When friend and fellow Boston-based coach, Lana Sova, pitched an article shedding light on some common mistakes she see’s other women make with regards to deadlifting, it goes without saying she had me at deadlift.
Lana’s a great coach and strong herself, boosting a 300+ lb deadlift. She knows a thing or two when it comes to picking things up and putting them down.
Four years ago, I could spot one or two women in the strength area of my gym doing deadlifts, and one of them was a trainer. Now, the love for deadlifts has increased among women.
As a powerlifter and a coach, I love to see the change 99% of the time, but there is still that one percent that makes me want to throw myself into the wall every time I see someone deadlifting.
These days, it seems like deadlift technique is being preached from every corner of social media. And if you are not a fitness professional, you have no idea whether it’s good or bad advice.
Therefore, in true Wonder Woman fashion, I’m attempting to save the world, or at the very least to save you from getting injured while deadlifting, and potentially help you put 20 to 30 pounds — even 50 —on your deadlift instantly.
Here are four deadlift set-up mistakes I see women make.
Mistake #1. Bar and Shin Distance
There are two ways I see women approach the barbell. They either stand too far away from the bar, like it’s gonna bite them, or they step so close it tickles.
The thing is, in both cases, you end up pulling the bar with your lower back. Why? Because the bar is either set up too far forward or ends up being shifted there.
Feet too close.
Lets see what it looks like in action:
As you can see from the video above the initial set-up is awkward – namely, not allowing for any forward translation of the tibia – which then pushes the bar away, which then makes the DL more “squatty” and pushing the axis of rotation (hips) further away, which then places much more stress on the lower back.
Not cool.
Conversely, here’s what it looks like when the feet are set up too far away.
Feet too far (away)
And here’s what that looks like in action:
Again, not an optimal set-up. And a lower back that will end up pissed off.
So we gotta find the middle ground.
To avoid pulling the barbell with your back, set up so that your middle foot is right underneath the barbell.
Feet juuuuuuust right.
The end result is something that looks like this:
Mistake #2. Slacking to Pull the Slack
Did you know there are such things as Meggings? I might be late to the party, but damn those things are tight.
When you deadlift, you want your whole body to almost explode from the tension you created in your set-up.
Pulling the slack out of the bar means exactly that. Make that shit tight. Just like the meggings.
You want to create tension in your hamstrings, gluteus muscles, and lats.
Here’s how I like to teach my clients to pull the slack out:
We first make sure their heels are screwed into the floor – check.
Gluteus muscles engaged — check.
Then we squeeze the purses in their pits. Lats are tight — check.
And lastly, as they reach the bar, they “bend” it and shift their weight onto their heels. Bend the bar — check.
Impromptu dance-parry prior to set is optional – check.
Mistake #3. Head Position
Your body is like a chain that consists of segments. Your head is the last piece of this chain. If your head is tilted, turned, extended, or, I don’t know, rotated 180 degrees, it will change the position of the next piece of the chain — your upper back.
An excessively rounded upper back is a big no-no when deadlifting. If you’re one of the people who always has to watch herself in the mirror while deadlifting, you might want to stop.
I get you want to make sure your form is right, but you’re making it even worse.
Instead of looking in the mirror, look at the bottom of the mirror. This will help you to put your head in a position that doesn’t force your upper back into flexion, or excessive rounding.
Mistake #4. Mindset
For some reason, when it comes to deadlifting, every client turns on her lady-like operations, and treats the barbell like it’s a kitten.
But if your goal is to deadlift your significant other’s weight (or triple that), you might want to be a little more aggressive.
You want to attack the bar.
So leave all your love for kittens behind the gym doors, and rip that shit off the floor, like you’re family’s life depends on it.
About the Author
Lana Sova is a coach at Shameless Strength Academy and a personal trainer atHealthworks Fitness Center in Brookline, MA. She empowers women to build and own their strength via powerlifting and strength training.
Well, it’s either that or I start breaking down plot points of some my favorite 90’s television shows like Melrose Place, Party of Five, or 90210.
For instance:
I’ll tell you right now, Billy and Allison were doomed to fail. Once you break the roommate-to-lovers barrier it’s all over and stuff starts getting weird. Plus when you throw Amanda (Heather Locklear) into the mix…well, shits bound to go down. (Melrose Place).
Sarah Merrin (Jennifer Love Hewitt): the greatest high-school girlfriend ever? (Party of Five).
Is this a scene from 90210 or an actual video from one of my high school dances?
These are all IMPORTANT QUESTIONS people.
Joking aside (but not really joking), one of the more prevalent snafus with regards to people’s deadlift technique is their inability to get their weight back. This can lead to a few issues:
One’s weight shifting forward (anteriorly) resulting in pulling through the toes rather than the heels.
The barbell, in this case, will often “get away” from the lifter.
Both scenarios resulting in a poor line of pull where the axis of rotation is further away from the barbell oftentimes compromising low back (spinal) integrity.
More to the point: the barbell feels like a goddamn magnet is attached to it.
One trick I often use is to cue people to use the barbell as a counterbalance to get their weight back, as if they’re trying to wedge themselves into the floor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQGC-QwyAQ
But Wait, There’s More
However, different people learn shit differently. How’s that for putting something eloquently? While some people are more visual or auditory learners (either showing or telling them what to do), others are more kinesthetic learners. Meaning, sometimes, in order to understand what their body is doing in space, they may need a little more feedback.
This is where using props comes in handy.
One trick I like to use to teach people what it means to get their weight back is to use a box.
The idea is to set a box underneath so that when they grab the barbell they have to “sit back” until they feel the box. It’s important to note it’s more of less a hover than it is actually sitting back onto the box entirely.The objective is to maintain tension throughout. I.e., no relaxing on the box.
I don’t know, I find it works well for some people and it’s always cool to witness the “ah-HA” moment when they finally get it.
It’s the start of a new year and with it a proverbial reboot or rejuvenation towards one’s health and fitness. Well that, and a metric boat load1 of Facebook statuses of people complaining about all the “newbies” crowding the gym.
I am not one to complain because 1) I don’t typically work out in a commercial gym 2) Nah nah nana naaaaah and 3) I think it’s a good thing when people decide to be more proactive, take an active role towards their health and well-being, and join a gym. I mean, really? Are you that inconvenienced? I can appreciate it’s slightly annoying when there’s a traffic jam at the power rack (made worse when people are using it to perform bicep curls) or that it’s more or less an obstacle course to walk around all the meandering patrons doing this thingamajiggy or that whateverthef***.
Relax. Deep breaths. It’ll all be over by the second week of February…;o)
Nevertheless, as pumped as I am that people take the initiative to begin an exercise regime, I’d be remiss not to cringe – just a little bit – at the overzealousness of some as they begin their fitness journey.
Last week was one of the rare weeks where I trained every day in a commercial gym (my wife was on vacation and I joined her at her gym) and while it was great to observe people getting after it, the coach in me couldn’t help but start to hyperventilate into a paper bag want to be a coach.
For example I saw a lot of people deadlifting. It was cool. I wanted to go over and high-five every single person. However, that would have been weird and possible justification for a restraining order I kept to myself, but past all of that was an insatiable desire to want to fix a lot of deadlifts.
I admired their intent, but I’d be lying if I said a small piece of my soul didn’t die watching a few people doing their thing.
You see, for a lot of beginners what I “think” ends up happening is that they watch a re-run of the CrossFit games on ESPN or watch videos like this:
…and are all like “that’s badass, I want to do that,” not recognizing that 1) a deadlift is much more than just bending over and lifting a barbell off the ground (regardless of whether it’s 1000+ lbs or 50 lbs) and 2) a straight bar deadlift (from the floor) is the most advanced variation of a deadlift there is. Not many people are ready or prepared enough on Day #1 to perform this safely and with proper technique.
So I figured I’d offer a sort of “check-list” for beginners to consider, and what I feel would be the appropriate progressions to follow to work up to a straight bar deadlift.
Note to Internet Hero Trainer Guy/Girl Who Will Inevitably Call Me Out On Why I Didn’t Address This Thing Or That: This is not a dissertation, it’s a blog post highlighting a few candid thoughts and processes. This is no where near an exhaustive breakdown of deadlift technique or programming.2
Checks and Balances
Everyone is different and there’s no ONE right way or variation or cue that applies across the board. People have different leverages, injury histories, and experience levels and it’s important to take all those things into heavy consideration when coaching anyone up on the deadlift.
I will say: I know what I DON’T want to see. This:
That’s pretty much THE golden rule.
Because it makes me do this:
There are any number of reasons someone’s deadlift may look like the above picture:
Lack of hip mobility to “access” the hip flexion required to get that low to floor.
Lack of t-spine mobility (specifically extension).
Lack of ankle dorsiflexion.
Lack of kinesthetic awareness.
The novelty of the exercise.
They were born on a Wednesday. I don’t know.
Obviously step #1 would be to address and musculoskeletal/mobility restrictions that may be present.
Lack of Hip Mobility
Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization
Dynamic Pigeon to Half Kneeling
Shin Box
Lack of T-Spine Mobility
Side Lying Windmill
T-Spine Extension (Done Right)
Lack of Ankle (and Big Toe) Dorsiflexion
This is a component that’s often overlooked. If someone can’t access dorsiflexion it’s going to compromise their ability to get into deep(er) hip flexion to get down to grab the barbell.
Active Ankle Dorsiflexion
Metatarsal Active Squat Drill
Lack of Kinesthetic Awareness
Oftentimes it’s lack of awareness of what the body/joints are doing in space that’s the limiting factor. I like to use the Cat-Camel drill to build context and to demonstrate what I don’t want to see (rounded back) and what I do want to see (neutral spine)
Addressing Novelty (<— This is HUGE)
Here we have the nuts and bolts. Much of time, even though the stuff discussed above is very important, it comes down to the novelty or “newness” of the exercise as to why some people fail. To be blunt, and as alluded to earlier, much of the reason why many fail at deadlifting from the get go (and end up hurt and using the lame excuse that deadlifts are dangerous for everyone) is because they’re too aggressive and end up gravitating towards variations (and loads) they’re not ready for.
They either don’t understand what it actually means to hinge through the hips (which is all a deadlift really is: it doesn’t always have to mean pulling a heavy barbell off the ground) and/or they fail to progress accordingly based off their experience and leverages.
Learning what it means to dissociate hip movement from lumbar movement step #1 in grooving a bonafide hip hinge. One of the most popular drills to do so is the Wall Hip Hinge. Unfortunately, as harmless and innocuous as it looks it’s easily butchered. Here’s how I like to coach it up:
Another drill I like is the Tall Kneeling Handcuff Hip Hinge. Here we can take some joints of the equation and place a KB behind the back, which, for some reason, works. I think Gandalf made it up.
If you’re’ interested in learning some more hip hinge drills you can check out in THIS article I wrote a few months ago.
Assuming I’m comfortable with someone’s hip hinge now it’s time to start adding some load.
Remember: You DO NOT have to use a straight bar, and I’d caution against it for more beginners. The only people who have to use a straight bar are competitive powerlifters and Olympic lifters. Generally the people who say otherwise are those who don’t coach people. So if some Joe Schmo internet warrior tells you otherwise tell him to f off.
While there are always exceptions to the rules my progression series is as follows:
1. Master Hip Hinge Drills.
2. Cable or Band Pull-Through.
3. Kettlebell Deadlift: Elevated if need be. And from there we can progress to pulling from the floor as well as ramping things up to 1-Arm KB Deadlift (which adds an additional rotary component), 2-KB Deadlift, and even Hover Deadlifts:
4. Trap Bar Deadlift: The trap bar (or hex bar) deadlift is an excellent choice for beginners or those with limited experience because of its user friendliness. This is often my “go to” variation for everyone I begin working with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sA3PG1kGY
For starters one’s center of gravity is inside the bar, which makes it easier to maintain an upright torso angle and a better neutral spinal position. All of which translates to less shear loading on the spine.
The elevated handles make it easier for those with mobility issues/restrictions – such as limited hip flexion and/or ankle dorsiflexion – to perform in a safe and successful manner.
5. Rack Pulls or Block Pulls: Here we can start adding anterior load. With the barbell now in front of the body the axis of rotation is further away which can result in more stress on the lower back. This is fine so long as neutral spine is maintained.
I’d note here that I much prefer Block Pulls. I find they have more carryover to the actual deadlift as you’re still able to get slack out of the bar (which you’re unable to do with a rack pull). Both are great options, though, when introducing straight bar variations.
Is your spine still attached? Can you still feel your legs? Good. Lets move on.
6. Sumo Deadlift/Conventional Deadlift: Look at you, son! Pulling from the floor now. Whatever variation allows for the most success, feels better, and guarantees proper spinal position is the one I’ll run with.
Sometimes people picked the wrong parents and their anatomy dictates what will be the best fit long-term. Generally speaking those with mobility restrictions, longer torsos, and short(er) arms will prefer sumo style over conventional. I prefer a middle-ground approach for many and often use a Modified Sumo Stance with my clients/athletes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Xjb72gGTE
None of this speaks to the other particulars I like to go over with trainees with regards to foot placement, hand placement, leg drive, common mistakes with lockout and the descent, not to mention appreciating, getting, and maintaining body tension. You can do a search on the site and find an abyss of other deadlift articles that go over all those things.
The goal today was to showcase my (general) approach to deadlifting with beginners. I hope it helped.
Addendum (Other Stuff I Wanted to Say)
1. Consider hiring a competent coach to show you the ropes. A good litmus test to figure out whether or not they know what they’re talking about:
Ask them if they know who Andy Bolton is.
Have him or her point to their posterior chain. If they point to their abs. Walk away.
They can differentiate between a deadlift and a squat.
They actually look like they lift weights.
2. Stop BOUNCING your repetitions. It’s a DEADlift, not a BOUNCElift. On each rep, when you return to the floor, you should come to a complete stop. “Reset” your air and spinal position, and repeat.
3. I HATE high-rep deadlifts, especially for beginners. Fatigue is going to compromise form. Try to stick to no more than 5-reps per set.
4. Home base – in terms of loading – should be in the 65-80% range of 1-rep max. Not that this means you should test your 1RM right away. The thing to consider is that you don’t NEED to train heavy to start. Beginners or un-trained individuals can train with as low as 40% of 1RM (Hint: that’s super light) and still reap all the benefits and gain a training effect. Honing technique should be the main goal at this point.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned to be more succinct in many facets of my life.
– When I was 25 I’d consider it a travesty if I didn’t spend at least two hours in the gym. Now? A few “top sets” of my main movement, followed by an accessory movement to compliment that movement, and 45 minutes later I’m good.
– I’ve learned to trim my prose over the years, too. One of the best pieces of advice I ever learned on the topic came from my good friend (and my former editor at T-Nation.com), Bryan Krahn.
“Write your first draft, and then cut 20% of it, no matter what. Get rid of the fillers, fluff, and extraneous jargon3 that doesn’t do anything to support your message.”
– When I first met my wife and was wooing her I was all about impressing her with my collection of vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirts culinary skills. I remember a time or two4 attempting to drum up a four-course meal without burning down my apartment.
Now? “Babe, how about some tacos?”
The same can be said about my coaching career.
In a presentation I did last weekend at Iron Village Strength & Conditioning in Beverly, MA titled The Art of Coaching I discussed how, early in my career, I made the mistake of trying too hard to win-over my clients with big words like reciprocal inhibition, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, post activation potentiation, and plethora (<— because, you know, that word is a boss).
Moreover, I made another huge mistake: Peppering my clients with too many coaching cues.
A set of squats would sound like this:
“Okay, squeeze the bar.”
“Push your knees out.”
“Don’t forget to spread the floor with your feet.”
“Big air!”
“Chest up.”
“Drive out of the hole.”
“Finish with your hips.”
“Stay tight, stay tight, I said STAY TIGHT!”
It was a juxtaposition on how not to coach clients. More often than not, they would end up feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and thiiiiiiis close to wanting to drop kick me in the kidneys.
So today I’d like to share some succinct, BIG ROCK cues I feel work for pretty much everyone. At the expense of sounding like a fitness cliche, less coaching is more.
The Deadlift: Place Shoulder Blades in Your Back Pocket/Squeeze the Orange in the Armpit
Anything we can do to ensure (and maintain) upper back tightness throughout a set is going to be money. I could wax poetic and quote Dr. Stuart McGill here and all the work he’s done over the past 10-15 years to demonstrate how counteracting sheer force is kind of important for spinal stability and reducing the likelihood of back injury.
“Place shoulder blades in your back pocket” or “squeeze the orange in your armpit” do an amazing job at engaging the lats, which are a big player in spinal stability.
The Squat: Sit Down, Not Back
Like many young, impressionable coaches at the time, back in 2002-2005 I read many, many articles written by Dave Tate and the crew over at Westside Barbell.
And why wouldn’t I? If you were (and still are) remotely interested in getting yourself or your clients strong, you’d be hard pressed to find better information. More to the point, if you were/are a powerlifter or training powerlifters those were the guys to read.
There’s no question there’s validity in using the cue “sit back” when coaching the squat. We can break down the biomechanics and draw lever arms…but at the end of the day, if the goal is to lift as much weight as humanly possible it makes sense to target the hips and posterior chain more by sitting back.
However, as the years passed and as I coached the squat more, I started to see a trend where people’s lower backs started flipping them the middle finger. They didn’t feel good.
This is when I started putting two and two together and understanding that the cues that work very well for powerlifters – specifically, geared powerlifters, where squat suits help with providing more stability – don’t necessarily jive well with un-geared lifters.
The cue “sit back” (and subsequently: arch!) places a lot of people in a compromising position where they fall into excessive anterior pelvic tilt, which can promote a more unstable position…to the point where they’re relying more on their “passive restraints” (ligaments) and bone(s) to stabilize their spine and not their “active restraints” (muscles).
“Sit Down, Not Back” (bracing abs, moving through the hips (not initiating with lower back), and pushing knees forward/out) works very well here. The squat is equal parts knees coming forward and hips going back
You know, a squat.
NOTE: Yes, there is still a forward lean in the torso. Relax. Deep breaths, internet.
Individual differences need to be taken into consideration, of course, in terms of injury history5 mobility restrictions, anthropometry, stance width, depth, etc, but I’d encourage you to give this cue a try and see if it feels better.
The Bench Press: Wrapping the Barbell
The bench press is a much more nuanced lift than some people give it credit for. As far as technique is concerned, I find it’s a black hole for many lifters – myself included.
There are many things to consider here.
For starters: is it Monday?
Secondly, cues like “meet the bar with the chest,” “shoulder blades together and down” and “put force into the ground with your feet” (leg drive) all have merit.
However, one cue that has resonated with me (and that of my clients) is the idea of wrapping the barbell. It’s a great way of ensuring lat activation/upper back stiffness without having to cue someone to “turn your lats on” when they have no idea what the fuck that even means.
Cressey Sports Performance coach, Miguel Aragoncillo, explains it better than I:
My objective here was not to insinuate these are the best cues for everyone. Only “pretty much everyone.” (<— It’s a fact. A true, fact).
Rather, the idea was to demonstrate various cues that have worked for me and my athletes/clients throughout my time as a coach. They may not be a good fit for you and your clients, and that’s cool. I’d be honored if you’d consider them nonetheless.
Not for something stupid like forgetting to turn the stove off or forgetting to send in my quarterly taxes.
No, I’m mad at myself for slacking in the movie-watching department.
Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love watching movies, and how much I pride myself on being a movie snob.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve been a movie nut. I have vivid memories of seeing E.T, Return of the Jedi, and Back to the Future in the theater when I was younger, and immediately becoming hooked by the escapism those movies provided.
Sure, like everyone else I enjoy the big budget, popcorn movies like Captain America: Civil War. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy explosions, fists being thrown into other people’s faces, and Chris Evans’ pecs?
But I also love watching independent, artsy-fartsy movies too.
Foreign movies, movies that star Chloe Savigny, or movies that have some bohemian, artistic title like, I don’t know, I Stare at a Rock, Love is Blind.7
They’re all good in my book, and I’ll give everything a chance.
Regardless, I’ve been slacking this summer. I mean, I haven’t even seen X-Men: Apocalypse yet!
Putting things into perspective, however, it’s with good reason. Between all the traveling I’ve been doing for work in addition to taking over the lease for my own training studio here in Boston…I’ve been a little pre-occupied.
That said, what movies have YOU seen lately? Anything you recommend or made you want to drop kick the director in the neck for wasting two hours of your life?
I’m heading to my snobby theater tonight to go see The Lobster. I’ve heard good things.
Everyone has different body-types and leverages, which makes the deadlift different for everyone. However, Todd hits on some BIG ROCK cues and suggestions that pretty much have a universal connotation.
Remember those weighted shoes you used to wear to help with your vertical jump? Or, the crotchety basketball coach who used to run his athletes into the ground during every…single…practice?
Most still do.
In this article, Ty hits on where most coaches miss the mark with regards to conditioning for basketball. Awesome stuff.
In this article, Coach Nick hits on my favorite part of the body, the boobs the upper back. There’s plenty of info in this article to keep any meathead happy, but there’s also a fair bit of science for the nerds out there too.
Note from TG:If there was ever a blog title conceived specifically for this website, this is the one. Jason Bourne, an F-16 fighter jet, and a lumberjack punching a grizzly bear in the face while eating a bag of beef jerky could have steel cage match and it wouldn’t be as manly as this title.
Fair warning: parts are a bit “heavy” with technical terms and verbiage, but there are still plenty of insights and suggestions (and videos!) that are applicable to everyone reading, because……
Everyone NEEDS to Deadlift
There are a few absolutes in this world. Some of those absolutes are:
Gravity
The Earth is round
Humans need oxygen to survive.
The Human Body needs food and water to survive.
Another absolute I could add to that list is that…Everyone NEEDS to Deadlift!
Now, that I’ve got your attention, finish reading this article before you decide to send your hate e-mail or hate mail if you are still living in the dark ages.
Let me clarify my point: Everyone needs to do some form of hip hinging in order to maintain good back and lower extremity health.
The movement of hip hinging is a vital component of everyday life.
Whether you want to lift up your kids without blowing out your back or you are trying to deadlift your car for reps, being able to hip hinge properly is an integral component to reducing injury risk as well as attaining a high level of performance.
What is “Hip Hinging?”
Hip Hinging is the ability of a person to maintain a neutral aligned spine while predominately loading the hips and having the primary movement come from the hips in an anterior to posterior direction.
For the visual learners, this is what it looks like:
As you can see from the video, we ideally want a neutral spine position and the majority of the movement comes from the hips moving in an anterior to posterior direction. The knees remain in a soft knee position. This means that the knees are not in a terminally extended (straight) position nor are they overly flexed (bent).
What movements use hip hinging?
The hip hinging move is used for a multitude of movements. It can be used in the:
Deadlift
Good Mornings
Variations of the Glute Ham Raise
Certain Athletic Endeavors
For activities throughout your day, it could include:
Properly picking up your kids.
Lifting a heavy box from the floor to a different location.
Picking a pencil up off the floor.
The list is endless. Being able to properly move through this movement pattern, whether it be for performance or daily life, is a NECESSITY!
How do I know if I can hip hinge?
Well, check out this video below for a quick and easy test to tell if you are hip hinging properly:
Place a broom, golf club, dowel, etc. on your back as shown in the video. Place one hand on the top portion at your head and the other hand at your sacrum (tail bone). Make sure to keep the three contact points between your head, thoracic spine (mid back), and sacrum.
Next, while maintaining “soft knees”, attempt to push your butt back like you are trying to tap the wall with it.
As you are doing this, you are going to need to counteract falling backwards by leaning your upper body/trunk anteriorly (forward). Time and time again, I will see people attempt to do this movement with just pushing their hips backwards and then in turn, fall backwards or lose their balance.
Your hips should always be more superior than your knees. If your hips are in line with your knees in the transverse plane, then you are squatting, not hip hinging.I can equate it going to an upscale club or lounge.
You walk up to the club and there is a line. It is up to the “bouncer” aka the strength coach/physical therapist in this example, to let you past the velvet rope and into Club Hip Hinging.
Once your in the club, there is a VIP section.
In this example, that VIP section is the Deadlifting VIP. If you aren’t on “the list,” then you aren’t making it into the “VIP” section.
For the physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches, performance coaches, etc. who want to know if someone can perform hip hinging and/or deadlift variations, then screen your clients and patients.
Screening/Assessment
***Disclaimer*** If you are NOT a physical therapist, you need ask your client if you may put your hands on them to screen them. Also, if someone has pain with any of these screens/assessments, structure your programming appropriately and refer out to a PT, sports chiropractor, etc.
Tell them you want to screen them so you can adjust their programming so it is customized for them.
99.9% of people won’t have a problem with this, but you need to look out for yourself and make sure your clients are fine with this.
First piece of information I would like to know is, what does their hip flexion motion look like.
Place your client on the ground and passively/gently move their hip through their available range of motion (ROM).
Then, we want to check and see if they have the passive straight leg raise (PSLR) mobility. Gently raise their leg until you feel some resistance.
Per the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA), we would like to see 80 degrees of the PSLR. If the client doesn’t have 80 degrees, all is not lost. We have to modify their training regimen. We will get to that later in this post.
Next, if the client has 80 degrees of PSLR, we want to see if they can stabilize in that ROM. Ask them to actively raise their leg, keeping the knee straight up in the air without letting the opposite leg come up off the ground/table. We like to see 70 degrees of active straight leg raise (ASLR).
If they have 70 degrees of ASLR, then we can progress further in our assessment/screening. If they do NOT have 70 degrees, have the client place their hands on the ground. Then press into the ground with their hands and try again.
If their ASLR improves, then they have either a:
Core Stability Issue
Anterior Pelvic Tilt
What the pressing down into the ground/table does is activates the anterior core musculature and in turn, places the trunk in a more neutral position.
Since the hamstrings attach on the pelvis, if the pelvis is in an anterior pelvic tilt, this can cause the SLR to appear limited because it is starting in a stretched position.
If pressing down into the ground/table does NOT improve anything, then try these ASLR correctives:
Active-Straight Leg Correctives (via FunctionalMovement.com)
If there is an improvement in the ASLR, now, have the client stand up and tell them to bend over and touch their toes.
If the client can bend over and touch their toes with ease and without trying to blow a gasket or bouncing up and down, then this is another assessment check point that can tell us that they may potentially be able to deadlift/hip hinge.
The toe touch test comes from the SFMA.
What does the toe touch tells us?
We want to see if the client has the ability to posteriorly shift their hips when performing the toe touch. This tells us that the client can get into their posterior chain to load their hips. When watching someone perform the toe touch, find their greater trochanter (hip bone on the side of their hip region) and watch to see if that area moves backwards during the toe touch
In the first video below, you can see the person can shift their hips backwards.
In this next video, if the person doesn’t perform an adequate posterior weight shift, then they wont be able to touch their toes.
If your patient or client doesn’t have the ability to touch their toes, then try these correctives as recommended by FunctionalMovement.com.
This series of correctives is called the Toe Touch Progression.
First, place a 1/2 foam roller or a 10 lb plate underneath your client or patient’s toes as shown in the picture below.
Then, while maintaining the feet on the plates and the knees straight, instruct the person to bend over and gently try to touch their toes.
Perform 10 repetitions then switch to the heels elevated as shown below and perform 10 more repetitions.
You can also place a foam roller or a small ball between the person’s knees and instruct then to squeeze it during the toe touch. When you instruct the person to squeeze the ball, it up-regulates inner core musculature and places the core/trunk in a better position to perform the toe touch.
Next, have the client perform the toe touch again. If they can know touch their toes or it has improved as compared to before, then we know that this simple corrective has taught their brain/body to learn how to perform a posterior weight shift needed to perform hip hinging and/or deadlifting.
Now, their toe touch may have improved, but in a few hours or when they wake up tomorrow morning, it may be back to the way it was before the toe touch progression corrective.
With the body and the brain when we see a quick improvement such as this one with the toe touch, we are tapping into the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the brain.
It is “teaching” the brain/CNS a new way to move.
As Erson Religioso has mentioned on his website, Modern Manual Therapy, the brain/CNS is easily tricked, but it is difficult to convince. What that means is that with the toe touch, we have opened a window to the CNS that has allowed for a chance or an improvement to the system, we want to do whatever we can to “keep that window open” through various correctives and behavior modification in our daily lives.
If the client’s toe touch hasn’t improved, then there may be something else from a mobility, stability, or motor control standpoint that a licensed healthcare practitioner may need to dig a little deeper to discover why the toe touch hasn’t improved. Refer them to someone in your network, but we will go into more detail now on other ways to train this client even though their toe touch isn’t sufficient enough to deadlift from the floor.
Well, there are many options that you can provide your client to receive a great training effect. The next few examples all work to help load the posterior chain musculature as well as helping to improve core/trunk stability.
Most of these exercises should be felt in the gluteal and hamstring musculature.
Cable Pull-Throughs
Key Points:
Sit back into hips.
Maintain a neutral spine; no rounding or extending of the lumbar spine/TL junction.
Make sure to extend through the hips at the end of the movement, NOT through lumbar hyper-extension.
Hip Thruster/Single Leg Hip Thruster
Key Points:
Start with upper back resting against a bench and hips/knees flexed.
Maintain a “neutral spine” or “ribs down” position.
Extend your hips upwards and squeeze butt at the top.
Finish with your knees, hips, shoulders, and ears in a straight line.
Barbell Supine Bridge
Key Points:
Place an airex pad or exercise mat over hips/under bar to provide some padding.
Maintain a neutral spine, “ribs down” position and drive hips to the sky.
Make sure not to try and lift too high by extending through the lumbar spine.
Elevated Kettlebell Deadlift
Key Points:
Stand directly over the kettlebell (KB).
Push your hips back like you are trying to touch your butt to the wall behind you.
Maintain a neutral spine position.
Grasp the KB, drive your heels through the floor, and lift up through your hips/legs.
Squeeze butt at the top. Make sure to extend your hips and not your low back. Imaginary line should be between your ears, shoulders. hips, knees, and ankles.
Once the client or patient demonstrates proper form with an elevated KB deadlift, eventually lower the elevation height to make the exercise more difficult and eventually perform off the floor as long as proper form is maintained.
Trap Bar Deadlift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sA3PG1kGY
Key Points:
Step into the trap bar/hex bar.
Push hips back like you are trying to touch your butt to the wall behind you.
Grasp handles and maintain a ribs down, neutral spine.
Imagine their are oranges in your armpits. Try to squeeze them.
Drive through the heels and extend your hips. Shoulders, hips and knees should be in a line at the top of the movement.
If the client/patient can’t demonstrate proper form with the Trap Bar DL from the floor, then you can place blocks or some other implement underneath the weights to elevate it so they can demonstrate proper form.
Rack Pulls
Key Points:
Step up to bar. Push hips backwards and grasp bar.
Same points as mentioned above.
Can use pronated grip (palms facing you) OR mixed grip (one palm facing you, one facing away from you).
Once someone can demonstrate proper form with these movements, then you can start by progressing towards the floor.
If someone’s goal is to deadlift from the floor and they can do it with proper form and pain-free, then we’re on our way to hitting that goal.
If someone’s goal is to be able to pick-up their kids or move and feel better, then the exercise variations mentioned above are great ways to help with that.
You could say I like to write about deadlifts. Well that, and zombies. Or zombies fighting ninjas. Or how adorable my cat is, which has nothing to do with zombies.
In my latest article that went up on T-Nation today, I break down 13 quick-n-dirty tips that many people can incorporate TODAY and see immediate improvement in their lift.
I was invited back by the crew at Mark Fisher Fitness to participate in round #2 of their Motivation and Movement Lab. I, along with Mark Fisher, Michael Keeler, Harold Gibbons, Michael Littig, Steven Ledbetter, Pete Dupuis, and Artemis Scantalides spoke over the course of two days to a group of 80+ trainers, coaches, therapists, and gym owners from around the country on a variety of fitness-related topics ranging from business and behavioral change to program design and assessment.
What’s more…there were roughly 17,459 f-bombs dropped, 245 references to unicorns/dildos, and this Pulitzer Prize worthy picture.
It’s hard not to appreciate the sharp contrast and symmetry between the lighting, Jackie Chan’s facial expression, and my biceps.
Much like last year, I left the event feeling energized and thankful for being included in such an amazing event. I’m a better human being after having been immersed in the infectious MFF culture. Their passion and proclivity at helping every person pursue and amplify the best version of him or herself possible is unparalleled.
It’s quite an honor to see and be a part of it.
On that note: I got back into Boston somewhat late last night, and am in the throes of email purgatory. However, I do have something cool for you to check out.
Trainer Critique 2: The Deadlift
Last year, both Bret Contreras and Nick Tumminello were part of a video series hosted by ProShapeFitness.com called Trainer Critique “Live” I felt was pretty neat.
The premise was simple: the two of them watched a video of someone performing a lift (in this case, the squat) and they would each provide real-time, “live” feedback on what they saw.
For the second go-round, I was asked – alongside Jordan Syatt – to critique two different deadlifts. Here’s what transpired. Enjoy!
Jump to each critique section:
– Jordan Syatt critique 1: 0:56
– Jordan Syatt critique 2: 3:59
– Tony Gentilcore critique 1: 7:12
– Tony Gentilcore critique 2: 14:07
I came across this comment yesterday on Twitter from a friend of mine who’s an accomplished trainer and someone I respect a lot:
How many articles can be written about the deadlift? And when writing, does the author ever say to self, “maybe I should wait on this one.”
I can’t say I disagree with his tone. I mean, I get it. There are metric shit-ton10 of deadlift articles out there, and I’ve helped contribute my fair share.
Sorry!
The way I see it: Michael Bay keeps making those god-awful Transformers movies due to popular demand. Deadlifts are popular. So, yeah, there’s the correlation.
Just run with it.
I’ll admit that there’s really nothing new to say about deadlifts (except that they’re not god-awful), and I can understand the degree of eye-rolling by some coaches when the internet is hijacked for a few days with a flood of articles and blog posts on the topic; not coincidentally all of which happen to coincide with the revamped re-release of a stellar resource like David Dellanave’s Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination.
For what it’s worth: there are a lot of people who stink at deadlifting and are eager to learn how to perform them right and learn how to implement them into a well-structured, properly progressed program.
I like to think of myself – and this website – as a resource that helps point people in the direction of quality information. Information from friends/coaches I trust (and more often than not have a personal relationship with) and information I know will help many people.
I can do it in a way that’s non-douchy and provide unique, useful content – because I know what I’m talking about – as an adjunct to the material (like I will do below).
Or I can do one of two things:
1. Be annoying internet marketing guy
“HEY EVERYBODY BUY THIS MANUAL/DVD BECAUSE I SAID SO, AND BECAUSE I LIKE DEADLIFTS (even though I don’t train anyone in real life). AND BECAUSE I HAVE A TRIBAL TATTOO ON MY ARM! “
2. Stay silent and rely on videos like this to educate people
I choose neither.
And on that note here’s some words I put together for you to read.
The Deadlift: Beginner Basics
The deadlift is a “simple” movement, and I’d argue the least technical of the “big 3” (squat, bench press, deadlift). Which isn’t to say it’s easy to perform nor doesn’t require some attention to detail. But for all intents and purposes we can describe the deadlift as follows (courtesy of renowned strength coach, Mark Rippetoe):
“Bar is on the ground. One bends over to pull the bar, with straight arms, off the floor and up the legs until the knees, hips, and shoulders are locked out.
And then you piss excellence all over the place.”
That last part was added by me.
Another perspective is that of Dan John:
Squat = maximal knee bend and maximal hip bend. In other words, the squat is a squat.
Deadlift = minimal knee bend and maximal hip bend. In other words, the deadlift is a hip hinge.
[NOTE: for some ideas on how to groove a solid hip hinge before adding an external load, check out THIS article on How to Hip Hinge Like a Boss.]
Benefits of the Deadlift
It Gets You Stronger
Deadlifts have been around since the beginning of time. And while I can’t back that up with any scientific evidence, it’s true.
Of Note: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve trained at a gym other than my own and after a set of deadlifts someone will approach me and comment: “hey, that thing you’re doing. Is that, like, CrossFit?”
I’ve grown out of my hatin on CrossFit phase – I recognize the good it’s done with getting the masses excited to exercise, and better yet, lifting weights – so I generally just chuckle it off and inform the commentee that, “No, I’m not CrossFitting,” and that “No, CrossFit didn’t invent lifting weights.”
Anyways, deadlifts have been around for a while and there’s a reason why they’re a staple in every single successful strength-training program ever written, ever. (citation needed).
They work.
If strength is the goal, you need to incorporate movements that allow you to lift a bulldozer boatload of weight. Deadlifts fit that bill.
It Builds Muscle
A funny thing happens when someone starts deadlifting consistently. They add muscle to their frame. More specifically they add muscle to the areas which can’t be scene by the mirror and are often most neglected – the posterior chain (glutes, hamstring, erectors).
Which serves as an appropriate segue to the next benefit…
It Improves Performance
What kind of performance? I don’t know…any kind of performance.
Hitting a baseball or golf ball further, dunking a basketball, improving running efficiency (the more force you can develop and put into the ground, the more efficient you are at propelling yourself towards the finish line), the ability to walk down a flight of stairs and not break your hips in half, making yourself harder to kill, the bedroom (BOM CHICKA BOM BOM), it’s all fair game and part of the conversation.
One of the best explanations I’ve ever heard comes, again, from strength coach, Dan John. He was asked one time by an athlete of his “what muscle does (insert name of any exercise you want here) does this exercise work anyways?”
I don’t recall he was being asked about the deadlift, but his answer is fitting nonetheless:
“You know that muscle that allows you to jump really high, over the defending cornerback, to catch the football for the game winning touchdown? That muscle.”
Fuckin A.
In reality, however, we don’t have to correlate the deadlift to just athletic performance.
It carries many other “real life” benefits with it outside of the football field, baseball diamond, soccer pitch, or basketball court (to name a few).
Anything that requires a basic hip hinge pattern – while maintaining a neutral spine – can be labeled a deadlift.
Grandma bending over to pick up a potted plant? That’s a deadlift.
The random woman picking up her child at the local playground? A deadlift.
Franco Columbo moving his father’s car out of a cramped parking space in the documentary Pumping Iron? You guessed it, deadlift.
It Makes You Bulletproof
Now just to be clear, that’s a metaphor. Deadlifts won’t actually make you bulletproof. Don’t be stupid. Bullets hurt. And will kill you.
Bulletproof in this context is just a more nerdy way of saying “prevent injuries.”
From an athlete’s perspective: Deadlifts will (hopefully, nothing is guaranteed) help prevent injuries like ACL tears as well as nagging injuries to the knees – like tendinitis (acute inflammation) and tendinosis (chronic inflammation or actual degeneration of soft tissue) – due to the fact the posterior chain is so heavily activated and strengthened.
From a non-athlete’s perspective: Deadlifts will help to “offset” many of the postural imbalances and dysfunctions that tend to manifest when forced to sit at a desk all day in front of a computer.
Think of what’s required in order to perform a deadlift: ample ankle dorsiflexion, hip extension, thoracic spine extension, and pelvic control, amongst other things…all of which tend to diminish when seated for long periods of time.
Plus, deadlifts help to address any pent up aggression that may spill over from work. I.e., they’re a much better alternative to stabbing your boss or annoying co-worker in the neck. Unless they deserve it.
In that case, stab away.
Note: video below doesn’t include any stabbing, but it’s hilarious nonetheless.
One last thing to consider is Wolff’s Law and Davis’s Law.
You can’t discount physics.
The former states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. The latter states the same thing, except with regards to soft tissue.
Deadlifting = strong bones + soft tissue. You need a minimal essential strain (MES) in order for tissue to adapt. Likewise, in order to strengthen tissue, you need to load it. Sorry, but your cute little leg extensions and leg curls all in the name of “being more spine friendly” aren’t going to get the job done.
Key Coaching Cues and The Importance of Getting (and Maintaining) Tension
David actually nailed all the key cues to use with regards to cleaning up deadlift technique in yesterday’s post.
To repeat:
These probably aren’t going to be groundbreaking, but time tends to prove out what works best, and these have been around for a while.
Chest up – let me read the writing on your shirt.
Pull the bar into your shins, you’re going to keep contact with your body through the entire pull.
Take the slack out of the bar by making it “clink”.
Pull your shoulder blades down into your back pockets.
Push the floor away, and stand up tall.
Optionally, if someone over-extends or arches, I like to explain that you want to try to cinch your ribs down to your pelvis. I don’t like “ribs down” as this never seems to make sense to people.
That’s it. I found that those five or six cues fix 99% of the issues I see.
Another component to consider – and one I feel is crucial – is the idea of getting and maintaining tension throughout a set. Many people lack the wherewithal to engage their lats from the start, and hence lack upper back stiffness. One of two things inevitably happens: they round their upper back or the hips shoot up first.
To counteract this I like to cue people to pretend as if they’re trying to squeeze an orange in their armpits. Research backs up the efficacy of using more external cueing when coaching clients, and this cue works like magic much of the time.
However, in the event that that doesn’t jive, a simple drill I’ll use is to attach a band to the barbell itself and the trainee/athlete must learn to pull the bar close to the body AND KEEP IT THERE the entire time.
The band will want to pull you forward, and the objective here is not to allow that. That thing you feel? Those are your lats.
Get More Juicy Information
That is no where near everything I’d like to cover with regards to the deadlift for beginners (the part where I explained the benefits is section of a treatise I’m writing for the Personal Trainer Development Center that I hope will serve as “go to” source on anything/everything deadlifts,” but hopefully it gives you some insight and “ammo” as to why it’s an excellent exercise to include in your training and that of others.
I’d encourage you to check out Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination for more similar content in addition to a full manual, programs, a video library, and a bevy of other goodies.
It’s on SALE this week only and you can go HERE for more information.
With regards to strength and conditioning there’s probably no one topic I’ve written about more than the deadlift.
And, as it happens, I’m currently working on a project for the Personal Trainer Development Center I feel will end up being one of the most thorough (and entertaining) resources on the deadlift ever written.
It’s tentatively titled Deadlift – catchy, right? – and based off my initial draft, looks as though it will run the length of a Dostoyevsky novel. Or a Bret Contreras blog post.
So keep your eyes peeled for it within the next few weeks. Fingers crossed.
And on that note I have a new exercise you should try.
Hover Deadlift
Beard!
Who Did I Steal It From: Massachusetts based strength coach, Mike Perry. You should check out his website Skill of Strength. Amazing stuff on there.
This is an excellent drill for newbies learning to deadlift correctly.
What Does It Do: For me the biggest mistake many people make when it comes to performing the deadlift is taking a haphazard approach to their setup. The key is to get (and MAINTAIN) tension throughout the duration of the lift (or set).
Ever watch someone deadlift and immediately see their upper back rounding or the their hips shoot up first? This is usually indicative of lack of tension (or the weight is too heavy, but the sake of brevity lets assume the former).
The Hover Deadlift is a simple (and quite ingenious) way to help teach someone how to get tension in their lats/upper back, and more importantly to MAINTAIN that tension throughout their rep/set.
Key Coaching Cues: I used two kettlebells in the video above, but you could just as easily use one if that’s how you roll.
Stand directly above the bells, push your hips back, knees out, and try to melt the handles in your hand(s). This last cue will help teach you to pack your shoulders.
Instead of standing straight up with the weight, you’ll first “hover” an inch or two above the ground. This will ensure you maintain tension in the lats/upper back to prevent rounding (and so that the bell doesn’t move away from the body).
Lock out at the top, squeezing glutes hard.
Return back to the ground, hovering again 1-2 inches above the floor before coming to a complete stop.
