Deadlift from box: Lower the weight?

MamaMa · 10-18-2008, 06:29 PM

I am going to be starting Stage 2 in a couple weeks and looking ahead I was puzzled by Deadlift from Box in Workout B. I just got the regular deadlift form down and a key was to start with the bar at the height it would be if it had the Oly plates on it (I rack it on the squat cage to the right height). Now I read the directions for the Deadlift from Box and it basically says to do the deadlift from a decidedly LOWER position and I fear my back will curve unsafely if I have the bar so low. Can anyone enlighten me on this? The only thing I can think to make this safe is go down in weight a lot from the regular deadlift so that I can maybe hold proper form? What have others done when going on the Box--do you lower your weight? Are you able to keep proper form? What is the point of doing a deadlift this way anyway?

missjane · 10-18-2008, 07:30 PM

If you aren't using the 45 lb plates for your DL, then, you can get the added range of motion from this movement by simply lifting from the floor. The idea of the box is to give that extra ROM, but you already have the bar raised, so just do it from the floor. If you get up to using the 45 lb plates, then you will need to raise yourself to keep that extra ROM.

msmogreen · 10-18-2008, 09:33 PM

Even if you get up to 135 lbs. (2 45 lb. plates) you can use 35 + 10 lb. plates each side to keep the bar lower. Or use 25's and 2 10's. I am doing this workout tomorrow and I've decided to do just that. When I did this workout before I remember finding standing on the box so awkward and unstable. I felt like I was going to tip forward off the box. I may drop the weight a little--I was last doing DL's at 135 lbs., but I have found I can't do quite as much weight with the greater ROM. If you are relatively new to DL's you probably will want to start with lighter weight to get a feel for the greater ROM.

perrogrande007 · 10-19-2008, 12:34 AM

Okay, look, this book is not the Bible. It has great templates in it and great information, but, like all books, it is open to interpretation and modification.

You have finally learned to pull from the floor, keep pulling from the floor despite the book telling you to put off of a box. Get good at the deadlift, then you can modify it.

You have to realize that when a book is written it has to conform to a certain type of print, size, content, etc. An author cannot hope to put EVERYTHING on paper, so it's up to the reader to absorb the information and to modify it as needed.

MamaMa · 10-19-2008, 06:05 PM

Thanks for the input. Logically, it did appear to me the deadlift could simply be done off the floor with shorter weights to get the increased ROM, but, being new to weight lifting, I just wanted to check with the "experts" to make sure I was not missing something. It really helps to be able to check in here when, as the last poster pointed out, the text really is not able to include all the details.

msmogreen · 10-19-2008, 06:10 PM

Yeah and I tend to agree with perrogrande. If you really are very new to deadlifts, you might just want to stick with what you've been doing. Safety first, of course. I did these today just as I mentioned and it worked well. I just really prefer the regular grip vs. the wide grip.

perrogrande007 · 10-19-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msmogreen

Yeah and I tend to agree with perrogrande. If you really are very new to deadlifts, you might just want to stick with what you've been doing. Safety first, of course. I did these today just as I mentioned and it worked well. I just really prefer the regular grip vs. the wide grip.

Very good post.

The take home message is that if you are a new lifter, it's better to get REALLY good at the basics and really milk those for all they are worth, THEN start making it fancy. I have lifted my entire life and it was mostly the basics until a few years ago. I now perform most of my DL training on a platform, but I have a 600lbs dead. I did not get fancy until I got to a point that I needed fanciness to get further.

Never make an exercise more complex than it has to be to get the job done. It's better for you to create a strong body first. So make sure to sub exercises in even if the book tells you to switch something.

The great thing about training books is that you get a great value for the money, however, it still comes with a price. If you were to sit with the author you would get a totally different picture of things b/c he/she could go into more detail, way more detail than a book provides.