Deadlifts - feel stupid!

[nickd30]

I am going into last week of Phase 2, and still don't feel like Deadlifts are doing much for me! I think I am so paranoid about getting hurt doing them that I am not using proper weight. I even had a personal training buddy go through the motions with me to make sure I was doing them right, but haven't been able to increase my weight and still using light weights here. Is this common? Should I just be patient? Never done any leg workouts before, other than running, so maybe I just have weak legs? I feel really self-conscious doing them - which I usually don't care about at the gym, even when the big dudes and trainers are around... I feel like canning the deadlifts and replacing them with something else.

[Aoife]

People who worry about what other people think when it's noone else's business are rarely doing what they want in life or getting what they want out of life. Know how to get better at something? Keep doing it.

I had a while where I couldn't get much on deads... my weight was less than with squats, and it felt weird doing them. Figured out my ass was too low and I was effectively squatting the weight instead of deadlifting it.

Keep doing them as you can, you'll get better. Maybe vary it a bit so you do some at high weight really low rep and or the other way around and see if that helps. Make sure your ass is high enough, make sure you're activating the right muscles, and just work on them to make them better.

Or pussy out, give up, move to something else and never get better at them, but at least you won't have to worry about what people who don't give a shit about you think.

[smittygouv]

It is very normal to feel like you could be hurting yourself doing deadlifts.
How you hurt yourself is by letting your back curve into a "C" shape and/or letting your hips/butt rise above your shoulders. If you are keeping your butt too low you may be able to do more weight by raising it a bit but be cautious. Keep your lower back flat or arched forward a bit, your head-up, and your scapulas retracted. This is a tough but great exercise... be determined don't give up.


The important part for a beginner is to maintain the correct form/posture. Once you become more and more comfortable with the exercise the you will really start to see gains.

[nickd30]

Thanks... I will stick with it. Really sucks not having someone to work out with, that's what often keeps me from increasing weight... but I am going to just do them with low weight and work on my form. After writing this post, I went to the gym and was doing deadlifts and actually (no joke) caught two trainers at my McGym watching me and one of them LAUGHED! It was the most motivating thing that has ever happened to me! I can't wait to be bigger than that clown. Deadlifts will get me there.

[ChineseMetabolism]

Deadlifts feel awesome for me, just keep your head up as much as you can and drive through with your heels.

[RobLL]

Google Lisa and deadlift I got the best thread on this. Lisa, if there is one you like better chime in.

http://forums.jpfitness.com/new-rule...egular-dl.html

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by RobLL

Google Lisa and deadlift I got the best thread on this. Lisa, if there is one you like better chime in.

http://forums.jpfitness.com/new-rule...egular-dl.html

HA! You googled me? hahahahaha
We do have a search engine on this forum, but whatever works! That just made me laugh.

There have been several good threads about deadlifting. Here are a couple of them:

"Torn up" Shins from Deadliftin'

DL Hell

Eric Cressey did an excellent series on deadlifting:
Mastering the Deadlift: Part I
Mastering the Deadlift: Part II
Mastering the Deadlift: Part III

And Mark Rippetoe's Analysis of the Deadlift is required reading IMO.

[RobLL]

Originally Posted by Lisa~

HA! You googled me? hahahahaha
We do have a search engine on this forum, but whatever works! That just made me laugh.

Take a look, the search function for this site is Google, but it is checked to search only this site.

[btb3]

Dude, skip the regular deadlifts and go for the sumo... I had the same prob, and got super frustrated with them. Sumo's are so much easier on your back, and you will feel like you aren't compromising your posture and movement through them even when you are pushing your weight limits. Trust me!!! I was basically doing DL's with the bar and little weight because I felt like my form was crapping out, and went to sumo's - and right away felt like I was working out instead of wrecking my back.