CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

3 (Not So Common) Mistakes People Make (That Many Don’t Think About) When Trying to Improve Their Deadlift

I don’t claim to know everything.

Sure I can regurgitate all the muscles that attach to the scapulae, list all the muscles involved with posterior pelvic tilt, name all the members of the starting line-up for the 1990 Oakland Athletics, recite line-for-line the “I will find, and I will kill you” monologue Liam Neeson uses in the movie Taken, and, on a good day I can crush my multiplication table.

I know stuff, but I don’t know everything.

One of the exceptions, however, is the deadlift. I know the deadlift. As a strength coach it makes sense. I mean, it’s my job to help get people freaky strong, and it’s kinda hard to do so without at least a casual relationship with the deadlift. Don’t worry I always buy it dinner first….;o)

Moreover, most serious weightlifters recognize that the deadlift is what often separates the men from the boys.

As an example here’s Cressey Sports Performance athlete, Dave Stanton, deadlifting 600 lbs for an easy set of three.  With no belt (at a bodyweight of 192 lbs).

Yes, we recognize he’s bouncing the weight off the floor a little bit.  Relax, internet.

David is a bit of an outlier. A freak if you will. We often joke at the facility that he’s a deadlifting savant because he’s always been good at it. It’s as if he was built to deadlift – look at those leverages!

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had to work his ass off in order to get to this point.

He’s been training with us for over four years, and has spent a lot of time working with us under our supervision.

Using David as our inspiration and model, I wanted to discuss what I feel are some things that a lot of trainees overlook when it comes to their approach to the deadlift.

1. Not Placing a Premium on Technique, Technique, Technique

Playing the Captain Obvious card, it goes without saying that in order to get better at the deadlift, you need to deadlift. It’s the Law of Specificity played to it’s most specific tune.

Quarterbacks don’t get better at throwing a football by playing Madden.

Chefs don’t get better at food preparation by watching Top Chef.

And you don’t get better at deadlifting by watching Youtube videos or by just “showing up” at the gym and doing leg curls.  YOU NEED TO DEADLIFT!!!!

More to the point, you need to hone technique. Technique trumps everything.

Not all deadlift variations are created equal. When most people think of a deadlift they automatically leap to the conventional deadlift, which, by all accounts, can be argued as the most advanced variation.

Not everyone can show up on day #1, walk up to a bar, pick it up off the ground, and make it look passable. I.e., not make me want to pour battery acid into my eyes.

Which is why it’s important to regress the movement to fit the current ability level and needs of the lifter. Learning the hip hinge pattern is vital and serves as a precursor more advanced exercises down the road.

There are a million and one different ways to regress the deadlift to help someone learn to hip hinge, which is why I feel it’s such an invaluable exercise.

At the lowest level we have drills which help engrain the motor pattern we’re looking for and to teach “neutral” spine:

Wall Tap Hip Hinge

KB Behind the Head Hip Hinge

Band Lat Activation w/ Hip Hinge

Once we’re confident they’re able to groove the hip hinge and control their spine, we can then start adding load with more rudimentary deadlift exercises like kettlebell deadlifts, suitcase deadlifts,  and “potato sack” or DB deadlifts.

From there, when we want to start adding more appreciable load the order we typically use at Cressey Sports Performance is Trap Bar Deadlift —> Sumo Deadlift —> Conventional Deadlift —> Dude, you’re like Han Solo now.

And, to be honest, it’s not until someone has a good 1-2 years of solid, legit training that we start implementing more superfluous things like chains, bands, and the like.

There’s plenty we can do with JUST a barbell.

Below is a video I originally shot for the release of Mike Robertson’s Bulletproof Athlete, which goes into more detail on some of the ways I progress (and cue) the main deadlift variations.

So to reiterate – TECHNIQUE is kind of important.  Learn it. Also, take into account the importance of properly placed progressions. Not everyone is Gandalf and can walk into a gym on day one and crush a perfect deadlift.

Also, if you want to read something that will give you a deadlifting boner I’d suggest reading THIS magnum opus by Mike Robertson, or check out any of THESE 22 articles listed by T-Nation as the best deadlifting articles on their site.

2. Speed Work? Technique, Technique, Technique (Part II)

Listen, most people who train don’t need to worry about “speed work.” Yes, getting faster and honing bar speed is a factor in improving strength, but for most people, most of the time, it’s a complete waste of time.

Let me explain.

First off, unless you’re pulling (at least) 2x bodyweight I don’t feel adding in speed work or a dynamic speed day – or any other connotation you use to pretend like you train at Westside Barbell – into your training repertoire is going to serve as the x-factor.

Lets just call it what it is.  TECHNIQUE WORK!!!!

Using sub-maximal loads forces people to dial in their technique, and THAT’S where I feel the true value of “speed work” lies.

Instead of calling it a speed work, I just call it a technique work and I try to implement it into most people’s programs at least once per week (especially if they’re trying to work on a specific movement, like the deadlift).

It may look something like this:

Week 1: 12×1 @ 55% 1RM

Week 2: 10×1 @ 60% 1RM

Week 3: 8×1 @ 65% 1RM

Week 4: 6×1 @ 70% 1RM

I’ll typically allot 30-45s rest between each rep.

Another approach I use (with more intermediate and advance lifters) is to have someone use 70% of the 1RM and to then set a timer for 10-15 minutes and they perform ONE rep every minute, on the minute for the allotted minutes.

Week 1: 65% at 10 Min

Week 2: 65% at 12 Min

Week 3: 70% at 12 Min

Week 4: 70% at 14 Min

Either way the idea is to use lower loads to HAMMER technique (which in turn is going to help with bar speed and overall performance in general).

3. Lack of Upper Back Strength

Like it or not, most people have weak upper backs and they don’t train it enough. I’m a HUGE proponent of adding in some form of dedicated upper back work in every training session.

I think this serves several benefits:

1.  It will undoubtedly help with deadlift technique in the long run.

2. From a posture standpoint, it will help to offset the endless hours we all spend in front of our computers watching LOLCats working.

3.  A thick, wide, upper back just looks badass.

To that end, I feel most trainees should go out of their way to add in some upper back work – both horizontal AND vertical – into their programs.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to go balls to the wall and load yourself heavy every session, but it stands to reason most people won’t be doing themselves a disservice by incorporating this mindset.

I like to add in some high(er) rep TRX Rows or face pulls on my lower body days, and I’ll sometimes perform heavy chin-up variations too.

On upper body days, I’ll almost always be including some form of heavy barbell row or DB row.

Make no mistake:  a strong upper back will help you deadlift more weight.

Pick Things Up and Put Them Down

And it’s on that note I want to remind everyone that my new Deadlift Specialization Program hits on all the above points (and then some).

It’s a FOUR-month program that will not only turn you into a deadlifting Jedi, but you’ll get hella strong to boot.

What’s more, not only do you get a program written by me, but you also get the advantage of using WeightTraining.com’s user friendly platform to receive workout reminders, track and log your workouts, and watch videos, all by using your smart phone.

I also included a 30% discount that will last for the next 24 hours (through Wednesday, September 10th), because I’m cool like that  All you have to do is type in IncreaseDeadlift30 within the Coupon Code area at checkout.

For more information and to get your deadlifting on go HERE.

CategoriesExercise Technique Female Training Strength Training

How the Kettlebell Can Improve Your Deadlift

I had an interesting conversation with my good friend and fellow strength coach, Ben Bruno, not too long ago.

He and I like to catch up every now and then to 1) discuss our mutual affinity for JP Licks ice-cream and 2) talk some training and fitness shop.

He’s originally from New England and worked as a coach at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning for a handful of years before moving out to LA last fall for a change of pace and to pursue some other opportunities.

His typical clientele now out in LA resembles a litany of Hollywood A-listers and a “who’s who” of gossip magazine covers, as well as those people who have a bit more of an aesthetic bias towards training.

While he loves LA and the people he works with, a small percentage of his heart is still back in Boston, working with athletes and helping people get strong.

In one of our last conversations he made the comment that there’s a stark contrast in training mentality between the west and east coast. But a little context comes into play.

Whereas at Cressey Sports Performance, someone nails a 400+ lbs deadlift and no one bats an eye, out in LA someone hits that same lift in a commercial gym and it’s assumed they’re on steroids.  And then given their own reality tv show!

Similarly, with regards to female training, and especially with regards to female celebrities and the “Hollywood” mentality as a whole (my apologies with the gross generalization here), barbell training is almost considered taboo.

Ben noted that whenever he’s tried to get some (not all) of his female clients to train with free-weights they were a tad skittish and reticent to place any appreciable load on the barbell.

Truth be told, while the tide is slowly turning for the better (more and more women are reaping the benefits of strength training. See: CrossFit), there’s still a “barbells are scary” vibe that pervades the female psyche.  It’s slight, but it’s still there.

Ben noticed a funny thing, however.  He noted that whenever he had his female clients use kettlebells they were more than eager to “get after it.” It was almost as if they didn’t think kettlebells counted as strength training.

Whether he had them squat, deadlift, push, pull, swing, carry, or anything else you can think of to do with a KB, seemingly, they’d be more than willing to do whatever Ben told them to do. And then some.

Plus, they’d do it with some heavy ass weight.

I too have noticed this same phenomenon with some of my past and current female clients. Ask them to perform a barbell deadlift and you’d think I asked them to shoot Bambi. Of course, this notion doesn’t surprise me when you have female professionals like THIS ONE telling everyone how dangerous deadlifts are.

Idiocy notwithstanding, switch to a KB deadlift and it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Lets be honest:  KBs are just a smidge less intimidating for some people (guys included), and they’re actually more useful and better than barbells in some cases.

I mean, not everyone has access to a state of the art gym and kettlebells don’t take up a lot of space, so they’re a fantastic option for quick and efficient home workouts.

In addition they’re great in terms of their versatility and “user friendliness” in general.

And get this……

The Kettlebell Can Actually Help Improve Your (Barbell) Deadlift

More to the point, the kettlebell swing can help improve your deadlift.

But before we get into the nitty gritty, it would behoove us not to at least discuss proper technique with the swing.

To that point I have two go-to sources.

1.  Iron Body Studios’ own Artemis Scantalides and Eric Gahan

2.  Neghar Fonooni

If you watched both videos (and why wouldn’t you?), you can see that both camps mirror one another in terms of how they coach and cue the swing.

With that out of the way, lets discuss how the KB swing can help improve your deadlift.

1. It’s All About the Hip Hinge, Baby!

The biggest mistake I see most people make with the swing is thinking that it’s more of a squat swing as opposed to a hip snap swing.

The swing, when done correctly, helps groove a rock-solid hip hinge pattern. And as any competent strength coach or personal trainer will tell you, the deadlift requires a ROCK SOLID hip hinge pattern.

This is non-negotiable.

Learning to push the hips back and engaging the posterior chain (namely hamstrings and glutes) during a swing will undoubtedly carry over well to the deadlift

 2.  Staying “Tight”

Look at this picture below of what the setup looks like for a KB swing.

Yeah, yeah the model is dashing. But other than that does anything look vaguely familiar?

It should, because it’s pretty much a dead-on image of what the set-up for a deadlift looks like (with the exception that with a barbell deadlift, the bar itself will be closer to the body and directly over the mid-foot, if not right up against the shins).

With the swing I like to cue one of two things to ensure tightness in the upper back:

1. Pretend like you’re squeezing an orange in your armpit and you’re trying to make orange juice.

2. Put your shoulder blades in your back pocket. This is a non-nerdy way of telling someone to posteriorly tilt their scapulae and to activate their lats (as well as the thoraco-lumbar fascia).

In short: promote more spinal stability.

Maintaining this “tightness” is key to the KB swing as well as a deadlift.

3.  Maximal Force Production

Remember above where I said the KB swing should resemble more of a hip SNAP.  That point cannot be overstated. 

The swing is an excellent way to help develop maximal force production. Think I’m full of it? Here’s what Strong First instructor and recent “I-made-the-Iron-Maiden-Challenge-My -Bitch” graduate, Artemis Scantalides, had to say on the matter.

“The purpose of the kettlebell swing is maximal force production.  Therefore, if the correct force is applied to an 8kg (~18lbs) kettlebell, that 8kg kettlebell can weigh up to 80lbs. 

If an 8kg kettlebell can weigh up to 80lbs with the correct force applied, imagine how much a 24kg (~53lbs) kettlebell can weigh if the correct force is applied??  

Subsequently, the kettlebell swing helps to improve deadlift strength because it allows you to use the lowest system load for maximal results. You are getting the most bang for your buck, by using less weight. 

As such, if you do not have a heavy weight available to you for deadlifts, then just do a few sets of perfect kettlebell swings and apply maximal force, and you just worked towards a stronger deadlift.”

Artemis: 1

Internet Gurus: 0

Final Thoughts

Kettlebells have a ton of merits, as I think we’ve covered. While they’ll never replace barbells for the big lifts, I like them because of all the ways they assist everything else. Obviously, they can help increase the deadlift, which I love.

I mean, being able to work on your deadlift when you’re not working on your deadlift? Doesn’t get much better than that.

But kettlebells are also an amazing tool for active recovery, conditioning, or just as the mainstay in any great home-based program. If you’re looking for an awesome program featuring kettlebells, there’s really no reason to look any further than Lean & Lovely, the new program from the aforementioned Neghar Fonooni.

It’s obviously geared towards women, but let me tell you, if you use a 28kg bell and do any one of the workouts, you’ll very quickly see how guys can benefit from every single page of the book.

It’s 12 weeks of dedicated program, 25 extra bonus conditioning type workouts, and a ton of other stuff.

Most importantly: something like 40% of my readers are actually other trainers. People look to this blog to find ways to get better for themselves and their clients; to become better at their jobs.

I take that responsibility very seriously–so when I say that I think Lean & Lovely is a resource that ANY trainer can use, I mean it. If you pick up just one coaching cue to teach the swing, it’s worth it. If you pick up just one new way to communicate more effectively with your female clients, it’s worth it. And if you read through the book and it gives you ideas you can use to design workouts, it’s more than worth it, 10X over. 

That’s the best part about continuing education. Small investments pay huge dividends. So, again, Lean & Lovely is pretty much a no brainer.

One final note, about “marketing.”

I caught some flak on Facebook the other day for recommending L&L. Which is crazy. It’s a good product, and one I think will help people. Does my article help move some units? I sure hope so. But consider this.

In the back end of my blog, my metrics indicate that, including this one, I have now published 1373 posts. Of those, if I had to take an educated guess, less than 30 have mentioned or “promoted” some type of program or product. Less than 30. That comes out to about 2.25%. And that isn’t counting any of my articles published elsewhere, which, like my blog, are a FREE resource.

So, really: it’s mathematically unarguable that I only “promote” stuff I believe in. Programs and products that I really and truly think will add value to my readers or the fitness community and industry over all. Lean & Lovely is absolutely one of those programs, so I absolutely feel comfortable telling your to order it. It’s as simple as that.

If that’s not cool with you…well, my bad.

CategoriesExercise Technique Program Design Strength Training

How to Maintain Deadlift Strength

I received an interesting question from a reader the other day on deadlifts, particularly 1RM (1 rep max) deadlifts. And since I get all giddy like a school girl at a One Direction concert whenever someone brings up the topic, I figured I’d share my answer here on my website since I’m sure it’s a question that others have wondered as well.

Q: My lifting consists mostly of deadlifts and chin-up/pull-ups with lots of auxiliary work. I also cycle a lot (100 miles per week in-season). But I am in the field for several months a year and it interrupts my lifting. 

Last year I pulled 305 on my 60th birthday (at 182 pounds body weight). I got a late start this year and was not as systematic with the spin up. I did a 1RM test and only pulled 270 (at 190 pounds) on my 61st.

I plan to start with the Matt Kroc program that I read in your site as soon as I get back from a month in Alaska (field work on the glacier near Juneau; it’s a tough job, but…).

My question is: I would have liked to maintain a 300 pound 1RM but was not systematic enough through the year. What do I do between programs to maintain a higher 1RM? (And continue to cycle and miss the occasional month in the deep field for work?).

A: Who are you?  John Wayne?  I love this!

First off, as a quick side tangent, any guy who uses his age as an excuse to not train hard is lame.  This isn’t to say you shouldn’t tweak some things here and there if need be, but all told, like the late 90s R&B star, Aaliyah, used to say, “Age ain’t nuthin but a number.”

While I should get a pat on the back for referencing both John Wayne and Aaliyah within a single blog post – quite possibly the first time in human history that that’s ever happened – you, sir, should get a pat on the back for kicking ass and taking names.

You hang out on glaciers AND deadlift.  By comparison I drive a Hyundai Elantra and own a cat.

Okay, lets get to the heart of the matter.

To start, lets put things into perspective.  You pulled 305 lbs on your 6oth birthday, and a year later, after admittedly not being as diligent with your training leading up to your 61st, you were still able to pull 270 lbs, which is within striking distance of 90% of your 1RM.

You know what?  That’s not too shabby considering.  Compared to other lifts like the squat or bench press, that’s not a huge drop off at all.

Why is that?

As Tim Henriques notes in his book, All About Powerlifting, “the deadlift is the simplest of the big three exercises (squat, bench press, DL), meaning it requires the least amount of skill. The deadlift is the most natural of the three lifts. Essentially all people, regardless of age, will perform a deadlift during their day, every day. 

Every time you bend down to pick something up off the ground, from your shoes to your laundry basket to a child to your dog to your couch, if you pick something up you are deadlifting it.

In addition your ability to deadlift remains for a relatively long time after you stop deadlifting.  If you stop squatting, even after you have been squatting for a long time, your ability to squat very heavy or perform a max set decreases relatively quickly. You will notice a difference after just one or two weeks.

Your ability to bench press remains at a moderate level; if you stop benching it begins to go away but assuming you stay strong in other exercises you will still be able to bench a decent amount of weight for a while.

The deadlift ability remains the longest.  If you stop deadlifting you can still come in a year later and deadlift a decent amount of weight. This is because the neuromuscular coordination required for the deadlift is the least specific of the three exercises and the basic motor control pattern remains the same even when you stop deadlifting.”

Of course, this isn’t to say that the deadlift is easy to learn or that there isn’t any skill involved – nothing could be further from the truth. I mean, entire books have been written on this one lift alone.   One of may favs includes Off the Floor, by David Dellanave.

However, compared to the squat and bench press, which, from a motor pattern standpoint aren’t movements we perform on a daily basis, the deadlift tends to “stick” longer.

Along those same lines, compared to other “qualities” such as anaerobic endurance, strength endurance, or maximal speed, maximal strength tends to have a much longer staying power.

Meaning, regardless of secondary emphasis, you can leave alone and maintain certain qualities of “x” number of days without seeing much of a drop off in performance.  This is something my good friend, Joe Dowdell, highlighted during his Peak Diet and Training seminar.

Here are some numbers to consider:

Aerobic Endurance = 30 +/- 5 days (meaning you can maintain training effect for 25-35 days with minimal exposure to that same stimulus).  Maximum Strength = 30 +/- 5 days, Anaerobic Endurance = 18 +/- 4 days, Strength Endurance = 15 +/- 5 days, Maximum Speed  = 5 +/- 3 days.

To maintain maximum strength all you’d have to do is try to elicit a maximum strength response once every 30 or so days.

I see this phenomenon all the time at Cressey Performance.  Eric’s known to not touch a heavy deadlift for months on end, yet he can almost always approach a 600 lb pull when coaxed or challenged enough by us other coaches or athletes.  While he’s not pulling 600 lbs on a regular basis, he is hovering in the 85-95% (of 1RM) range every so often which has a lot of staying power.

Likewise, with me, I tweaked my back last summer and wasn’t able to deadlift (heavy) consistently for a few months.  Once I was back to normal – or close to it – I was still able to hit a clean 500×3 without much trouble.

Bringing the conversation to YOU (and everyone else reading), if you know you’re going to have a long hiatus from consistent training, with the deadlift, at least you have the odds in your favor.

1.  You’re almost always going to be “deadlifting” to some capacity, even if it’s not a barbell, on a daily basis.  To that end, the motor pattern won’t go away anytime soon. Even if you have to resort to kettlebell work only, you’d be surprised at how much “strength” you’ll be able to retain.

2.  Along those same lines, one of the best strategies of used with myself and other clients is to place a premium on TECHNIQUE work.  I like this term more than “speed” work.

Using a load that’s roughly 60-70% of one’s 1RM, I’ll have him or her perform anywhere from 8-20 SINGLES in a given workout. This won’t be at all taxing on the nervous system, but it will help “glue” solid technique and also help with bar speed (which is an important component of strength).  It may look something like this:

Week 1:  14×1 @ 60% with 60s rest between each rep.
Week 2: 12×1 @ 65% with 60s rest between each rep.
Week 3: 10×1 @ 65% with 45s rest between each rep.
Week 4: 8×1 @ 70% with 45s rest between each rep.

3.  If you’re able, and can muster a way to hit a heavy pull every 4-5 weeks, that will go a LONG WAY in terms of any damage control and help to maintain strength levels.

Barring injury, an extinction level event (think: asteroid, volcanic eruption, Nicolas Cage movie), or jail time, it’s not as difficult as people think to maintain their strength in the deadlift.

Hope the suggestions above help!

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Paused Deadlift

I know this is going to come across as weird or unconventional to some of my loyal readers, and if you’re one of them (or if not, welcome!  I hope you stay awhile) you may wonder if my website was hacked into today by someone playing a practical joke.  I assure you it wasn’t, but I do have something to share.

Ready?  Here it goes.

I like deadlifts!! Like, a lot.

What did you think I was going to say? Something like “You know what, I could really go for a soy burger today!” or “That Tracy Anderson….she’s onto something.  She’s really smart.”

Come on.  Don’t be silly.

All facetiousness aside I don’t think it’s any secret I’m a fan of the deadlift.  A quick search on the internet shows I’ve written roughly 1,812 articles on the topic.  Give or take.

Me saying I like the deadlift is like Gray Cook saying he likes the Functional Movement Screen or Taylor Swift saying she likes writing songs about how much she hates boys.

It’s all in the same boat.

That being said, when it comes to the deadlift there’s a lot we can dissect.  Depending on one’s leverages, personal anthropomorphic differences, and postural considerations some deadlift variations will be better suited for certain body types compared to others.  As an example, those with limited ankle dorsiflexion and/or hip flexion, or even those lifters who are taller, will find that trap bar or Sumo variations fit them very well.

Along those same lines, regardless of what variation we’re discussing, some lifters will find “sticking points” within the arc of the lift itself, to the point where some may have issues off the floor while others will have trouble locking the weight out.

I’ve heard some coaches discuss initial (low) back positioning and how that may affect the mechanics of the lift itself.

Advocates for a more rounded back will note that it makes initial pulling off the floor easier (due to leverage), but things become more arduous at lockout.

Conversely, those who swear by a neutral or hard arch throughout will note that the bar is slower off the floor, however lockout is a breeze.  Again, due to leverages.

I fall in the latter camp and will rarely (if ever) advocate someone to purposely lift with a rounded back.  So it’s no surprise that I tend to be slower than molasses – a smidge above slower than shit – when I deadlift.

Without fail every FIRST rep off the floor for me is slow, which always makes any lift above 90% of 1RM interesting.

Yes, I’ve done deficit pulls.  And yes, I’ve done speed pulls vs. chains, all of which have helped some.  Lately, though, one of my favorite accessory movements – and something that’s been heavily influenced by fellow CP-coach, Greg Robins – is paused deadlifts.

We’re all familiar with the likes of  bench pressing with a pause or squatting with a pause, but rarely do you hear coaches talk about deadifting with a pause.

Paused Deadlift – from Floor

What Does It Do:  As noted above, it’s a fantastic way to help improve strength (and explosiveness) off the floor.  More to the point:

1.  It helps increase time under tension in a “trouble spot,” which then feeds into the explosiveness factor.

2.  Helps train people to engage the lats to a higher degree which will prevent the bar from getting away from the body.  In other words:  it helps maintain a better bar path.

Key Coaching Cues:  You won’t need to be too aggressive with the weight selection here, anything from 50-70% will suffice.  In addition, the actual pause can vary from 2-5s with the rep scheme varying from 2-5 reps.  We’re looking for QUALITY reps here, not quantity.

A sample cycle may look something like this:

Week 1: 4×3 (pause 2 inches off floor for 2s) @ 50%
Week 2: 4×3 (pause 2 inches off floor for 2s) @ 55%
Week 3: 4×2 (pause 2 inches off floor for 3s) @ 60%
Week 4: 3×2 (pause 2 inches off floor for 3s) @ 65%

I’ve also seen coaches stick with the same set/rep scheme throughout or stick with a set time for the pause – there’s no wrong way here.

The important thing to consider is that some semblance of progressive overload is being followed.

Give these a try and let me know what you think.

NOTE I: Just to clarify on my end, I’d consider this an exercise that should only be implemented if you’re pulling close to or over 2x bodyweight.  Anything less than that I’d be more inclined to focus on technique in general or just getting stronger.

NOTE II:  I normally don’t wear shoes when I deadlift.  It was a quick video I shot after training myself, sooooo cut me slack will ya.

NOTE III:  Apparently my skills in gym math are lacking.  The weight in the video is 275 lbs which is 48% of my 1RM.  Not 50-55% like I mentioned.  Oops.

Whatever.  It’s not like you listen to me anyways.  You never listen to me!!  You’re RUINING MY LIFE!!!!  *slams door*

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Oscars!, Deadlifts, and Myths of Stretching

1.  Raise your hand if you stayed up last night to watch the entire broadcast of the Oscars.

*Sheepishly raises hand*

Yes, I stayed up till just past midnight to see 12 Years a Slave win Best Picture and to watch director Steve McQueen and company be handed the statue by Will Smith.

I know it’s borderline silly to spend 4-5 hours of my night watching a bunch of attractive, rich people who make their living pretending to be action heros, real-life heros, icons, and pirates celebrate other attractive, rich people and hand one another a golden statue.  Especially when there are so many other pressing issues going on around us.

Even so, I’m a firm believer that movies and film offer all of us a sense of release and escape. Whether it’s calling a “time-out” from worrying about a mid-life crisis or a recent break-up, or even if it’s just two hours inside, away from this insane Polar Vortex, movies give us everything from joy and happiness to awe and inspiration.  Not to mention there are a select few that do a bang-up job at scaring the bejesus out of us and making us destroy the back of our pants.

What’s more, as someone who loves (LOVES film), I can appreciate the hard work and talent it takes to do what those people do.  Whether it’s sitting there and reveling in the cinematography of Gravity, the costume/set design of The Great Gatsby, the unabashed “holy-shit-I’m-really-uncomfortable-watching-this-but-this-is-what-happened-so-suck-it-up-Tony” realism of 12 Years a Slave,  the side boob and overall “cleavaginess” of American Hustle, or the breakneck speed and cadence of Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks’ last scene in that movie is one of the best acted scenes I have ever watched), I’m always appreciative and thankful for the movies.

So what can I say:  the Oscars are my SuperBowl – albeit without the large pizza and pretzels on the side.

Lisa and I sat down at 7PM to watch the pre-show festivities, although to be honest I’m not really as much of a fan watching and listening to the fashion mumbo-jumbo. It’s all Elvish to me.  I was actually sitting on the couch reading during that portion of the telecast, but I was listening to Lisa’s commentary which was hilarious.

In fact, I was thiiiiiiiiis close to starting a #shitlisasayswhilewatchingtheoscars on Twitter, but I elected not to

All in all I was very pleased with the show.  Ellen was Ellen, and there were a handful of times Lisa and I broke out and laughed our butts off.  How bout those pizzas!

I fully expect that random pizza-delivery guy to have an agent by now, and to have his own reality show greenlit by summer.

I can’t say I was surprised by any of the winners.  I was secretly hoping that DiCaprio would somehow snake out a win for Best Actor for his role in Wolf of Wall Street, but I knew that either McConaughey or Chiwetel Ejiofor (you know, the guy who’s name no one can pronounce) were the favorites.

Spoiler Alert: McConaughey won.

I was happy to see Jared Leto win, and was really happy to see Alfonso Cuaron win for Best Director (Gravity).

And, OMG, can you freakin believe Helium won for Best Live Action Short??????  (<— Yes, that’s sarcasm).

All in all, as always, I loved every second and can’t wait till next year.

2.  This is really out of character for me, and I know this is going to raise a few eyebrows, but I watched a Tracy Anderson DVD over the weekend wrote an article on deadlifting for Men’s Health last week.

You can check it out HERE.

3.  And since we’re on the topic of “stuff I’ve written,” I also contributed to a piece last week on Stack.com titled 13 Fitness Challenges That Will Destroy You.

They won’t literally destroy you – that’s a bit much – but it stands to reason they’ll offer a change of pace to your routine if you’re looking to add a little variety.  Check them out!

4.  I received a question recently that I felt would be better served answering here since I’m able to reach more people on this blog and I’m sure many reading have toyed with the same topic.

Q: Tony, where would static stretching fit into a week of working out? Do you recommend it on recovery days, or a specialized flexibility training day? Post-workout? Before bed?

A: As with anything: it depends. Not a sexy answer, but it’s the truth.

Stretching for the sake of stretching isn’t necessarily a good thing. While their intentions are in the right place, I see many people flopping on the stretch mat at local commercial gyms doing what they deem as “stretching,” but all I really see is a complete waste of time.

Stretching IS important – as a society it’s crystal clear that we sit a lot, and as such things tend to get adaptively short or stiff.  This is something that definitely needs to be addressed, because if it isn’t one runs the risk of developing muscular imbalances that not affects posture but can lead to pain or injury down the road.

The thing is:  the vast majority of people tend to stretch what they’re good at or what feels good.  What’s more, people tend to get into positions thinking they’re stretching one muscle, when in fact they’re not even close. Does this one ring a bell?

Many would recognize this as a hamstring stretch.  Wanna know what I see?  A lower back stretch.

Moreover, you could argue whether or not traditional stretching actually does anything?  Doing a few 30-second stretches here and there won’t really mount to much.  If a tissue is truly short it has lost sarcomeres  In order to really make a difference, you need to increase the series of sarcomeres and that takes A LOT more than a few 30-second stretches.

In fact if you asked Bill Hartman how much stretching it actually takes to make a difference, he’d say you need to cumulatively hold a stretch anywhere from 20-60 minutes!

Of course, that’s not practical for most people.

This isn’t to say that some stretching isn’t better than no stretching……but rather just to give some people a semblance of expectation management.

And then there are other factors to consider.  Someone who scores high on the Beighton Laxity Test certainly doesn’t need to go out of his or her way to perform a lot of static stretching.

Another thing to consider is HOW people stretch.

One key factor that many people tend to conveniently gloss over is alignment.  Stretching the hip flexors is an often targeted area for most people, and rightfully so.  Because we tend to sit in flexion all day, it stands to reason many people need a crowbar to “un-glue” their hips.  To counteract this many will opt to stretch, like this:

Notice the massive extension pattern and anterior pelvic tilt she’s in?  This isn’t really accomplishing anything other than to run the risk of developing femoral anterior glide syndrome (where the femoral head is literally jammed forward.)

Unless this person cleans up he starting position – brace the anterior core, squeeze the glute of the trailing leg, getting, encouraging more posterior pelvic tilt and getting out of extension – she can do this stretch for hours on end and really not accomplish anything.

Now all of this isn’t say that I’m poo-pooing on stretch altogether.  It DOES have its place, and it DOES serve a purpose.  But I just feel more people need to be cognizant of what they’re stretching and more importantly, HOW they’re stretching.

I feel stretching before a training session is best.   What good is it to stretch before bed when you’re just going to lie down anyways?

I’d rather see people address tissue quality, mobilize, stretch, and then “cement” that new length with appropriate strength training.

Again, the idea is to encourage more “neutral,” get into more optimal alignment, and then train.

The order I prefer is this:

Foam Roll—Dynamic Warm-Up—Dedicated Static Stretching—Lift Heavy Shit

After rolling out, you’d hit up your standard dynamic warm-up (THIS or THIS may help), perform some static stretching to help lengthen the tissue (for most people hitting up areas like the glutes, hip flexors, lats, and pecs would be ideal), and then go…..you’re a free bird.  Fly fly away.

Go lift something heavy.

CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

Two Components to Deadlifting Success

– “One thing I could do….was finger roll.”

So said George “Iceman” Gervin in the classic mid-90s Nike commercial featuring Tim Hardaway, David Robinson, and pretty much the coolest barbershop known to man.

For a little taste of nostalgia you can watch the video HERE.

Now, I’m not an ex-NBA legend.  I might be able to dunk a tennis ball.  Maybe.  But only if you gave me a running start (and a trampoline). Or a JetPack.

Julia Child was pretty much a boss in the kitchen.

You can’t discuss the history of film and not mention the name Steven Spielberg.

Sandy Koufax had arguably the most devastating curveball in baseball history.

Is there a bigger douche to the douchiest power nowadays than Justin Bieber?

All of this to say: Everyone has their own speciality or a skill that they’re known for.

Me?  While I’d like to sit here and say it’s hanging out with Jason Bourne, in reality it’s nothing nearly as badass.

While they’re badass in their own right, I think anyone who’s read my stuff for any length of time knows that I have a particular affinity for deadlifts, and that that’s what I’m known for.

Which is weird because I don’t own any records.  Not even close.  Heck, I’ve never even competed! Giving a little credit to myself, though, my best pull is 570 lbs (which at the time was 3x bodyweight).

On top of that, if someone triple dogged dared me, or, I don’t know, if Kate Beckinsale walked into a room and said, “Tony I’ll make out with you right now if you lift 500 lbs this very minute,” I’m fairly confident I could do it.

For reps.

On one leg.

Blindfolded.

Standing on a BOSU ball.

More to the point (and a bit less facetious in tone):  I know how to coach the deadlift very well.  So to steal the quote from the Iceman above.

One thing I can do…..is coach the deadlift!

And it’s with that quote in mind that I wanted to take today and do a pseudo “brain dump” on a few insights and common (or not so common, depending on who you are) mistakes I notice with regards to deadlift technique.

1.  Not Choosing the Correct Deadlift Variation

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: everyone should be deadlifting in some form or another.  What other exercise accomplishes so much?

I’m biased. You’d be hard pressed to convince me otherwise that the deadlift isn’t one of the best overall exercises for hypertrophy, not to mention the best functional exercise you can do with respects to posterior chain strength, core stability, glute activation (terminal hip extension), power development, and transference of force throughout the entire body.

Likewise, when done correctly, deadlifts help to prevent shear loading on the spine, help engrain a hip hinge pattern (which spares the spine), and you could make a case plays a role in “preparing” people for life.

Ask your grandmother to pick up a bag of groceries.  That’s a deadlift!

My friend, Nick Tumminello, wrote a fantastic post awhile back on assessments and brought up an interesting question:

“What’s the point of doing whatever assessment you’re doing, when you have all your clients squat, deadlift, perform X, Y, and Z anyways?”

I respect Nick a ton. It’s hard not to look up to someone with as much experience as him, and  I’ve learned a lot from him.

And while I “get” what he was trying to say, even when I originally read his post (and forgive me if Nick’s perspective has changed since he wrote it) I couldn’t help but cock my head like a curious puppy being asked to fetch.

From my point of view, YES, the goal is to have all my clients squat, deadlift, perform single leg work, crush push-ups, row, bench press, sprint, push the Prowler, arm wrestle a tank, and many other fitness and performance based methodologies.

The point of the assessment – outside of the obvious – is for the client/athlete to prove to me that they can perform said movements correctly and without causing further harm.

With regards to the deadlift, the results of their assessment – outside of providing information on any imbalances or any glaring deficits that may exist – is going to tell me which variation of the deadlift I’m going to start them on.

Not everyone is meant to (or should) walk into the gym on day one and conventional deadlift.  Truth be told: the conventional deadlift is the most advanced variation of the deadlift, and I rarely start an athlete or client there.

If someone has a cranky lower back or anterior knee pain (or both), it may be wise to start them on a trap (or hex) bar deadlift.  Because the body is placed inside the bar, there’s less shear on the spine.  Likewise, the trap bar (like most DL variations) require a more vertical tibia which will feel significantly better on the knees.

Looking a bit deeper, if someone has a deficit in ankle dorsiflexion or needs a crowbar to loosen up their hips, having them attempt to get all the way down to the bar for a conventional deadlift is going to be compromising.

Instead it may be more advantageous to have them perform a Sumo style deadlift – maybe even elevated slightly depending on the severity of their limitation.

The point is: not all deadlift variations are created equal, and it’s important to consider what will be the right fit based off of one’s body-type, experience, limitations, and injury history.

2.  Tension, Tension, Tension!

One instantaneous red-flag I’ll notice with many people deadlifting is when I see their hips rise too quickly when initiating the pull. Like this:

Kelly Starrett mentioned this same concept in his book Becoming a Supple Leopard, but when this happens it’s generally a failure to get (and maintain) TENSION!!!  You could also make the same argument whenever you see someone initiate their pull and they turn into a “scared cat” with their back rounding like crazy.

The deadlift is a bit more than just “bending over and picking up a bar.”  I like to tell trainees that the hips and shoulders should “break” synchronously.  Meaning there should be a synergistic dance or interplay between the hips and shoulders.  If the hips break first or come up too fast in relation to the upper body, we just need to slow things down a tad and get more tension.

Lack of tension = an energy leak, and that’s the last thing you want when trying to pull heavy things off the ground.

Here’s a checklist I like to follow:

1.  Hinge back – pushing your butt back towards the wall – as if you’re performing an RDL – until your hands reach the bar.

2.  Once there, you’ll grab the bar with one hand and pull the “slack out.”  Basically, you’re going to activate or engage your lat and posteriorly tilt the scapulae, which will provide a ton more stability/tension.

3.  You’ll then repeat the same process with the other hand.

Note:  a more simplified and less geeky way of explaining things is to pretend you have an orange in your armpit and that you’re trying to squeeze out some orange juice.

This cue will ensure all of the above:  lats will be engaged, scapulae will posteriorly tilt, and the chest will be up.

4.  In order to maintain tension in the hamstrings (kind of important for deadlifting big weight) the hips should stay somewhat high (this will vary for numerous people, but they should never be above the shoulders), and you should think about “pressing” or “pushing” yourself way from the floor – generating force INTO THE FLOOR. Like this:

Notice how, compared to the first video, the hips and shoulders have more of a timed interplay?

This is what’s “ideal” and will result in better deadlifting performance for most people.

Just two things to ponder.  Cheerio!

 

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Exercise Technique

Deadlift and Grip Pain

Q: My fellow lifter in Germany has long maintained that the things that happen to me under the bar are just plain weird. As it happens, I’ve not yet seen anyone write on this (if you did and I missed it, just point me there!); I hope you’ll be able to help me figure out what on earth is going on.

I love deadlifts, but it seems they absolutely hate my right forearm. At all of 95lbs, double overhand, I start feeling a mildly painful strain at the elbow when I close my hand. As the weight goes up, the pain gets worse.

Last year, I ignored the pain thinking it was something that would get better with time. Instead, by the time I got to 190lbs, the pain was so hideous that I couldn’t even open the refrigerator door without wanting to cry. It took five months of strict rest for it to heal.

I definitely don’t want to go through that again! What annoys me even more is that 190 is well short of what I could break from the floor if whatever-this-is wasn’t doing what it’s doing (left arm has no issues at all). What on earth is going on here, and how do I make it stop???

A: Hi Jackie, thanks for writing and sorry to hear about your grip issues.  I know how frustrating it can be to be hurt and unable to train like you’d like, so hopefully I can offer some insight.

But first, given you’re writing to me all the way over from Germany, can you answer me just one minor question?

What is up with the obsession German’s have with David Hasslehoff??????

I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I didn’t idolize the guy back in his Knight Rider days, and I certainly have to give my man kudos for rocking the 80’s mullet and chest hair like a boss…….

But German’s take things to a whole different level and go bat-shit crazy for the guy.

What gives?

Please, tell me, it’s killing me.

Okay – with that out of the way, lets state the obvious:  while it’s pretty much impossible for me to make any definitive assertions over the internet without being able to observe you in person, I have a few comments/insights.

1.  It sounds like you need to get some aggressive soft tissue work done. Honestly this is the best piece of advice I can give you and takes precedence over everything else.

The forearms and by extension – the elbow – is a very “claustrophobic ” area where a lot of “stuff” converges in a small area resulting in a lot of friction that takes place amongst muscle, ligaments, facia, and other soft tissue.

On the medial side you have all the muscles in the forearm that flex the wrist (I could list them all here, but it’s early and I don’t feel like it. But trust me: they’re there) which connect to the medial epicondyle via the common flexor tendon, with the pronator teres (which I suspect is going to be a HUGE player for you) attaching nearby.

The same can be said on the lateral side:  you have all the muscles in the forearm that extend the wrist which connect to the lateral epicondyle via the common extensor tendon.

Posteriorly you have all three heads of the trciep attaching to the olecranon via another common tendon.

And lastly, anteriorly, you have the attachment points of the bicep brachii, brachioradialis, and brachialis on the elbow.

See what I mean?  There’s a lot going down in one teeny tiny area.

We call it a Zone of Convergence, and it stands to reason that if your forearm is that painful whenever you grab a pencil, let a lone a barbell, you have poor tissue quality in that area.

Just resting – while it may alleviate the symptoms temporarily – won’t get at the root of the problem.  To that end, I can’t stress enough how crucial it will be to seek out a reputable manual therapist – someone who can perform Graston or Active Release Therapy – to treat that area.

As I noted above I have my suspicions that the pronator teres (which, as the name suggests, pronates the forearm) is on fire and that you need to take a bit of a grenade approach in terms of addressing the entire spectrum.

While manual therapy takes priority, you can take the self myofascial release route and use something like The Stick on the forearms, biceps, and triceps.

2.  Another less obvious – albeit equally as important – thing to consider is something that many people overlook.  While soft tissue restrictions in the forearm and elbow area make a lot of sense and is a great place to start, it’s not uncommon for everything to manifest itself higher up the kinetic chain into the brachial plexus area – upper traps, neck, etc.

The brachial plexus is basically an area where a network of nerves start at the spine, run through the neck, and all the way down to the elbows, forearms, and to each finger

If you’re someone who spends a fair amount of time in an office staring at your computer, that area is notorious for getting gunked up (<— how’s that for a technical term?) and it may bode in your favor to have a manual therapist perform some work there as well.

Moreover, this is also an opportune time to run an audit on your breathing patterns.  If you’re someone who’s a “chest breather,” meaning whenever you take a breath you tend to rely on your accessory breathing muscles like the upper traps, levator, scalenes, etc, it’s no wonder you’re jacked up!

Think about it:  you take upwards of 20,000 breaths everyday.  Not that every breath is going to be “optimal,” but it stands to reason that if you’re a dysfunctional breather bad things may happen.

Taking the time to address something as simple as how you breath, becoming more of a “belly breather,” and learning to use your diaphragm more efficiently, can go a long ways.  More than you think.

Check out THIS post I wrote last year on the topic.

3.  As a corollary to the above, it’s also important to run a check on your technique on stuff like push-ups, rows, and chin-ups.  If you’re someone who has a tendency of shrugging everything – and relying too heavily on the upper traps to do everything – that’s just going to feed into the issue(s) at hand.

While addressing soft tissue quality and breathing patterns are high on the “to do” list, it’s going to be a waste of time if all you’re doing is heading back to the gym and shrugging everything.

So, you might as well give yourself an audit on those things too.  Just something to consider. I know everyone thinks their technique is spot on, but I can assure you that everyone needs a little tweaking.

I realize it wan’t the sexiest answer in the world, but hopefully it helps a few people out there.

But seriously, Hasslehoff……what’s the deal?

CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

Deadlift Critique 101

In any given week I receive a fair amount of emails ranging from readers who just want to say thanks for writing such a kick-ass blog (you’re welcome!) to momma Gentilcore reminding me that 1) I forgot [insert relative’s name here] birthday and that I better get on my high-horse and send a card stat and 2) it’s getting cold outside.  Bundle up!  Love you!

And, of course, I get a fair number of emails from people asking me anything from programming questions to why does their shoulder hurt? to why it is I am so uncannily interesting, witty, and awesome.  And everything else in between.

In every sense, the emails I receive span the entire fitness spectrum – and I try my best to answer every……single…….one.  Speaking of which, if you could just hold on one quick second as I answer this one I just got in my inbox :

Dear Victoria Secret Models,

Yes!

It’s silly really, but a group of them reached out and asked if I’d please stay at least 500 yards away from them at all times be their personal oil boy at their next photo shoot.

Anyways, oftentimes I’ll have someone reach out and ask if I’d be willing to take a gander at their technique on certain lifts and to see whether or not I’d offer any insight or cues to help them clean things up.

8 times out of 10, it’s usually the deadlift.

Sometimes it’s easy.  I’ll watch a video, things won’t look pretty, and I’ll forward along some simple cues that will help, and then point them in the direction of posts like THIS, THIS, and THIS.

Other times it’s a bit tricker because someone’s technique may need a little more TLC and attention to detail. A great example would be the video below, which was sent to me last week from someone who will remain nameless.

**When I asked his permission to use his video for a blog post  he asked if it would be okay if I’d omit his name altogether.  I think he was thinking I was going to throw him under the bus and include him on some rolling playlist of epic deadlift fails.

I reassured him that that wasn’t going to be the case, and all I wanted to do was to make this into blog post so that my advice could be read by others who may be making the same mistake(s).

We internet high-fived and well, here we are.

Speaking of which, here’s the video

My Thoughts/Words of Wisdom

1.  First and foremost: props for walking onto screen wearing that hat like a boss. I’d almost liken it to a Walter White’esq/Heisenberg fashion prop, but I know all you’re doing is deadlifting and not cooking a vat of meth.

**Bonus points for a Breaking Bad reference!

2. One of the glaring “mistakes” I see right off the bat is setting up too far away from the  bar.  I like to tell people to make sure their shins are right up against the bar, or at the very least to be an inch or two away (to allow for a little dorsiflexion).

By setting up too too far you’re just going to make more work for yourself and increase the distance the bar has to travel – not to mention we could make a case that you’re going to place a bit more shear load on the spine.

So, for starters:  get closer to the bar upon the initial set-up.

3.  Another major point to consider is the initial movement upon descent towards the bar.  If you pause the video at the 9-second mark, you’ll notice that “Heisenberg” initially breaks with his knees translating forward, essentially squatting down towards the bar.

Instead, what I’d prefer to see is more of a hip hinge/pseudo RDL pattern to start.  I like to cue people to push their hips back. But usually a more pertinent EXTERNAL cue is to tell them to try to push their hips back so that their butt taps an imaginary wall behind them.

So, in a lot of ways, what’s going to happen is we’re trying to set up from a “TOP-DOWN” position, which is something Dr. Kelly Starrett discusses at length in his book Becoming a Supple Leopard.

The goal, then, would be to initiate by pushing the hips back and to continue hinging back, performing to what mounts as an unloaded RDL, accumulating massive tension in the hamstrings, and when there’s only a few inches left, THEN you’ll bend over to grab the bar.

Which brings us to the next point.

4.  Setting the hips too low

This coincides with the whole squatting vs. hip hinging discussion from above. I think the bulk of this issue will clean up itself once you learn to hip hinge into proper position, so I won’t belabor this point too much. But it stands to reason that a nice “check point” would be to take notice where you feel tension.  In the video above, I can guarantee to you feel the bulk of it in your quadriceps.  If so, you know you’re setting up with your hips too low.

5.  Another key point to consider is getting tension in the lats and upper back.

If I were standing there coaching Heisenberg, 1) I’d tell him to put on some loud, belligerent “my mother never loved me music” to fire the place up a bit more and 2)  I’d stand in front of him and have him set up a bit more vertical or upright. I’d want him to make sure that whatever lettering is on the front of his shirt is facing me the entire time.

You can think to yourself “chest up,” “chest tall,” “proud chest,” “arch like a mofo,” whatever works.

From there, I’d tell him to use the bar to “pull” his chest up and to engage his lats.  You’ll notice in the video that when he starts his first pull to break inertia his shoulders are still fairly rounded (24-second mark).

Speaking in geek speak for a second:  I want him to use the bar to “set” his lats and to get more posterior tilt of the scapulae.

This will work wonders in terms of garnering more tension and to provide more stability to the spine as a whole (as well as placing him in a more ideal position to pull).

6.  More tangentially, while I understand that it’s called the “deadlift,” and you’re lifting the barbell off the floor, there’s a bit more to it than that.

I think one major mistake that a lot of people make is that they feel as if the deadlift is nothing more than casually lifting the bar off the floor.

Instead, what needs to happen is that you need to get more tension in your hamstrings and glutes and generate force into the floor, “pressing” or “pushing” yourself away (through the heels), and then focus on driving your hips forward until you lock the weight out.

Again, freeze framing the video at the 26-second mark, you can see that Heisenberg’s shoulders and upper back aren’t “stiff” (shoulders are rounded) and that his knees aren’t locked out. Not to call him out or anything, but he’s just kinda haphazardly lifting the bar as if it were an egg he didn’t want to break or as if he were at some swanky tea-party and didn’t want to offend anyone.

Now, I understand it’s an un-loaded bar.  But what the fuck?  Lift it!!!!!!

More privy to the point is that he’s seemingly just trying to hoist the bar off the floor without generating any tension or force into the ground.

Finish the lift.  Get those hips through!  Lock it out!

7. And lastly, to reiterate the point above, he just needs to make sure that on his descent towards the ground he initiates the process by breaking with the hips going back, and not the knees forward.

It’s going to take a little practice, and some attention to detail, but I think all told he’s not too far off from where he needs to be.

Moving forward I’d recommend the following:

1.  A drill that I love to use with newbies to help groove the hip hinge is one that Dean Somerset uses quite a bit as well – the KB Behind the Head Hip Hinge

Here the objective is to brace the abs hard and to hinge through the hips and NOT the lower back. Incorporating this as part of a warm-up or as a filler exercise several times throughout the week would be money.

2.  Don’t be scared to load the deadlift.  It’s actually going to feel a bit MORE awkward to try to hone in on technique with just the bar.  So, don’t feel as if you have to limit yourself to the bar to get better.  Sometimes it’s advantageous to load an exercise to get a better “feel” for it.

3.  Also, don’t be afraid to deadlift more the once per week.  I know it’s in vogue to tell newbies to just perform the major lifts once per week to lessen the risk of injury – and that’s fine  – but conversely it’s kind of hard to get better at anything only performing it once every seven days.

I’m actually not opposed to including some form of deadlift technique work every training session assuming someone isn’t going to be an asshat and perform heavy singles every chance he or she gets.

4.  Don’t go use a high(er) rep protocol.  I think anytime a newbie starts performing high-rep deadlifts, things are going to get dicey real quick from a technique standpoint. To that end, I’d much prefer to keep the reps in the 3-5 rep range (but keep the intensity low).

And that’s about it.  A lot to digest, I know – but hopefully this discussion helped to shed some light on how I generally go about cleaning up one’s deadlift technique.

If anyone else has some food for thought, I’d love to hear it.

CategoriesProduct Review Program Design Strength Training

A Deadlift 3 Times Per Week Program

It’s rare that I post anything on the weekend, but when I do you know it’s kind of a big deal.  Today I’ve got a special guest post from Dave Dellanave, author of the brand spankin new resource (and arguably the best title for a book, like ever) Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination.

Admit it. As soon as you read the title of this post you were thinking “No way.” The deadlift is a lift you perform once per week, if that. It’s too taxing on the CNS and there’s just no way your lower back can handle deadlifting that often. Plus, your hands would probably get torn to shreds, and your gym would kick you out for dropping a heavy bar over and over again every time you come in to lift.

Right?

Is everything evil we’ve been told about frequent deadlifting true? People often say the same thing about squatting, and many authors have dispelled and debunked that myth, including our gracious host, Tony.

What I’d like to do here is convince you that if you like deadlifting, it’s more than okay to deadlift more frequently, and you stand to gain tremendously from it. Here are a few reasons I deadlift as often as I do, and I think you should, too:

  • There aren’t many ways to work more muscles than the deadlift. From your hands up to your neck, down your entire back to your calves, and back up the fronts of your legs and your abs, almost every muscle in your body is working during a deadlift. Maybe the only thing it doesn’t develop impressively is your chest. (But who cares about chest muscles when you’ve got a massive back?)
  • Picking up heavy things is an essential life movement. It’s unlikely that a single day goes by that you don’t pick something up. When the time comes to lift something heavy, it’s pretty awesome to not even have to think twice about it because you know it’s a fraction of your deadlift.

  • Having a big deadlift is like having a cheat code for every lift in the gym. I will be the first to tell you I am an embarrassing hack when it comes to the Olympic lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk. Yet I can snatch over my bodyweight, and I can clean over 275 pounds, simply because I can cheat with my strength. I won’t be competing at the next Olympic Games, to be sure, but it’s not a bad start from next to nothing. My point is, relative to a triple-bodyweight deadlift, most other things in the gym become easier to achieve.
  • Let’s be honest, nothing is more awesome than taking a heavy bar in your hands and standing up with it like all that is man.

Fortunately, I don’t think I have too much of a tough sell to convince you, a reader of Tony’s site, that deadlifting is awesome. So how can you do it more often?

As I mentioned initially, most programs involve deadlifting once per week with very low sets and reps at a high percentage of your max. For good reason, as well, since it is true that unless you’re very, very new to lifting and very weak, you’re not going to be able to deadlift heavy three times per week. At least, not for very long before you run out of steam. To pull off that frequency, you’ll need a little more creativity and variety. Here’s what I suggest:

  • Day 1:  Heavy, low-rep deadlifts. This looks like your typical deadlift programming, with your favorite deadlift variation performed at a high intensity (meaning percentage of max, not turning up the music and getting slapped before you lift) for 1 to 5 reps and a few heavy working sets.

  • Day 2: Grip deadlifts. Picking up anything heavy off the ground is a deadlift. To cut down the absolute amount of weight lifted, make it hard to hold on to. An extra-thick bar or a pinch lifting block is a great way to do that. Since your hands are going to be the limiting factor here, it’s going to be awfully hard to do too much, so feel free to crank up the volume.
  • Day 3: Light technique or speed. This is your chance to amp up the volume because you’ve dialed down the intensity. At a lighter weight you can either do a lot more reps to hone your technique, use as much speed as possible to improve your rate of force development, or both. At first you will require a fair amount of recovery from higher-volume deadlifting, but in a few weeks you’ll be surprised at how little recovery you actually need and how much work you can get in without affecting your heavy days. If you’re on a M-W-F lifting schedule, you’re probably wondering how it would go to lift heavy on Monday after doing a ton of deadlifts on Friday. Again, you’ll be surprised at how little it affects you negatively, and how it can even improve your heavy days.

This is, in a nutshell, is the program I lay out in my book Off The Floor.

Of course, to round out the program you’ll want to fill in any gaps with appropriate accessory exercises, but this should give you a great starting point. If you love deadlifting even half as much as I do, you’ll get your fix as often as you can handle by deadlifting three (or more) times per week.

Sometimes beliefs, even unfounded ones, can be very limiting. I’ve found, through my own experience and helping people improve their own deadlifts, that not only can you get away with deadlifting often but it’ll do exactly what you want it to do: make you stronger, put more muscle on your body, and up your deadlift numbers.

Looking for more insights like these on the deadlift – as well as a great program to help you improve your pull?  Be sure to check out Dave’s new product, Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination, which is on sale at a great price until Saturday (Sept. 7th) at midnight. 

I read it one sitting last weekend while snuggling on the couch in a blankie, and literally had to resist the urge to hop in my car to drive to the facility right then and there to go train.  It’s awesome.

If I were you I’d act quickly, because the price increase 50% by midnight tonight.

About the Author

David Dellanave is a lifter, coach, and owner of The Movement Minneapolis in the Twin Cities. He implements biofeedback techniques, teaching his clients, ranging from athletes to general population, to truly understand what their bodies are telling them. He writes articles to make you stronger, look better naked, and definitely deadlift more at http://www.dellanave.com/.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ddn

Facebook: http://facebook.com/movementminneapolis

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Tripwires and How They Can Help Improve Your Deadlift

A few months ago I picked up a copy of the New York Times best-selling book Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath, who also penned doozies like Made to Stick and Switch, which cover a gauntlet of human behavorial novelties. 

This is important because as a fitness professional, and as someone who works with people who generally like to make excuses on why they can’t train on any given day – a headache, car troubles, explosive diarrhea – anything I can do to better equip myself to better understand people and why they do what they do is a win in my book.

Although to some degree common sense enters the mix.With regards to the latter (explosive diarrhea), maybe not hitting up the local taqueria and crushing a plate of fully-loaded f bean burritos the night prior would be a good idea, mmmmkay?

With Decisive, while the principal theme tackles one of the most critical topics in our work and personal lives – Namely, how to make better decisions – there were also several other “mini” themes that I felt were every bit as interesting.

Take for example the notion of setting tripwires in our daily lives. As the authors note, “couldn’t we all use a few tripwires in our lives? We’d have a “trigger weight” that signaled the need to exercise more, or a trigger date on the calendar that reminded us to ask whether we’re investing enough in our relationships. Sometimes the hardest part of making a good decision is knowing there’s one to be made.”

One of the more shining examples of a tripwire noted in the book revolved around the band Van Halen.  The band’s eclectic and often acerbic lead singer, David Lee Roth, was known to be quite the diva back in the day.

Or was he?

Van Halen was one of the first bands in the mid 1980s to really make a name for themselves through their elaborate shows. As Roth recalled, “We’d pull up with nine eighteen-wheeler trucks, full of gear, where the standard was three trucks, max.”

To put it lightly:  the band’s production design was astonishingly complex.  And, as the authors noted from Roth, the contract specifying the setup was, “like reading a version of the Chinese Yellow Pages,” because it was so technical and complex it was like reading a foreign language.

To make a long story short:  Van Halen had it’s own road crew, but because of the elaborateness of their show much of the prep work had to be done beforehand, before the eighteen-wheelers arrived.

Another thing to consider was the risk of injury to the band.  Because of all the pyrotechnics, lights, smoke, and ninjas (<—okay, no ninjas), the band was often worried that something may go wrong, and because their traveling schedule was a shit show they really didn’t have enough time to do a top to bottom check to make sure every thing was in place and that every bolt was secure.

How, then, would the band know that they were at risk?

A Bowl of M&Ms (That’s How)

One of the more egregious stories of the band back then was how they had it in their contract (the one mentioned above) to have a bowl of M&Ms placed backstage with all the brown ones removed.

Not surprisingly many deemed this an a-hole, diva(ish) move on their part.  But in reality it DID serve a purpose – mainly as a tripwire for the band to be on alert.

As the author’s state in the book, the band’s “M&M clause” was written into its contract to serve a very specific purpose.  It was called Article 126, and it read as follows:

“There will be no brown M&Ms in the backstage area, upon pain of forfeiture of the show, with full compensation.”

The article was buried in the middle of countless technical specifications for the set-up of the show.

The bowl of M&Ms served as a tripwire for Roth and the band to quickly ascertain whether or not the venue took the time to carefully read the manual, and whether or not that took the necessary precautions to do shit right (my words, not the author’s).

If they (Van Halen) saw brown M&Ms they knew, right away, that the stagehands didn’t read the manual and that their safety may be in jeopardy.

So obviously this serves as a nice segue to deadlifts.

It’s no secret that I have an arguably unhealthy affinity towards deadlifts.  I love deadlifts, and feel there’s no exercise that comes close to providing as many benefits.

And as luck would have it, my friend, and soon to be married to the lovely Jen Sinkler, David Dellanave, talk about a super couple, just released his new product titled Off the Floor:  A Manual For Deadlift Domination.

As you can imagine when David reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in reading an advance copy, he had me at the word ‘dead.”  There was really no need for the lift part.

Now I’ve read my fair share of deadlifting manuals, and while I never grow tired of reading them, many of them often have the same message and it’s rare when I learn something new.

Looking into my own mirror I’ve been struggling to attain the lauded 600 lb deadlift for years now.  It’s a number that I’ve come close to – my best pull is 570 lbs – but for some reason, whether it’s due to some low back issue, stagnancy, fatigue, or any number of other things, I haven’t been able to achieve it.

It wasn’t until I read Dave’s manual where the whole idea of tripwires hit me over the head.

I know whenever I start to push the envelop and ramp up my DL training, I’ll inevitably hit a point where one of a few things happens:

1.  My back gives me the middle finger.

2.  I’m overcome by a drained feeling.

3.  I grow frustrated and end up pouting in the corner. *slams door*

The cool thing about Dave’s manual – and there are many – is the point he hammers home about Biofeedback.  In short:  unlike Van Halen, as much as you’d like to, you can’t feel like a rock star every single day of the week.  Likewise, you can’t always pull heavy (whether it’s heavy singles or doubles or triples) to the point where you shit a spleen and expect to make concerted progress.

Too, who says you always have to pull with the same variation? I know I tend to gravitate towards conventional pulling, but have been toying around with more of a narrow sumo stance lately and I love it.  On that topic, Dave himself has pulled 3x bodyweight in three separate deadlifting variations, including the Jefferson deadlift, at around 608 lbs.

Like, whoa.

Getting to the heart of the matter, what Dave’s manual taught me – other than how close minded I’ve been when it comes to listening to my body – is that I need to establish my own tripwires, and understand that getting better at deadlifting isn’t necessarily always about grinding out reps.

Deadifting more often (fluctuating frequency, and intensity) may be the answer for some, which is something he hits on in this manual extensively.

Choosing a different variation may be the answer as well.  As an example, I never really thought about choosing grip specific pulls like the Reeves deadlift to help work on weak links.

And maybe most important of all just learning to listen to your body.  Maybe you’re utilizing the wrong variation and that’s why your back hurts?  Maybe you’ve been training at a high(er) percentage for too long, and just need to ramp down the intensity?

Who knows – it could be anything!  But this manual really helped to shed some light on my own training, and I can only imagine it will help do the same for many who are reading this right now.

For more information, check out the link below. For a mere $49 it’s a steal. I promise it’s unlike anything you’ve read before.

–> Off the Floor: A Manual For Deadlift Domination <–