Deadlift form

[Heracles]

A trainer at my gym says that you should start off doing the deadlift by keeping your thighs parallel to the floor. However, most of the people that I have seen doing it do it with their hips higher than their knees. After watching Olympic lifters at the start of their lifts (which is like a deadlift) with my wife (who also goes to the gym with me), she pointed out that sometimes I tend to round my back and that the OLers had a good arch using the parallel position. So I decided to try it.

The first week was rough, and I couldn't pull as much as I could with my hips higher, but... I didn't get any back pain and sometimes with the "high hip" position I would get back and hip pain from it. I could notice the night that I did the left when it would hurt to lay on my face. With the parallel position, I could really feel it in my glutes and not so much my back.

Two weeks later (I do them by the fortnight) I noticed that my strength came up, but I had a tiny bit more soreness in my back than I did the week before.

Now I notice that you have a sticky on the squat and bench press here, but not the deadlift...

So.... What do you think is the best start position for a conventional deaflift? Thighs high or parallel? Is the trainer full of shit? Does it depend on one's phenotype? I have long arms/legs and a short torso.

 

[herkul]

I think that everyone should be critic from itself for the best result.No matter which is the best position important is that you goody.Without injury.

 

[Becoming]

So.... What do you think is the best start position for a conventional deaflift? Thighs high or parallel? Is the trainer full of shit? Does it depend on one's phenotype? I have long arms/legs and a short torso.

I don't know for sure, but I DO notice that for a lot of the top DLers (800-900+lbs) when you watch their vids, it seems they have their asses up way too high and it is just short of a SLDL for the most part...

I think you want to sink your butt, but sinking it too far is also not a great idea...

I like keeping an arch in the back as well, but I have seen a few guys in the 700s that DL with a rounded back which only straightens out at the end... it looks painful doing it that way....

just my 2c

 

[Scotsman]

Oly lifters use a different form at the bottom in order to help generate pull speed. Power lifters typically start with hips a little lower. Although as the weights increas the ability to keep an arch in your back starts to slip away. Every 700+lb dler I have ever seen basically does a straight leg lift. They squat down only to grab the bar and then the legs straighten almost as soon as they beging the lift. If you start pullin round backed then your body will become stronger in that position. Also if you pull arched then your baody becomes stronger in that position. Problem arises because if you lift arched and go for a max you can only lift what your arch will support. If you lift bowed then getting the arch lockout is going to be difficult.

CHeers,
Scotsman

 

[Becoming]

Oly lifters use a different form at the bottom in order to help generate pull speed. Power lifters typically start with hips a little lower. Although as the weights increas the ability to keep an arch in your back starts to slip away. Every 700+lb dler I have ever seen basically does a straight leg lift. They squat down only to grab the bar and then the legs straighten almost as soon as they beging the lift. If you start pullin round backed then your body will become stronger in that position. Also if you pull arched then your baody becomes stronger in that position. Problem arises because if you lift arched and go for a max you can only lift what your arch will support. If you lift bowed then getting the arch lockout is going to be difficult.

solid info, scots has a talent with words...

 

[w8lifterchick]

I don't know for sure, but I DO notice that for a lot of the top DLers (800-900+lbs) when you watch their vids, it seems they have their asses up way too high and it is just short of a SLDL for the most part...

I think you want to sink your butt, but sinking it too far is also not a great idea...

I like keeping an arch in the back as well, but I have seen a few guys in the 700s that DL with a rounded back which only straightens out at the end... it looks painful doing it that way....

just my 2c

grab the bar- ass UP, then lower it and bring it all up at once- don't raise your ass to quickly.
here's some pics of me with pretty good form and an explanation... unfortunately, some of the pics got lost (i'll be replacing them soon):
http://www.weightliftingdiscussion.com/deads.html

 

[Heracles]

Oly lifters use a different form at the bottom in order to help generate pull speed. Power lifters typically start with hips a little lower. Although as the weights increas the ability to keep an arch in your back starts to slip away. Every 700+lb dler I have ever seen basically does a straight leg lift. They squat down only to grab the bar and then the legs straighten almost as soon as they beging the lift. If you start pullin round backed then your body will become stronger in that position. Also if you pull arched then your baody becomes stronger in that position. Problem arises because if you lift arched and go for a max you can only lift what your arch will support. If you lift bowed then getting the arch lockout is going to be difficult.

CHeers,
Scotsman

It is odd that you mention a straight leg deadlift. Seeing as though your legs are strong muscles, wouldn't it make more sense to put your legs into it more by starting off around parallel and driving with your legs?

As far as round backed... Isn't it a fact that this puts more stress on your lower back and increases your chance of injuries?

 

[w8lifterchick]

It is odd that you mention a straight leg deadlift. Seeing as though your legs are strong muscles, wouldn't it make more sense to put your legs into it more by starting off around parallel and driving with your legs?

As far as round backed... Isn't it a fact that this puts more stress on your lower back and increases your chance of injuries?

yes.
your back should stay neutral, meaning as close to the position its in when you are just standing.
thats why wearing a good, thick,wide belt is a good idea- you tend to stay straight.

 

[jimm]

grab the bar- ass UP, then lower it and bring it all up at once- don't raise your ass to quickly.
here's some pics of me with pretty good form and an explanation... unfortunately, some of the pics got lost (i'll be replacing them soon):
http://www.weightliftingdiscussion.com/deads.html

WOW, l that is a great form.

 

[Scotsman]

It is odd that you mention a straight leg deadlift. Seeing as though your legs are strong muscles, wouldn't it make more sense to put your legs into it more by starting off around parallel and driving with your legs?

As far as round backed... Isn't it a fact that this puts more stress on your lower back and increases your chance of injuries?

Here is where biomechanics rears its ugly head. Due to the bar travel path you can't just push straight up on conventional deads, with sumo then yes it is more of a squat with the bar in you hands. The natural motion of a deadlift is that your upperbody is going to track forward, unless you are stron enough to over balance yourself and keep your shoulders behind you hips the entire time. Here the problem will be you will have to pull directly into your shins in order to create proper body track. That being said you will have to pull the bar through your shins which will effectively end your powerlifting carreer(joke). Seriously though your body mechanics don't allow you to go straight up on a conventional pull. The heavier you lift the more forward you are going to come.

For the rounded back: Yes biomechanically speaking again it does weaken the supportive posturing of you body. As for increasins stress not really it just changes the angles of incidence. Now as w8tlifterchick said the ideal is the more neutral back position. Straight but not tightly arched nor slightly rounded. This will increase power during the pull and allow for an easier arch at the lockout.

Cheers,
Scotsman