scraping bar on knees during deadlifts?

[blut wump]

There goes my Sumo theory. I like the idea that the hands make a difference and I'll watch out for it in future. I tend to use a double-overhand grip until I get to a point where it starts to fail when I'll switch to a mixed grip.

 

[H_T_]

try talc. it sucks but you'll lift much more by keeping the bar close to you.

 

[skookum]

Deads are KING! There is no better way to add on some serious mass & thickness than the good 'ol powerlifting movements. Re: your shins that look & feel like they've been wrestling with a cheese grater - kudos to you, apparently your sticking with proper form. Baby powder down the shins works pretty good or go to wearing thick, high socks on dead days.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

i just started doing DL a few months ago. for now im doing them off the bottom setting on the power rack untill i get stronger at it. ive made good progress so far but whenever i come down i scrape the bar across my knees, pretty abrasively. im really tall and have long arms, is that making it worse, or is it something i just have to learn to deal with?

if you are new to deads do them off the floor..the rack is not the same groove..the fact that you are hitting your "knees" tells me your form is off..most likely youre not pulling up and back and that the weight is getting out in front of you..scarping your shins is one thing but you shouldnt be hitting the knees as that will stop your momentum and force you to pull around them..

ligten the weight and work from the floor until your form is better and then add the weight

 

[blut wump]

I'm not sure but I think he's saying he scrapes his knees on the way back down which means he's bending too soon at the knees on lowering the weight. The best solution, as you say, is to reduce the weight and sort out the whole movement.

 

[KIAN]

This is going to sound like a very 'smart-ass' answer but if you are hitting your shins (or in your case your knees) then chances are you are standing too close to the bar on the initial lift. Move back just a couple of inches. Grasp the bar with a reversed grip, arms outside the stance of your legs, arms as straight as possible, knees bent slightly, back straight, head up, and butt sticking out. Don't allow your back to round or your shoulders to drift inwards during the movement. If necessary use an unweighted bar infront of the gym mirrors so you can watch your form and make corrections.

 

[Carl Carlson]

I've heard the recommendation of putting the neck pad on the bar when doing deads... I've never tried it because my shins might get a little bruised, but they've never bled or anything like that.

 

[camshaft]

wow great responses guys. i hit my knees on the way down, not on the way up. i guess i can drop the weight and just make adjustments to my form. i keep my back VERY straight and my ass stuck out like some kind of queer. i make very sure to not round my back, when i first started i made that mistake and i thought i had a fucking pulled disk or something for about a week after. i am currently doing 185 off the rack 8 times. i guess i can drop down to 135 off the floor and build back up. btw when i started DL 2 months ago i couldnt even do 135 in the rack, so i have made very solid gains. i was just afraid that when i start getting heavier that my knees would start taking some serious abuse.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

This is going to sound like a very 'smart-ass' answer but if you are hitting your shins (or in your case your knees) then chances are you are standing too close to the bar on the initial lift. Move back just a couple of inches. Grasp the bar with a reversed grip, arms outside the stance of your legs, arms as straight as possible, knees bent slightly, back straight, head up, and butt sticking out. Don't allow your back to round or your shoulders to drift inwards during the movement. If necessary use an unweighted bar infront of the gym mirrors so you can watch your form and make corrections.

apparently youve never seen garry frank or andy bolton pull?? shins bloodied as hell..im not saying you have to scrape your shins but theres nothing wrong if you do!

putting the pad on te bar for deads would teach you how to let the bar drift in front of you (very bad technique) those are the problems i try to fix not create..

 

[Mr_MAX]

if you are not hitting them on the way up.... then there should be a way to fix it..
i think most forget about form on the way down... and are just thinking about lowering the weight..... i would be hard to really know the answer with out seeing the person do the movement.. my guess would be to focus on back straight butt out..
and i would say you are useing more back..for the lifting part of the movment..not hitting legs... and on the way down.. you are using less lower back.... and more legs... as that you back is tired so you are standing up more straight... with the butt slightly to far in..... do you have problems with bent over rows..??
maybe you should play with that movment ... play around with bent rows..... or just try all different angles of the lift....

but if your form is good... and it is just some kind of anatomical problem.. some peoples torso is longer or shorter... arms ... legs.. everyone is different...
....then i would get a trap bar... there is no reason to fuck up your shins..
unless you goal is to compete..using the straight bar... there are better bars...
Trap bar-----> http://sfuk.tripod.com/reviews/trapbar_review.html