Mastering the Deadlift

[MindPower]

No doubt everyone will be interested in this article
form Eric over at T-Nation, and its only Part 1

Mastering the Deadlift: Part I
by Eric Cressey

Tech note: This article contains videos delivered in Flash. You will need the latest version of the Flash Player (at least version 7) to view them. If you cannot see the videos, please CLICK HERE to download and install the latest player now. It is free, quick, and easy.

Everyone knows how valuable the deadlift can be, but not everyone does it regularly. Yeah, a few people are just plain lazy, but many are simply afraid. They've never been taught to do it safely and are concerned that they'll get hurt if they push the weights without assurance that their form is on-point.
With that in mind, this series was born. Here I'll give you a full-on analysis of a good deadlift, examples of every single deadlift debacle you'll see in the gym, and provide you with plenty of deadlift variations you can incorporate into your training for longstanding success with this fantastic movement.
First, though, we need to cover eight prerequisite issues to set the stage.

Issue #1: Competition Deadlifts
Don't use videos of deadlifts from powerlifting competitions as a standard for teaching exercises. For those who haven't done a powerlifting meet, let's just say that you generally aren't feeling like a million bucks when pulling time comes around.

A meet might start at 9AM, at which time you need to hit three heavy squat attempts after an extensive warm-up. A few hours later, you hit three heavy bench attempts, after which your back is so damn tight from arching that you'd think you'd just left a yoga class. (Fortunately, you're surrounded by strong and predominantly fat guys to convince you otherwise.)
You knock back some caffeine, warm up, chalk up, snort a little ammonia, and then go out and dip, grip, and rip. The less you think, the better. So, logically, you aren't going to see the most picture-perfect form. It's like analyzing running mechanics on the marathoner who has heat stroke and is trying to crawl across the finish line.

Issue #2: Categorizing Deadlift Candidates
When I put deadlifts and their variations into programs, I can easily stratify clients and athletes into one of three categories:
Category 1: Weekend warriors who deadlift to improve functional capacity and correct or prevent imbalances.
Category 2: Athletes who deadlift to improve performance and bulletproof themselves against injury.
Category 3: Powerlifters who deadlift to get better at deadlifting.

Weekend warriors need not apply.

Logically, I'm willing to take more chances in category #3 than I am in #2, and certainly #1. Weekend warriors don't get aggressive loading parameters (singles over 90%). And while athletes might get to pull heavy singles, they only get to do so in a controlled environment (elevated trap bar deadlifts, pulls against chains).
A veteran athlete would blur the line between #1 and #2, and a more resilient up-and-coming athlete would be more of a "true" #2.

Issue #3: The Perfect Deadlift?
There's no one perfect way to deadlift. Sure, there are certain things — lumbar flexion and hyperextension, and flexed-elbow lifting, for instance — that you never want to see on a pull, but that's not to say that there aren't going to be individual biomechanical differences among lifters. Specifically, I'm referring to torso and limb lengths.
Those with longer torsos and shorter legs will tend to pull with the hips slightly lower — basically a bit more of a squat:

Those with longer limbs and shorter torsos will pull with the hips slightly higher:

The important thing is that the spine is neutral in both situations and the elbows are taut.
Injury histories and functional limitations also warrant consideration here. An athlete with very poor ankle mobility (mainly a lack of dorsiflexion ROM or range of motion) will generally try to pull with the hips higher or compensate by externally rotating his feet significantly. Those with a history of anterior knee pain will also gravitate toward the hips-higher set-up because it takes some of the stress off the knee.
I'm not saying that either of these adjustments are correct; I'm just pointing out that previous history of injury and functional limitations can alter someone's "natural" style. You need to address the issue before you can truly determine whether you're better off with the hips higher or lower.

Issue #4: Sumo vs. Conventional
I'm often asked by people whether I think they'd be smarter to switch to sumo-style pulling (or give it up). My personal philosophy is that you should be able to do both safely if you're adequately prepared, although there will often be a substantial difference between your strength on the two. As an example, I might be good for 650 conventional, but only 600 sumo.

The Sumo Deadlift

From a strength versus muscular development standpoint, sumo pulling decreases range of motion, so you theoretically have the potential to move more weight. However, less range of motion isn't necessarily ideal from a hypertrophy standpoint. Still, you're going to get better overall lower body development from doing both.
From an injury prevention standpoint, sumo pulling can really beat up your hips if you aren't careful with how you program. Some people simply aren't ready for wide-stance anything. It's not uncommon to see anterior joint capsule irritation and even strained adductors.
A pair of squat briefs can alleviate some of these problems, but it's really just a band-aid on an open wound. If you're going to squat or deadlift wide, you really need to prioritize hip mobility.
Lastly, and most significantly, sumo pulling tends to be the deadlift of choice for me when working with someone with longer femurs. With conventional pulling, they tend to struggle with "clearing" the knees on both the concentric and eccentric phases simply because the femur is so damn long.
With these individuals, I'll cycle sumo pulling with rack pulls from just above the kneecaps and trap bar deadlifts to ensure that they're developing in both positions and all ranges of motion.

The Trap Bar Deadlift

Sumo pulling can also be a great substitute in those with chronic knee pain, but it really depends on the specific situation, so a generalized recommendation is tough to make.

Issue #5: The Thoracic Rounding Issue
My 635 deadlift video from Are You Doing Stupid Stuff in the Gym? once again stirred up the question of whether rounding is okay. Here's the video one more time:

First, remember that I'm a member of category #3: I deadlift to get better at deadlifting, not basketball, bocce ball, or pocket pinball.
Second, and more importantly, people need to understand the difference between thoracic flexion and lumbar flexion. The secret with respect to rounding on maximal pulls is to get it in the right places. The best pullers get rounding in the thoracic region (if it even occurs), not the lumbar spine.
We buttress against shear stress more effectively at the thoracic spine (designed for more ROM) than we do at the lumbar spine (less ROM). The problem is that beginners don't have the motor control to tell the difference.

If you need proof, take a look at Olexsandr Kutcher (near-800 pound deadlift at 165-181). He's very thin at the lumbar erectors, but thick at the thoracic erectors. This hypertrophy llocalizes because that's where his body is working hardest. My back isn't as big as Kutcher's, but in terms of proportionate structure, it's a complete replica. (My name isn't nearly as cool either, unfortunately.)


Issue #6: Deadlifts Aren't Olympic Lifts
When an Olympic lifter lifts a bar from the floor in preparation for a clean or snatch attempt, his goal is to position the bar in the ideal spot to set up the second pull (above the knees to the catch component). A deadlift is just a first pull with terminal hip extension. The idea is just to get the bar to the hips and stand upright with it.
I've never seen an Olympic lifter miss an attempt on the first pull; it simply isn't the limiting factor in the strength curve. So the lifter is always working with submaximal weights in that portion of the movement.

When you're working with submaximal weights, you have some wiggle room with your set-up. Olympic lifters manipulate this to their advantage by squatting a bit deeper on their first pull.
Deadlifters, on the other hand, need to put everything they've got into the first pull, so it's important to go directly to the most strength-conducive position from the get-go.
Lastly, let's not forget the difference in footwear between the two types of lifters. Olympic lifters wear shoes with marked heel elevation, while deadlifters want to keep their heels as close to the floor as possible. Which brings me to...

Issue #7: Footwear
"Thou shalt not deadlift in cross-trainers" is actually the first commandment in the powerlifter's bible. Rather than list all the shoes that aren't appropriate for pulling, let's just say that you have four options:
1. Go barefoot
2. Wear Chuck Taylors (Converse All-stars)
3. Wear wrestling shoes
4. Wear ballet slippers

The author's favorite pair of Chucks... Okay, just kidding!

I'm a huge proponent of Nike Frees and Reebok Travel Trainers, but I think that both of them still have too much heel lift for deadlifts.

Issue #8: Chalk
You should never miss a deadlift due to sweaty hands. If you don't train at a gym that allows chalk, I'd recommend finding a new gym, or at the very least sneaking some in.

Invisible liquid chalk is available, but I don't like it nearly as much as the real thing. For a list of more hardcore gyms near you that would allow chalk, check out Powerlifting Watch's Gym Database.
I don't recommend straps unless you're using a snatch grip and they're absolutely necessary. Gloves will actually make things worse, but I've found that Lynx Grips can help the cause, especially in females who are concerned about avoiding calluses.


Wrap-up
Ponder these eight prerequisites for a few days. We'll be back with enough deadlift technique videos to satisfy your pulling fixation for years to come!

source

[OldGuy]

Good article. Thanks.

[Jason B]

Real mean deadlift.

[MindPower]

Heres Part 2
Not sure if its possible to make the videos show up

Mastering the Deadlift: Part II
by Eric Cressey

Tech note: This article contains videos delivered in Flash. You will need the latest version of the Flash Player (at least version 7) to view them. If you cannot see the videos, please CLICK HERE to download and install the latest player now. It is free, quick, and easy.

Note: In case you missed it, here's Part I.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a single weight-training movement that's more "complete" than the deadlift. It's not just an upper or lower back exercise, or a grip exercise, or a posterior chain exercise, or a core exercise; it's an everything exercise. To that end, it's a must-have in any lifter, athlete, or weekend warrior's training arsenal.
Unfortunately, as with any compound lift, the deadlift can get pretty technical. If you're going to be using big weights in hopes of getting big results, you need to make sure that you're lifting with proper technique.
With that in mind, I'm first going to show the entire (conventional-style) movement in still frames, and then I'll show it to you in video form at regular speed. Finally, I'll come back and list the common errors that people make when deadlifting.

Step 1
Step up to the barbell so that your shins actually touch it.

Step 2
Keep your chest high while pushing your hips back. Imagine someone has a rope tied around your waist and is pulling you backward.

Step 3
As your hips continue back, you'll need to bend your knees a bit to get you down to the barbell. Grasp the barbell with a grip that puts your forearms right up against the sides of your thighs; the further out they are, the harder it'll be for you to maintain neutral spine — and the further the bar will have to travel.
Keep the chest up and drop the hips down a bit. How far will depend on the build of the lifter, as I noted in Part I. You should not look like you're trying to squat the weight up.
The elbows should be completely taut, with your eyes up and weight on your heels. Puff the chest up and tighten your triceps a bit to ensure that you're in the "locked" position.

Step 4
Take a big gasp of air into your stomach to help stabilize your spine, drive the heels into the floor, and push your hips forward as your knees extend. The hips and knees should extend simultaneously, and the shoulders and hips should rise together.
Note: Some lifters prefer to get their gasp of air before they descend to the bar.

Step 5
As you reach lockout, imagine pinching something between your buttcheeks at the top to lock the weight out. This glute activation helps to prevent you from leaning back to finish the movement (lumbar hyperextension) and stopping short (can lead to hamstring dominance and a host of problems). At lockout, your scapulae are back and down (not shrugged up) and you're standing tall.
Here's a bad lockout (stopping short):
Here's another bad lockout (leaning back/hyperextension):
Now, a good lockout (glutes tight and shoulders back; standing tall, but not shrugged up):

Step 6
Initiate the eccentric (lowering) portion of the lift by pushing the butt back to unlock the hips without losing neutral spine. Just imagine putting a stretch on your hamstrings without rounding the back.
Step 7
As the bar is lowered, don't worry about bending the knees until the bar has passed them. Once the bar has passed them, you can bend the knees to get the rest of the way to the floor.
Many individuals will lack the flexibility to pull from the floor initially, so don't force this exercise if you can't pull it without looking like a scared cat! For these individuals, substitute the rack pull (partial deadlift). The bar can be elevated on pins in a power rack, or aerobic steps, or plates on the floor. Gradually move the bar down to the floor as your mobility improves.

Rack Pull (Partial Deadlift)

The Videos!
I'm going to put this in big, bold, capital letters:
THESE VIDEOS ARE INTENTIONALLY BAD!
I have nightmares of people skimming through this article and reposting them all over the internet. So, again, I certainly don't let my athletes and clients lift like this!
Okay, let's get to the troubleshooting.

The Shin Scraper
This is the guy who sets up too low and far away from the bar on his pull. He has too much dorsiflexion going on, so the knees are actually in front of the bar as he initiates the pull. As the bar comes up, it catches on the shins and makes for a bloody deadlift and some good battle scars.
These individuals also have a tendency to pull with flexed elbows (from dropping too low and creating slack) and a rounded lower back (need to find range of motion wherever they can in order to get the bar around the knees).
Conveniently, as I was writing this article, a new athlete showed up and displayed this form, so I scored a video:
The solution is to get the feet up closer to the bar and bring the hips up a bit higher without losing neutral spine.

Flexed Elbows
Deadlifts should be too heavy to curl, yet you'll still see people who allow their elbows to go on slack when they initiate a deadlift. This is a great way to rupture a biceps tendon and guarantee that you aren't pulling as heavy as you ought to be.
It's the weight-training equivalent of punching someone with a limp wrist. You can't effectively transfer force from your lower body and core to the bar if your elbows are flexed.
Here's a great video for a few reasons. One, it shows you that even tall guys can pull (Pieter Smeets, at 6' 5", pulled from the floor on his first visit to the facility). Two, he demonstrates the elbows-flexed deadlift on his first few reps, but cleans it up when I cue him to do so. The last few reps are much better.
By pulling the elbows taut at the beginning of the movement, the chest pops up and it's smooth sailing.

The Scared Cat
I seriously tried to get a video of this, and I've actually trained myself to the point that I can't make my lumbar spine round enough to do this article justice. Fortunately, there's someone you might recognize who's done a great job of demonstrating this flaw over the past year or so on the internet.
Check out the YouTube video.
On the bright side, he's enthusiastic, so he'll probably get the back surgeons to get him in sooner.
Our lumbar discs actually handle compressive forces really well, just not when that compression is combined with flexion. If you're going to have any kind of flexion, it should only occur on max attempts in powerlifting populations, and only at the thoracic spine.
Those with a tendency toward the scared cat style need to improve hip mobility, lower body strength, and core stability.

Stopping Short
This problem is most common in females, as they tend to be very quad dominant and often tight in the hip flexors. The more quad recruitment and the greater the anterior pelvic tilt, the more likely an individual is to stop short on the deadlift.
The solution is very simple: hump the bar! Activating the glutes posteriorly tilts the pelvis to complete hip extension. Combined with scapular retraction, this yields an upright posture.
You'll commonly see diffuse lower back pain that's worse when standing with these individuals, and they'll sometimes present with anterior hip pain (femoral anterior glide syndrome).

Hyperextended Lockout
Closely related to the stopping short flaw is that of lumbar hyperextension at lockout. In these individuals, rather than stopping short, they just hyperextend the lumbar spine to compensate for the glutes not firing to complete hip extension. In the process, the knees may bend a bit and the end result is a backward lean.
Again, the secret is to hump the bar and stand completely upright.

Shrugging
While a shrug might be desirable in teaching Olympic lifting progressions, it's not what we want with a regular deadlift.
The shoulders should be pulled back and held down at lockout. This ensures optimal stability of the shoulder girdle. Just think about the last time you watched the farmer's walk or car deadlift at the World's Strongest Man contest. Did these guys carry the weight with their shoulders shrugged up, or were they in that "locked down" position?
The answer is "B"

Stiff-Legging
Some people are built such that they need to initiate the pull with their hips higher. On the other hand, there are those who just turn everything into stiff-leg deadlifts. Basically, what you see is that the hips shoot up faster than the shoulders and the bar gets too far out in front.
This can happen for many reasons — a history of knee problems, posterior chain weakness, not pushing through the heels — but it's something that's relatively easily remedied by just checking the ego at the door. Drop the weight a bit and focus on the hips and knees extending simultaneously with the shoulders and hips rising at the same rate.

Knee Break Lowering
Believe it or not, a lot of people have more problems with the lowering component of the deadlift than the lifting portion. The most common flaw we see is those who break the knees too early and try to stay completely upright for too long.
When the knees break, the bar gets further away from the ideal axis of rotation (hips). In order to create the range of motion needed to get the bar around the knees, the lifter has to round the lumbar spine and/or markedly protract the shoulder blades. In both cases, the knees can get shredded up pretty good.
The solution is simple: push the hips back and keep the spine neutral. Don't break the knees until the bar has passed them. Then you can half squat, half deadlift the bar to the floor.

Lazy Upper Back Lowering
Sometimes we encounter people who have stiffness in their hips that doesn't allow them to get the range of motion necessary to take the bar all the way down to the floor. Or, they're simply too lazy to care about lowering the bar under control. Either way, they just round over to set the bar down — and usually pretty loudly.
Mobilize the hips, strengthen the upper back, and simply be patient, and this problem will resolve pretty quickly.

The Good Deadlift
Yes, it actually exists!

Conclusion
That wraps up our analysis of the conventional deadlift. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how many of these flaws you found in your own pulling technique), we've got literally hundreds of variations of deadlifts we can apply in our programming. In Part III, we'll cover several of them!

[karky]

good articles, thanks for posting!

[UpNorth]

Thanks for posting. I'm really glad he talks about getting the bar back to the floor. In most DL articles it gets a cursory mention if that. I hurt my back a couple of years ago not focusing on my form on the way down.

[Lisa~]

Excellent articles! Thanks for posting the links. I'm looking forward to part 3!

[Viknord]

Great articles. Thanks for the post. The videos weren't working for me on this forum so I took a look on T-nation site. Here's the http:// if anyone wants it.

Part 1
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1582703

Part 2
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1588392


Cheers!

[jcool20010]

Those articles singlehandedly helped me master my form on DL's

[pjb923]

Part III is up. I have been waiting for this...

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1607555