A Note On The Deadlift

[fortunatesun]

If you're not a powerlifter, but an athlete, then you'd be better served by pulling with lighter weights explosively from the floor - essentially, the first pull of a clean.

Yep, many powerlifters in fact do this: speed deadlifts at about 60% of your 1 rep max. Speed exercises will develop power and control.

Pulling from the floor is to say you can actually move that much weight. The technique you develop from speed drills makes full ROM safer.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Right, but I would still think there's little point to pulling all the way from the floor. That extra ROM doesn't seem to help much outside of a competition. Same for squats. Going all the way, to the point where you get a sacral tuck, is pointless. You won't be any more functional from it.

 

[coolcolj]

no, it would be like doing cleans from blocks

as long as you don't get carried away with loading, since you can use more weight from higher up

 

[fortunatesun]

Well, functional if you want to lift a heavy object that's located on the floor...

I get your meaning, though. Many bodybuilders(I should say old-school BBers because I'm not positive what they do lately) would pull from the bottom part of their shins as they felt there was little benefit in terms of hypertrophy from full ROM and they could squeeze out more reps this way.

From a personal standpoint, I like to deadlift. I think the taxation on the CNS and the full muscle recruitment of lifting directly from the floor makes it not just an exercise but a challange. I do it because it's there.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

no, it would be like doing cleans from blocks

as long as you don't get carried away with loading, since you can use more weight from higher up

Gotcha. Yeah, I figured the loading could get out of hand since you can lift more from a raised platform. So long as this stayed in check, I think it'd be safer. I'm very weary of lifting from the floor due to my back. I never wanna get another bulging disc again.

 

[samee]

Really I think Dr. McGill should stick to leg spin.

I guess I'm the only cricket fan on here

I do both regular deads and speed deadlifts. Speed deadlifts are good fun and worthwhile for explosiveness and power.

 

[nelmsjer]

Right, but I would still think there's little point to pulling all the way from the floor. That extra ROM doesn't seem to help much outside of a competition. Same for squats. Going all the way, to the point where you get a sacral tuck, is pointless. You won't be any more functional from it.

Sincere question: AI, do you really think the bolded is true? In terms of functionality, wouldn't athletes, lifters, lifers, etc. want greater strength through the longest range of motion possible?

I'll be the first to say that the frequency of an event demanding strength in the extreme ends of ROM will be more rare than in the sweet spots, but there will certainly still be functionality. Greater strength could make the difference between success or failure of the circumstance.

Not fighting...just thinking. Thoughts?

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I hear what you're saying entirely. At the same time, think of the bar just below the kneecaps, and the bar from the floor. It's still a very functional lift, and the little bit you're missing out on doesn't seem like it'd make much of a difference.

The ROM lost would be similar to doing a sumo-deadlift, I would think. For shorter guys, from the floor probably isn't a problem. I'm 6', and deadlifting off the floor definitely bothers my back. The part of the lift I'm looking for is the stuff that happens just a bit higher.

Also, just because you don't deadlift from the floor, doesn't mean you won't be able to do anything in that small ROM. You don't directly train every athletic movement, but you still perform in all of them and that performance increases as your lifts increase.

I dunno, maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm running in overdrive now. Too tired. Gonna go pass out. I'll feel more coherent in the AM...or PM...whichever.

 

[carlsuen]

ok.. guys.. could some one pls tell me what is ROM? i don't know what it is.. i've read the threads.. is ROM the amount of space traveled?

so from the discussion.. we don't necessarily have to dead the weight of the floor? and can actually do it from a higher platform?

 

[RipStone]

ok.. guys.. could some one pls tell me what is ROM? i don't know what it is.. i've read the threads.. is ROM the amount of space traveled?

so from the discussion.. we don't necessarily have to dead the weight of the floor? and can actually do it from a higher platform?

ROM= range of motion. Basiclly I think you got the idea right....the distance the loads travels. For example, if you do bench press, but fail to lower the bar all the way down to your chest, then your have less ROM vs. lowering the bar all the way down.

IMO one should lift from the floor when doing DLs, but they dont have to do it all the time. Its perfectly fine to cycle in speed deadlifts when the bar is eleveated, rack pulls with more load than your normal DL, etc All these movements are just gonna make your DL from the floor better in the long run.