When DEADLIFTING, do you squat down....

[Lililston]

When doing deadlifts from floor, do you squat down to parallel or less than parallel?

 

[wnt2bBeast]

im not quite sure what the "correct" form is but ive tried to emulate ronnie coleman and johnnie jackson's style..They've explained that by squatting and using only ur legs in the initial lift can be dangerous since your lower back is not in the lift at this time..then as you go to lock out ur asking your lower back to take the brunt of the weight which can be xtremely stressful..I try to get all muscles involved from the get go by squatting a bit but my lower back is involved from the minute i start pulling..hope this helps..im sure others like walkingbeast, scotsman, needsize would have a better answer for you!

 

[needsize]

heres a video that might help, it old but you get the idea

deadlift video(500 x 9)

 

[Cuthbert]

The position is going to be different for everybody. Individual leverages, preferences etc. will help define a good starting position.

http://www.t-mag.com/articles/194dead2.html offers some great advice on deadlift form. Read it a few times.

 

[Lililston]

needsize, the link you put up there is not working..

 

[super_rice]

open the url with windows media, try it that way

 

[theoak01]

I squat down probably as deep as squats,but I have pretty short arms so it is more comfortable

 

[JohnnyCoho]

Great Link Cuthbert!! I woulda suggested the same,..its a great article by Dave Tate that has helped my Deads a ton!!

Also in one of the Sticky's a link to some good vids to watch on form & dif lifts & assists would be; http://www.joeskopec.com/assist.html

 

[jackangel]

good link, cuthbert. my response to this thread would have been based on a part of that article. here's the relevant piece:

"Mistake #10: Starting with the hips too low

[...]

All I want you to do is look at your hip position at the start of the lift when you pull and watch how much your hips move up before the weight begins to break the floor. This is wasted movement and does nothing except wear you out before the pull. The closer you can keep your hips to the bar when you pull, the better the leverages are going to be.

Once again, next time you see a great deadlifter, stand off to the side and watch how close his or her hips stay to the bar throughout the pull. If you're putting your ass to the floor before you pull, your hips are about a mile from the bar. You're setting yourself up for disaster when the lever arm is this long. This is also the second reason why lifters can't get the bar off the floor. (The first reason is very simple: The bar is too heavy!)

You need to find the perfect spot where your hips are close to the bar, your shoulders are behind the bar, your lower back is arched, your upper back rounded, your belly full of air, and you can pull toward your body. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy, but then again, what is? (Definitely not training in a commercial health club….)"

my first reaction to the OP was that, if you are starting out with your quads parallel (or below) to the ground, you are certainly too far down. that may not be true, given different body types, etc...but it's still quite possible. i like to start the lift with tension in my hammies to get the weight off the ground, and i couldn't do that if i were squatting down deep. my upper legs are close to 45 degrees at the start, with at least a bit of arch in my lower back.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

I squat down probably as deep as squats,but I have pretty short arms so it is more comfortable

might want to check you form or have someone watch you do them..jackangel's post highlights that mistake..