and then repeat the all steps

The goal is to make every rep looks exactly the same. A few key points to keep in mind.

-The back stays flat

-You’re holding a big breath while the is moving. This goes for it’s travel up and it’s travel down

-If you’re are balanced and your hips start in the right spot your back angle should not change until the bar is close to your knee. This is an indication of “quad drive”.

Master the setup and you’ll master the Deadlift