deadlift form

[go Yankees]

I just started deadlifting once a week about three or four weeks ago, and I think I'm just getting my strength up in the deadlift compared to my other lifts (bench: 245 3x6, squat 275 3x6, then 315 1x8 when I got angry one day, dead: 245 3x6). My lower back gets very tight when I'm deadlifting, and someone at the gym suggested I turn my toes inward to take the stress off my lower back...and it worked. Is this safe? How does it work my muscles differently?

[BBAddict]

Deadlifting is supposed to put stress on your lower back--I guess I'm confused about what the problem is. Different toe positions are OK-I say whatever works for you, but I wouldn't expect anything to take the stress off your lower back.

[go Yankees]

After the first few deadlifting days, my lower back was so sore I couldn't lean forward and reach across a table. During workouts, my lower back would get tight, I guess a little beyond a "pump," so I was wondering if I was doing something wrong, using too much weight, or if I just was too weak in my lower back. Today I felt fine on deadlifts; I did 3 sets of wide (sumo style) with 275, and 2 sets narrow (feet about shoulder width) with the same weight and I didn't get the tight, crampy feeling, so I guess it was just weakness

[wheyman]

Originally Posted by go Yankees

After the first few deadlifting days, my lower back was so sore I couldn't lean forward and reach across a table. During workouts, my lower back would get tight, I guess a little beyond a "pump," so I was wondering if I was doing something wrong, using too much weight, or if I just was too weak in my lower back. Today I felt fine on deadlifts; I did 3 sets of wide (sumo style) with 275, and 2 sets narrow (feet about shoulder width) with the same weight and I didn't get the tight, crampy feeling, so I guess it was just weakness

Your lower back will get a workout regardless, but it shouldn't be that sore. You should be really sore in upper part of the back and traps if your doing it correctly. It sounds like you aren't bending you legs enough and you are using more lower back and hams. Don't curve your back, keep is straight with your chest out. When you raise bar keep your head up, chest out, back straight, use your legs as if you were performing a leg press. Everything should straighten out together. In other words you shouldn't lock your legs before you raise completely up; it should happen simultaneously.

When lowing the weight, keep it controlled. Don't rely on the "bounce" so much b/c when you get to the heavier weight you can hurt yourself.

Deadlift is all about form. Get your form down perfect before you try to stack the poundage.

WM

[muscle_n_blood]

You shouldn't have to think about foot position. Whatever comes naturally. Back flat as possible, keep your weight on your heels. The bar should break loose from the floor before your butt starts to come up..........

[Knoxville]

When I first started deadlifts, my back would get so tight I couldn't hardly bare to stand up between sets. I was sitting in some weird positions trying to relieve it. Tightness is okay, just don't go to where it HURTS. Being sore from deadlifts is good, pain is not good. I posted this summer on an awesome routine for a good deadlift workout. I went from 225 up to 530 RAW then herniated a disk in my lower back because I wasn't paying attention well enough. Go with whatever works for you man, narrow stance, sumo stance, toes straight, toes in, whatever as long as your form is good. I can tell you that you never see a super strong sumo stance lift. I topped out at about 500 sumo, went to narrow stance and started getting stonger. The narrow stance will use your hamstrings more. Hope this helps, do a search, I spent a good hour laying out some good points on deads.

Knox