If my lower back is sore from yesterday's workout, I am assuming that means I did my deadlifts incorrectly.
Last night my lower back was very sore, not as bad today. But, what exactly did I do wrong if this part of my body hurts? I only used 25# for warmup (8 reps) and 35# for the two sets, so it definitely wasn't a problem with the weight being too much.
This is not my first time at deadlifts and normally I feel it in my hamstrings so I dunno what I did wrong this time? Any thoughts?
One additional question - is it ok to use the pre-weighted barbells for these or should I be using the Olympic bar from the squat rack?
Deadlifts do work your lower back muscles pretty hard. As long as it's a muscle-type soreness and not a "I think I threw my back out" soreness, I wouldn't worry.
And if you still want to read more, here's a good discussion from last year about deadlifts: DL Hell
__________________ Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
Deadlifts do work your lower back muscles pretty hard. As long as it's a muscle-type soreness and not a "I think I threw my back out" soreness, I wouldn't worry.
Your low back should be working as a stabilizer during a deadlift, keeping your lumbar spine stationary. The soreness there, if you have any at all, should be minimal. If I had a client who did 2x15 with only 35 pounds and reported soreness in her low back, I'd suspect incorrect technique. There was probably spinal flexion, especially near the end of a high rep set as fatigue begins to set in. The spine should not flex or extend, but be set in place at the beginning of the rep and held constant throughout the set. The hip joints and knee joints should be the source of movement. Loads should primarily be felt in the glutes and hamstrings, secondarily in the mid and upper back.
__________________ Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
Lisa, do you have any good links on DB deadlifts? I've watched several vids and I'm not able to pinpoint the exact correct form on these. Or, is it pretty much the same as with a barbell?
__________________ -Tracy (forumite formerly known as 'Victoria')
On Krista mistressing the chin-up, "It's amazing", said one gym source, "considering that for months she just hung there like a dead fish."
Victoria, I really like DB deads, well RDLs. The biggest problem I find is that it's really tough to hold big enough DBs. I don't currently have a good DB conventional dead video or picture. Craig Ballantyne's DB RDL is beautiful.
If you've been looking at videos, post up the ones you think are good. I'd be happy to give you my opinion of them.
__________________ Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
Lisa, what are your thoughts on high rep DL sets? To me a DL (bar coming off the floor) seems to be more a strength/power exercise than a high rep one. It's a very taxing exercise on the system and, like you indicated, could lead to form breakdown and injury in a high rep situation.
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OG, lol, oman, you would. I think you already know that I'm not a fan of high rep deads. Alwyn has put them in both NROL and now NR4W and who am I to disagree with Alwyn? I am actually going through these workouts myself to have a true opinion of them. I did the 2x15 deads. Actually, lol, I hate 15 reps of just about anything. (Of course that's just me being my cardio-hatin' self. Anything over 10 just feels like cardio to me!) The step-ups felt pretty good though.
OK, the issue is form breakdown. There just must be a very conscious effort to maintain form near the end of the set. Having a trainer or knowledgeable friend watch is a good idea. They can cue you if you start to get sloppy. So if someone does decide to do deads for higher reps, then it's really a different feel from low rep deads.
The NR4W program does work its way to lower reps for deads as the stages progress.
__________________ Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
I really didn't know how you felt about it. I know Alwyn has them in there, and I'm not questioning the rational as I have no base with which I can do that from. I've done the 15 rep sets and it always seemed that I had to slow down, take more time between reps because of the fatigue. And a 15 rep set is using somewhere around a 20 rep weight so it's uber light.
A good heavy triple in a DL can seem like cardio sometimes.
__________________
"Two out of work models and a fashion slave tried to dance away the Michelob night"
A good heavy triple in a DL can seem like cardio sometimes.
HA! That's the fun stuff, working with 3-5 reps. It makes your heart race, but it's really different from the feeling I get from high reps, you know what I mean? High reps make me want to puke. Low reps are exhilarating.
BUT, because I hate them I probably need more of that rep range in my programming, huh? HA! When I write programs I tend to use RDLs for the higher rep ranges and conventional deads for the lower rep ranges.
__________________ Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
Oh...you dirty bat rastards! I had my response all set...and puff...
Here goes again...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa~
Victoria, I really like DB deads, well RDLs. The biggest problem I find is that it's really tough to hold big enough DBs. I don't currently have a good DB conventional dead video or picture. Craig Ballantyne's DB RDL is beautiful.
Lisa, can you expand on that? Why do you like DB DLs? I like them because I am reluctant to use a barbell with my back. So, DBs are the next best thing, I guess. But, I'd like to hear your reason(s). And, yes, CB is da man!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa~
If you've been looking at videos, post up the ones you think are good. I'd be happy to give you my opinion of them.
Part of the problem is, there doesn't seem to be many videos at all..good or otherwise. But, I did find a couple...
HA! That's the fun stuff, working with 3-5 reps. It makes your heart race, but it's really different from the feeling I get from high reps, you know what I mean? High reps make me want to puke. Low reps are exhilarating.
I agree. High reps make me want to stop but low reps make me want to do more. The deadlift is my favorite exercise.
__________________
"Two out of work models and a fashion slave tried to dance away the Michelob night"
I like 'em just cause I thought they were fun. I don't think they're superior to barbell deadlifts in any way. Are they better for your back? Hum. I don't know. I doubt it. You probably just don't use as much weight. Sumos might be better for your back.
OK, video #1. First of all, she's doing a DB RDL (very little knee bending) and she putting the DBs out in front of her way too far. Look at Craig's DBs in the bottom position. They are right against his legs. Sometimes when I do them the DBs even move slightly around to the sides of my legs, especially if they're heavy. That's what makes DB RDLs feel good. It's easier to keep your center of gravity back, rather like using a trap bar for deadlifts (remember Tony G's avatar picture of him doing a trap bar deadlift?). It can be more like a neutral grip rather than a pronated grip.
Video #2 is a DB squat. I don't care what he labeled it. He's doing a squat, not a deadlift. Can you see that?
You won't find many conventional DB deadlift videos because nobody does a conventional DB dead. You just can't get heavy enough with the DBs. Grip and controlling the DBs gives out before your legs do. When I've done them, it's been DB RDLs and for moderate reps.
__________________ Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
Video #2 is a DB squat. I don't care what he labeled it. He's doing a squat, not a deadlift. Can you see that?
Hrmm.. Maybe thats why I couldn't finish my sets last with much weight. Thats how I was doing my deadlifts. I haven't got my book here but I was of the impression that the picture shows her in a low squat position to start.
Video #2 is a DB squat. I don't care what he labeled it. He's doing a squat, not a deadlift. Can you see that?
.
same site - but DB squat demo - looks the same except its filmed from the other side Dumbbell Squats
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"You see yourself every day. Nothing changes. Change comes in an explosion of awareness. You wake up one day and it dawns on you that it's not a sleep line but a wrinkle." - Deserve (aka Gabe)
Deadlifts - form?
Any thoughts?
