Deadlifts

[iHulk]

need some advice on technique.
First off, I'm 6'1" and got long legs so when I drop my butt to get parallel, whether its in a sumo stance with a narrow grip or a wide grip/feet closer stance, I gotta bend pretty far down. My speed off the block is pretty good but I am jamming the bar into my shins and its bruising the shit outta me.

Today I rode my bike home bloody on both shins. I often wrap a towel around the shins but it shifts and what not. What do you guys use to not destroy your shins?

 

[silver_shadow]

talcum powder on your shins... although to be honest i dont have this problem. also are you sure you are pulling the bar straight up - you shouldn't normally scrape your shins pulling sumo style.

 

[iHulk]

well I was told to keep it tight to the body and I've checked my form with light weight and it seems to be vertical on the pull. As I increase the weight I always hit the same spot on the pull to get the heavy weight up. Maybe I should go get some soccer shin pads and look like a tool for 45 min... lol!

 

[silver_shadow]

i've heard (but not seen) of people using the soccer shin pads. while pulling conventional - pulling as close to the shins as possible is acceptable practise and bloody shins are common. this is to get the path of the weight as close to an imaginary line drawn from your own bodies center of gravity straight down to the ground (shortest path). while pulling sumo you are naturally bringing it closer anyway which negates the need to pull nearer your shins. in fact, from my own experience pulling nearer the shins sumo style makes me not pull the weight straight up. i'm better of with the bar a decent distance away and getting my hips down more as i start the lift - but at least the last bit would obviously vary depending on each individual's unique biomechanics.

 

[bigred133]

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/51-2006_AnalysisofDeadlift.pdf

 

[mikefear]

i just let my shins get bloody..

besides that, dont take your ass to parallel..you get more activation from your hamstrings if you DON'T go all the way down -- it sounds weird and like it wouldn't work, but it's true. Here's something you can do to prove that you'll recruit your hammy's better by not bringing your ass all the way down:

stand in a hallway or something and bend all the way down and jump as far as you can.. now do it again, but this time, only bend your legs about half as much.. you'll notice you jump further because your hamstrings were recruited better..

here's a couple videos of about how far down you should be going: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0KDnaHCOQ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wDzg1M81hs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1MgbRluFGQ&mode=related&search=

Hitting your shins is just part of the game some time.. if you're using your wait properly (like a see-saw), you're gonna end up pulling the weight back a little and it may hit your shins.. i just deal with it :-\

 

[iHulk]

thanks for da tips silver_shadow

 

[iHulk]

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/51-2006_AnalysisofDeadlift.pdf

nice link bro

 

[iHulk]

i just let my shins get bloody..

besides that, dont take your ass to parallel..you get more activation from your hamstrings if you DON'T go all the way down -- it sounds weird and like it wouldn't work, but it's true. Here's something you can do to prove that you'll recruit your hammy's better by not bringing your ass all the way down:

stand in a hallway or something and bend all the way down and jump as far as you can.. now do it again, but this time, only bend your legs about half as much.. you'll notice you jump further because your hamstrings were recruited better..

here's a couple videos of about how far down you should be going: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0KDnaHCOQ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wDzg1M81hs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1MgbRluFGQ&mode=related&search=

Hitting your shins is just part of the game some time.. if you're using your wait properly (like a see-saw), you're gonna end up pulling the weight back a little and it may hit your shins.. i just deal with it :-\

so its the nature of the beast sometimes... I'll check out the vids; thanks brotha Mike

 

[mikefear]

Yeah, it happens.. trust me, you'd rather have the bar too close and scrape up your shins than to have the bar too far away and give yourself a herniated disc..

 

[mm107]

mine are really bloody cut and up bruised....but thats how i know when my form is right now. If im not bleeding after a deadlift w/o i didnt keep my form...

 

[bigmodean]

I am 6'4",235lbs,long legs and arms,I have a method that seems to lessen the blow to my shins,bar taps off my quads on the way down,just enough to give me .25-.5 inch clearence over my knee caps and shins,sometimes I get shins on way up though,thats the best I can do with avoiding shredded shins.

 

[iHulk]

Yeah, it happens.. trust me, you'd rather have the bar too close and scrape up your shins than to have the bar too far away and give yourself a herniated disc..

tru dat! after yesterday's session, my hammies are killing me so I must of hit 'em good. Lower back is a bit stressed but actually feels like I worked the muscles there too, not pain as in herniated disc. Walkin' downstairs is a struggle today.. lol!

 

[iHulk]

I am 6'4",235lbs,long legs and arms,I have a method that seems to lessen the blow to my shins,bar taps off my quads on the way down,just enough to give me .25-.5 inch clearence over my knee caps and shins,sometimes I get shins on way up though,thats the best I can do with avoiding shredded shins.

Next session I'll give that technique a try Bigmodean

Thanks for the all the great tips bros.

 

[Powerbuilder333]

It sounds like your trying to squat the weight up. You shouldn't be lowering your butt any further down than the 1/4 squat position. Some scraping of the shins and knees is unavoidable, but damage (and friction) will be reduced with the use of baby powder.
Good luck.

 

[Neo22]

Soccer socks and baby powder = no bloody shins

 

[youngguns]

I lose leg hair and get some sore chins, but I don't think they need to bleed to know you have good form, that's a little insane if you ask me. I cant even fathom a smooth metal bar cutting your skin, how does this work?