Deadlift technique question

Melissa said:

Should my back "open" up

Not important, as long as you "open up" your legs.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Melissa said:

I'm trying to incorporate deadlifts into my routine, and I have a
technique question. Should my back "open" up at the same time as my
legs straighten or should I sequence the two parts, keeping my back at
a constant angle to vertical while I straighten my legs and then open
my back? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? My tendency
seems to be to sequence the two parts, which I think is a fairly
ingrained movement pattern for me from rowing.

The problem with this pattern is that it tends to leave the
weight/lifter center of gravity very close to the edge of the base of
support - or even off it. So great stress is placed upon the lower back
to finish off the lift, which can lead to the back rounding and injury.
If moderate weights are used this isn't a huge issue. So if you are
training simply to look good and get hypertrophy in the right places it
probably isn't a problem, as long as you keep your back neutral or flat.

If you are training for strength or competition it can be a problem.
Ideally in a powerlifting deadlift, whether conventional or sumo style,
the bar and hips rise at the same rate and the bar stays in as tight to
the body as possible. Having said that, there have been some great
deadlifters who use a 'two-stage' technique - Vince Anello, John Kuc and
Lamar Gant all coming to mind immediately. In every case these lifters
have very short backs, which allows them to get away with this
technique. Most women have the opposite problem - relatively long torsos
as compared to limb length.

So two-stage technique is essentially doing a partial hack squat
followed by a stiff-legged deadlift. Fine for general purposes as long
as you are very careful to keep the lower back neutral or flat during th
elift. Not so good if the intent is to handle maximal or near maximal
weight.

You may want to switch to a sumo style lift, which can help change the
motor pattern developed by rowing.

--
Keith

Melissa said:

I'm trying to incorporate deadlifts into my routine, and I have a
technique question. Should my back "open" up at the same time as my
legs straighten or should I sequence the two parts,

Straighten legs and back at the same time or at least almost the
same time.

"Melissa" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm trying to incorporate deadlifts into my routine, and I have a
technique question. Should my back "open" up at the same time as my
legs straighten or should I sequence the two parts, keeping my back at
a constant angle to vertical while I straighten my legs and then open
my back? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? My tendency
seems to be to sequence the two parts, which I think is a fairly
ingrained movement pattern for me from rowing.

Thanks,
Melissa

An image which works for many of us is pushing the floor away with our
legs. If the weight is sufficiently heavy, you won't have much of a
choice and you'll start straightening both as your particular build's
mechanical advantages and disadvantages allow. While one must be
careful not to deadlift too much too soon, I have found that carefully
choosing the right weight teaches good form on many exercises. You
might try doing a few singles, working up to the point where it feels
"tough but doable" and video tape yourself to see how you actually
handle it.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

Thanks everyone for the advice. With lighter weights I can blend the
movement, but with heavier weight I seem to revert back to the
two-stage technique. Obviously, something to work on. I tried sumo DL
and it definately feels different - it seems to highlight some weakness
in my hips/glutes that I hadn't really noticed before. Plus I now have
lovely scrapes on my shins...Something else to work on.

Thanks again,
Melissa

Hobbes said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Melissa said:

I'm trying to incorporate deadlifts into my routine, and I have a
technique question. Should my back "open" up at the same time as my
legs straighten or should I sequence the two parts, keeping my back at
a constant angle to vertical while I straighten my legs and then open
my back? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? My tendency
seems to be to sequence the two parts, which I think is a fairly
ingrained movement pattern for me from rowing.

The problem with this pattern is that it tends to leave the
weight/lifter center of gravity very close to the edge of the base of
support - or even off it. So great stress is placed upon the lower back
to finish off the lift, which can lead to the back rounding and injury.
If moderate weights are used this isn't a huge issue. So if you are
training simply to look good and get hypertrophy in the right places it
probably isn't a problem, as long as you keep your back neutral or flat.

If you are training for strength or competition it can be a problem.
Ideally in a powerlifting deadlift, whether conventional or sumo style,
the bar and hips rise at the same rate and the bar stays in as tight to
the body as possible. Having said that, there have been some great
deadlifters who use a 'two-stage' technique - Vince Anello, John Kuc and
Lamar Gant all coming to mind immediately. In every case these lifters
have very short backs, which allows them to get away with this
technique. Most women have the opposite problem - relatively long torsos
as compared to limb length.

So two-stage technique is essentially doing a partial hack squat
followed by a stiff-legged deadlift. Fine for general purposes as long
as you are very careful to keep the lower back neutral or flat during th
elift. Not so good if the intent is to handle maximal or near maximal
weight.

You may want to switch to a sumo style lift, which can help change the
motor pattern developed by rowing.

This is a good suggestion. After some time away from Dl's, I found
myself tending to "row" a bit, resulting in a pretty tight lower back -
kind of scary actually. I reminded myself to keep the back straight
and blocked and get it upright in time with the motion of the legs and
that made a difference on the next workout.

- bc
- bc

"Melissa" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1130343207.229801.308960
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Thanks everyone for the advice. With lighter weights I can blend the
movement, but with heavier weight I seem to revert back to the
two-stage technique. Obviously, something to work on. I tried sumo DL
and it definately feels different - it seems to highlight some weakness
in my hips/glutes that I hadn't really noticed before. Plus I now have
lovely scrapes on my shins...Something else to work on.

I always like to think of a deadlift as an unfolding, like there's a string
attached to my forehead and someone is pulling me up. Try visualizing that
and it might help.

But as you put on weight, your form is naturally going to degrade. Where
and how it degrades helps determine what you need to work on to improve and
as you get stronger and more skilled, the point where your form starts
going to hell gets higher and higher.

I think.

Watson (the pencil neck) Davis