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I tried deadlifting for the first time last night

SoreArms

SoreArms

New member
I've been wanting to deadlift for a while but have never seen it done in person so I was kind of waiting to one day see someone deadlift so I can watch and take notes. Well, after months of never seeing anyone deadlift at my gym I said fuck it and gave it a try. As if this was some sort of TV sitcom, some dude asked to work in with me after my first "mock" set, what a miracle! I told him that this was my first time trying it so he tried to give me pointers about my form. I just couldn't get it, I mean my lower back is sore as hell but I just couldn't get comfortable with my form. I couldn't keep my back straight and my knees slightly bent as I lowered the bar. Also, I kept hitting my nuts each time I brought the bar up, I'm sure this is due to my improper form but it was annoying since my tallywacker kept getting moved around and squished. I also made the mistake of doing the dl's first which really tired me and the rest of my back/bi routine was really lack luster, next time I will do all the smaleer exercises first and leave dl's for last. All in all though, I am glad I finally started and can't wait 'till I can move the weight up some.

Would it help if I did GM's for a bit to get lower back strength up and then do DL's, or should I just go for it? Right now I'm planning alternating gm's and dl's every other week, on leg day I will also alternate squats on non DL weeks. GM's and squats will be done on the same week, is this too much load on the lower back?

I post this here because I can't seem to get responses on the training board. I'm not sure if they don't like me over there or if people are intimidated by my post count and think that I'm some kind of weight training vet that expects complicated answers.

Any helpfull tips are welcome.
 
Deadlifts are one of the best overall exercises you can do. They prac ticalyl strengthen the entire body and train your CNS for heavy lifting in every lift.

Once you start deadlifitng properly, you squat will skyrocket.

Just make sure that as you deadlift consistently.. you rae training your abs properly. It takes A LOT of abdominal strength to properly deadlift heavily and prevent injury.

Ask sugarplum... she has a lot of references for powerlifting sites and can probably guide you in the rgith direction.
 
I love DL's. I started them about 9 months ago and do them every week. I always feel like I'm going to puke after them. I do them first now and have also done them last. (back bi ab)
I like doing them first because although it robs some of your strength for the other lifts, you can really go heavy when you're fresh. I dont use straps so I really need all the hand strength to be there or I'll drop the bar before my back is done.
Try it both ways and see how you like it. I also use an alternate grip, and switch which hand faces in and out with every set.
Happy DL'ing!
 
Good for you! :) I LOVE dead lifts. I am no expert but you said you can't seem to keep your back straight.... is it curving at the bottom? I try to keep my back at a slight arch thru out the entire deadlift. Not sure about hitting extremities... I don't have that problem :verygood: can't help you there.

Also I would work DL first still, but thats just me. :)

I also do GM's and they have helped me alot too. I am sure someone with a bit more knowledge on the overloading and such will chime in.. but i wanted to say goodluck DL's are the bomb ;)
 
Just a few things:

Were your shins/upper thighs raw or bleeding? If so, your form was probably pretty good.

Get a pair of tights/shorts to wear under regular gym shorts.
 
I tried to keep my back arched, my butt slightly stickign out, and my knees slightly bent (atleast, thats what the dude was telling me to do) but each time I brought the bar down, my back automatically straightened and my knees moved on me so my form was way off. I would fix my form each time as I brought the bar up, but then I would hit my nuts and my form would once again get all fucked up as I brought the bar down. I'm gonna have to stick with small weight until I can get it down right.
 
powerslave said:
Just a few things


Were your shins/upper thighs raw or bleeding? If so, your form was probably pretty good
Click to expand...

:) LOL.. that is so true. I now wear Long tube socks that go above my knees to save the shins.. ouch. Its pretty darn funny when I don't remember I have them and the chucks on and go shopping or eat afterwards... boy do I get strange stares :worried:

People will catch on soon to my keen sense of fashion :rainbow:
 
SoreArms said:
I tried to keep my back arched, my butt slightly stickign out, and my knees slightly bent (atleast, thats what the dude was telling me to do) but each time I brought the bar down, my back automatically straightened and my knees moved on me so my form was way off. I would fix my form each time as I brought the bar up, but then I would hit my nuts and my form would once again get all fucked up as I brought the bar down. I'm gonna have to stick with small weight until I can get it down right.
Click to expand...


Hows your stance? Sumo or Traditional?
 
AAP said:
what a waste of time
Click to expand...

Simmer down, tutu boy. He did not say he was trying to bodybuild as his ultimate goal - just deadlifting to try it out. Let him deadlift for a couple of months then you can show him the hyper contraction pull over cable hamstring curl.


SoreArms - search thru some of the threads on the WeightTraining board for deadlifting. Are you a powerlifter, bodybuilder, or athlete? Each has different aspects of the lift that require different stances, load, and rep schemes. Give us some idea of what weight you are at, goals, and carryover you expect from the excercise.
 
SoreArms said:
II brought the bar up, but then I would hit my nuts and my form would once again get all fucked up as I brought the bar down.
Click to expand...
Either your arms are short or mine are long, but at the top of a deadlift the bar is below my sack. You are keeping your arms straight at the top of the lift right?
 
friskygrl2004 said:
:) LOL.. that is so true. I now wear Long tube socks that go above my knees to save the shins.. ouch. Its pretty darn funny when I don't remember I have them and the chucks on and go shopping or eat afterwards... boy do I get strange stares :worried:

People will catch on soon to my keen sense of fashion :rainbow:
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I'm stylin on deadlift day. I have these neoprene elbow sleeves that I wear on my shins.
 
SoreArms, go peep my gallery. There are some DL pics from this past weekend. It was a bit different because we were pulling from 18" as opposed to the floor.
 
check your pm, slick.
 
Shoulders directly over the bar. Squat down so your thighs are parallel with the ground, push with your heels. Learn form with light weights first.
 
mekannik said:
SoreArms - search thru some of the threads on the WeightTraining board for deadlifting. Are you a powerlifter, bodybuilder, or athlete? Each has different aspects of the lift that require different stances, load, and rep schemes. Give us some idea of what weight you are at, goals, and carryover you expect from the excercise.
Click to expand...

I am a novice. I've been working out for about a year now, but have kept everything real basic (basic split, basic exercises, etc...) I am jsut now trying to "spice" it up a bit and get a little more advanced. I am just trying to build mass right now so that maybe someday I can be on the cover of old house wife novels (like Fabio :D). Seriously, I'm just trying to get into shape and build some mass. I'm not that strong to begin with, just to give you an idea my squat is only at 225. Last night I only used the bar and 35's for dl's, since I couldn't get comfortable with my form I kept the weight there and will leave it there until I figure it out. Since the bar was no where near my shins, but somehow all over nuts, I will assume that I had beyond horrible form.

stance was:
knees slgihtly bent, butt sticking out a bit, feet about shoulder width appart, arms straight, back slightly arched, over hand grip, hands shoulder width appart.
 
butt should be BACK, far. and your knees will be very bent at first. if not, you're doing a stiff leg deadlift and you're going to be using a lot of back.

your back should remain neutral. stand up comfortably and take note of how your back is. it should remain in that position through the whole movement.
the bar should remain close to your legs the whole time- even hitting them sometimes. your butt should start LOW and you should lead the lift with your head up, looking forward.
at no time should your butt come up faster than your head.
if your feet were further than shoulder width apart and your hands were straight down, thats sumo style. i dont' know your body type so i don't know if thats a better position for you or not.
 
Milo Hobgoblin said:
better work on that hip strength Sugarplum.. your going to need it for me.. :-)
Click to expand...

don't you worry about my hips. those hip adductor/abducor things aint got a thing on me.
:-)
 
I deadlift, but I dunno, I don't see these dramatic leaps in size and strength that people talk about... maybe my weight isn't enough? Last night I did two sets of 5-8 reps @ 265lbs..
 
SoreArms said:
How do you stretch your lower back pre dl's?

What are some good recovery stretching techniques?
Click to expand...

ALWAYS stretch! before and after.
try sitting on the floor and touching your toes (keeping legs straight). then spread your feet apart and stretch to each one.
If you're home (since nobody wants to do this in the gym), get on all fours and round your back, then arch it.
or try squatting down in front of a bench, hold the bench and pull while you round your back.
make sure you start your deadlifts light- get blood flowing first.
 
good to hear you started these.

don't worry about the difficulty you're having with the form. your form will improve as you do them more and start using heavier weights. the heavier weights will almost force you into the correct form. when i warm up with 135, my form is noticeable sloppier than when i'm doing my working sets due to not having enough resistance. kind of like when you warm up on db bench, the bells are so light that it's easy for them to go all over the place.

i advise against doing deads last. this is one of the big three compound movements and deserves the maximum allocation of energy. you wouldn't squat last in your leg workouts or hit incline/flat bench after flyes and cable crossovers, so don't do it with deads either. obviously this drains your energy for rows and pullups, so what i do is deadlift every other week. on the week i'm not deadlifting, i focus on heavy rows and weighted pullups. on the week i am deadlifting, i accept that i'm not going to be able to hit my back movements with the same energy, but that's ok because next week it'll get taken care of. in the meantime, deads are bringing you to new levels of yet uncharted hossness. expect your traps to explode.

like milo said, abdominal strength is a pretty big key. train abs if you aren't already doing so. i don't see GMs and squats being too much lower back work, provided you're not doing them on consequetive days. squats have never really taxed my lower back though so that might just be me. are you using a belt when you squat? if so, lose it. the only belt you should need is the combination of your abs and your erectors.
 
thanks broheim

I'm planning on alternating dl's and squats, mostly 'cause I've read that it's too taxing on the lower back to squat and dl on the same week. You think I should do dl's every week for now, to get my form good before I start alternating?
 
i squat every week, so it's unavoidable for me to not squat and deadlift in the same week twice a month. but my leg day is Tuesday and back day is Friday, so i have ample recovery time to avoid excessive CNS punishment.

i'd say do them now every week at the end of your back workout until you get comfortable enough with them that you can hit them with the fury. this will also give your lower back some time to build up. when you feel you're ready, move deads up to the first exercise and do them bi-monthly like i mentioned earlier.

the thing about deads is that, while i've seen maybe 10-20 people in my entire time lifting doing them, i can count one or two of them that actually hit them as hard as they need to be to produce results. the overwhelming majority of people doing them use minimal weight and basically look like the equivalent of the woman on the leg press with a dime plate on each side cranking out 10 reps. if you can eventually push yourself on them to the point where you're failing or very close to it, you'll see tremendous growth. watch needsize's video of him doing 500 for i think 10(do a search on this site for it. i'm sure it's still up). that's the effort i'm talking about.
 
SSME - WTF?! you, the man that carried a deadlift bar around in his backseat, only deadlifts once a week? i've suddenly misplaced any shred of respect i might've once had for you.


SoreArms - starting light is key. another thing is when you get down into position, right before you pull, pull your head back and try to look at the ceiling. then pull up off the floor. for some reason, when you are looking up like that, your back will tend to be straighter.

my form isn't perfect. the whole bar to shins thing i am still working on. i can always feel the bar rubbing leg hair on the way up, but it's not really dragging.

over the summer, somehow i managed to deadlift and squat on consecutive days. dunno how. i've put a stop to that recently, but as far as squats and deads in the same week, bring it on. guess it's up to what your body can handle.
 
crak let me know when you're sticking the olympic bar into a fire in between sets so the bar's glowing red by the time it's pull-time. and unless you're deadlifting while wearing 7-10ft stilts, i'm not trying to hear you.
 
i never really had a problem with the form as far as lifting goes... but i felt ackward as hell bringing the weight down and reseting for the next life
 
Have you tried doing SLDL? They`ll work your lower back as well as hamstrings on leg day.

I agree with SSME with the light weight issue. I really can`t use 135 it`s just TOO light and maybe psychologically getting nothing from it, so I use a higher weight to warm up to feel some blood flow to the area. The lifht qweights only cause my breathing to rise unneccessarily.

If you`re really concerned about being tired on Deadlift day, then do some smaller muscle group such as shoulders/deadlifts on that day. You can do shoulders first and you will still have a lot of strength and endurance to hit the DL`s.

I DL and Squat every week as well.

DL/Upper Back Mon.......... I do deadlifts at the end of the wo here.

Chest/Arms WED

Legs Friday

Shoulders /Arms Sat
 
what kind of rep schemes are you guys doing?

I started out doing the 5x5 but once I started getting heavy that just didn't make any sense.

Now I do around 5 sets, usually like:

10 reps, 8 reps, 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep

while going up in weight after each set obviously....

what about you foos?
 
SoreArms said:
I've been wanting to deadlift for a while but have never seen it done in person so I was kind of waiting to one day see someone deadlift so I can watch and take notes. Well, after months of never seeing anyone deadlift at my gym I said fuck it and gave it a try. As if this was some sort of TV sitcom, some dude asked to work in with me after my first "mock" set, what a miracle! I told him that this was my first time trying it so he tried to give me pointers about my form. I just couldn't get it, I mean my lower back is sore as hell but I just couldn't get comfortable with my form. I couldn't keep my back straight and my knees slightly bent as I lowered the bar. Also, I kept hitting my nuts each time I brought the bar up, I'm sure this is due to my improper form but it was annoying since my tallywacker kept getting moved around and squished. I also made the mistake of doing the dl's first which really tired me and the rest of my back/bi routine was really lack luster, next time I will do all the smaleer exercises first and leave dl's for last. All in all though, I am glad I finally started and can't wait 'till I can move the weight up some.

Would it help if I did GM's for a bit to get lower back strength up and then do DL's, or should I just go for it? Right now I'm planning alternating gm's and dl's every other week, on leg day I will also alternate squats on non DL weeks. GM's and squats will be done on the same week, is this too much load on the lower back?

I post this here because I can't seem to get responses on the training board. I'm not sure if they don't like me over there or if people are intimidated by my post count and think that I'm some kind of weight training vet that expects complicated answers.

Any helpfull tips are welcome.
Click to expand...

You not strong like me. :)
 
Tuesday i did 135x10 then 205x8, followed by 265 for 3 sets of 5.

i'll try to pull 265 for 3 sets of 6 next week. provided i'm successful, i'll move on up to 275.
 
Lestat said:
post up how much you guys are DLing.
Click to expand...

from the floor my PR is 530

pulled 555 from 18" this past weekend during a strongman comp
 
I also squat and pull every week. Last winter we started alternating heavy days in a given week. Wk 1 squat heavy, dl not so heavy. Wk2 squat not so heavy, pull heavy.
 
supersizeme said:
good to hear you started these.

don't worry about the difficulty you're having with the form. your form will improve as you do them more and start using heavier weights. the heavier weights will almost force you into the correct form. when i warm up with 135, my form is noticeable sloppier than when i'm doing my working sets due to not having enough resistance. kind of like when you warm up on db bench, the bells are so light that it's easy for them to go all over the place.

i advise against doing deads last. this is one of the big three compound movements and deserves the maximum allocation of energy. you wouldn't squat last in your leg workouts or hit incline/flat bench after flyes and cable crossovers, so don't do it with deads either. obviously this drains your energy for rows and pullups, so what i do is deadlift every other week. on the week i'm not deadlifting, i focus on heavy rows and weighted pullups. on the week i am deadlifting, i accept that i'm not going to be able to hit my back movements with the same energy, but that's ok because next week it'll get taken care of. in the meantime, deads are bringing you to new levels of yet uncharted hossness. expect your traps to explode.

like milo said, abdominal strength is a pretty big key. train abs if you aren't already doing so. i don't see GMs and squats being too much lower back work, provided you're not doing them on consequetive days. squats have never really taxed my lower back though so that might just be me. are you using a belt when you squat? if so, lose it. the only belt you should need is the combination of your abs and your erectors.
Click to expand...


This is the most you ever typed without being funny.

Wait... I scrolled down and you did it again. You never typed three paragraphs of funny on something, like... oh say.... fonz.
 
I can't wait to see how much pussy ya'll pull with busted up knees and scabbed over shins. Hell, I don't even date guys with those qualifications.
 
I don't understand why people hit their shins with the bar when they deadlift. I've never done that and my form is fantabulous.
 
AAP said:
I can't wait to see how much pussy ya'll pull with busted up knees and scabbed over shins. Hell, I don't even date guys with those qualifications.
Click to expand...

their knees have to be perfectly healthy because they're goign to spend a lot of time on them, right AAP?
 
wootoom said:
i did 405 once but i lost my grip.
Click to expand...

ouch! Normaly, I rep 175 5x5... to the OP- if your a newbie to deads- use a BELT! once you get more used to the feel of the lift, you wont need it (except on 1RM), but alot of newbies majorly f- up their backs at first and then stop deadlifting forever.

have fun.
 
MsBeverlyHills said:
ouch! Normaly, I rep 175 5x5... to the OP- if your a newbie to deads- use a BELT! once you get more used to the feel of the lift, you wont need it (except on 1RM), but alot of newbies majorly f- up their backs at first and then stop deadlifting forever.

have fun.
Click to expand...

i started deadlifting with no belt @ 105lbs. that was light enough to avoid injury. my lower back hadn't experienced deads before though, so i was sore.

few months later i PR'ed raw with 295x3 and 305x1. i havn't had a desire to use straps either, except my grip isn't as good as i'd like it to be. for now, if i can't hold it on my own, i wasn't meant to hold it in the first place.
 
strangebrew said:
I don't understand why people hit their shins with the bar when they deadlift. I've never done that and my form is fantabulous.
Click to expand...
Does anyone else hit their nuts, besides me?
 
Anybody else NOT like to use the underhand/overhand grip.

Feels wrong when I do it that way.
 
SoreArms said:
... Last night I only used the bar and 35's for dl's....

stance was:
knees slgihtly bent, butt sticking out a bit, feet about shoulder width appart, arms straight, back slightly arched, over hand grip, hands shoulder width appart.
Click to expand...


First off - how tall are you? This will help in deciding whether to try sumo or conventional stance deadlifts.

As for form - take what sugarplum said and apply.

If at all possible, try to start with the 45's on the bar as this is the "minimum" height you will have to work from. If you can not handle this load for your first set, then use blocks to raise the bar up to the height it would be at with 45's on it.

Then just pull. Keep pulling. And then pull some more.
 
crak600 said:
.....
SoreArms - starting light is key. another thing is when you get down into position, right before you pull, pull your head back and try to look at the ceiling. then pull up off the floor. for some reason, when you are looking up like that, your back will tend to be straighter...
Click to expand...


Not great advice. Straining your neck back like that puts alot of extra stress on the vertabrae. Ideally your neck should be in a neutral position "in line" with the spine. With heavier weights you will get some rounding of the back, but the whole point is to keep rounding (as an active motion) of the back to a minimum during the lift. Your goal is try and keep the same flat back/convex back/concave back at the end of the lift that you had when you started.

And unless you are maxing out with doubles or singles - skip using a belt. False sense of security, lack of core muscle development, and various internal problems can result. Learn to use your abs and lungs - you will be fine.
 
mekannik said:
Not great advice. Straining your neck back like that puts alot of extra stress on the vertabrae. Ideally your neck should be in a neutral position "in line" with the spine. With heavier weights you will get some rounding of the back, but the whole point is to keep rounding (as an active motion) of the back to a minimum during the lift. Your goal is try and keep the same flat back/convex back/concave back at the end of the lift that you had when you started.

And unless you are maxing out with doubles or singles - skip using a belt. False sense of security, lack of core muscle development, and various internal problems can result. Learn to use your abs and lungs - you will be fine.
Click to expand...

i agree with you about where to look. don't look up- just straight ahead. As far as a belt, i think it should be worn for two reasons and i do have some pretty big deadlifters for back me up on this (world record holders, hall of famers, guys like that): wearing a belt helps keep your back straight. its hard to round or arch your back when a good 4" of it are being held tightly in place, and it also keeps your muscles warm.
As in the squat, when you should be pushing against the belt with your abs, a belt will help keep your deadlift form tight.
 
TC2 said:
Anybody else NOT like to use the underhand/overhand grip.

Feels wrong when I do it that way.
Click to expand...


Get used to it, you can hold a lot more weight that way. Unless of course you've mastered that little hook grip.
 
Sugarplum said:
.... As far as a belt, i think it should be worn for two reasons and i do have some pretty big deadlifters for back me up on this (world record holders, hall of famers, guys like that): wearing a belt helps keep your back straight. its hard to round or arch your back when a good 4" of it are being held tightly in place, and it also keeps your muscles warm.
As in the squat, when you should be pushing against the belt with your abs, a belt will help keep your deadlift form tight.
Click to expand...


I will go middle ground with you on this. A belt is a good tool if worn loosely to press out against with your abs (and hence teaching you how to activate them). However it is when lifters cinch it on so tight they can't bend at all and then try to pick a 45# plate up without a belt on that all hell breaks loose.

Also to consider is the overwhelming amount of olympic lifters who do not use a belt. Understandably the poundages and movements vary - but the principle is still the same: build a better core, enhance during certain times (i.e. max singles) with support gear.


By no means am I saying that wearing a belt is the only way to go - but my max (raw) is 550 @ 235.
 
mekannik said:
I will go middle ground with you on this. A belt is a good tool if worn loosely to press out against with your abs (and hence teaching you how to activate them). However it is when lifters cinch it on so tight they can't bend at all and then try to pick a 45# plate up without a belt on that all hell breaks loose.

Also to consider is the overwhelming amount of olympic lifters who do not use a belt. Understandably the poundages and movements vary - but the principle is still the same: build a better core, enhance during certain times (i.e. max singles) with support gear.


By no means am I saying that wearing a belt is the only way to go - but my max (raw) is 550 @ 235.
Click to expand...

ok, fair enough.
i don't know olympic lifting at all.
i wish i could show you a pic of my belt- it was custom made for me- pink suade, double prong, with my name embroidered on it. :)
wait, i'll pm you a link.
 
Sugarplum said:
ok, fair enough.
i don't know olympic lifting at all.
i wish i could show you a pic of my belt- it was custom made for me- pink suade, double prong, with my name embroidered on it. :)
wait, i'll pm you a link.
Click to expand...

"pink suade, double prong"... where can i get one???
 
In college I did 405 lbs at a 190 lb bodyweight but I wrenched something and haven't gone heavy since.
 
strangebrew said:
As far as I know the top deadlifters all lift with a rounded back...allows them to lift more weight.
Click to expand...

LOL. no.
their backs may round cause they are pulling over 800lbs but its not ideal.
 
Sugarplum said:
LOL. no.
their backs may round cause they are pulling over 800lbs but its not ideal.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't think it was either. Ive heard of Arched back or Rounded Back GM's but never DL's.
 
tuc biscuit said:
I picked up a bag of shopping in each hand once.
Click to expand...

:confused:
 
I'm SDLs at 295 in a 5x5 at the moment. And I do deadlifts with 4 plates a side for up to 6 reps, but my grip sucks so I'm using straps at present.
 
strongsmartsexy said:
I'm SDLs at 295 in a 5x5 at the moment. And I do deadlifts with 4 plates a side for up to 6 reps, but my grip sucks so I'm using straps at present.
Click to expand...

get some grips and do some farmers walks holding a 45lb plate with your fingertips.
 
Sugarplum said:
get some grips and do some farmers walks holding a 45lb plate with your fingertips.
Click to expand...
I can do the 45lbs thing just fine. I think I need to get some KOC grips and do some more forearm work. My legs are very strong so I can drive more weight, but the losing grip thing is a pain.
 
strongsmartsexy said:
I can do the 45lbs thing just fine. I think I need to get some KOC grips and do some more forearm work. My legs are very strong so I can drive more weight, but the losing grip thing is a pain.
Click to expand...

keep working the 45s.
do you use chalk? that'll help if you're slipping.
 
Sugarplum said:
keep working the 45s.
do you use chalk? that'll help if you're slipping.
Click to expand...

Ding! Chalk is your friend.
 
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