The Deadlift-Thread

[Deleted]

Ok folks,

this is going to be a thread about the best and most effective exercise for overall muscle gain:
The Deadlift

How it looks: http://muscle.iuhu.org/wp-content/up...ig-muscles.jpg
How it works:
http://www.schwarzenegger.com/fitness/post/deadlift-101
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-deadli...per-technique/

You can post your last training sessions here or talk about it.

I'll start with my last training (only deadlift shown here):
60Kg*15,15
90Kg*10
120Kg*6
150Kg*3
172,5Kg*8 Short Break -->
182,5Kg*2 Longer Break -->
150Kg*10

At heavy sets, I always take a few breaths after every rep, taking my time (~10-15 secs between each rep).

Go heavy or go home.

[Spectral]

I need to get someone that knows what they're doing to work with me on form. As it is, I'm too scared of screwing up my back with crummy form to do deadlifts.

[Aldred]

I know what you mean about not wanting to injure your back through bad form. I had some minor difficulties with that myself, which was frustrating because I really liked the deadlift. Anyway after some mobilisation exercises and checking out videos and sites like the ones in the OP, I was able to make progress again no problem.

The video quality here isn't very good, but this Smitty guy seems to know his stuff and his videos in particular helped me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRRlk6264I

My recommendation would be to video yourself doing some really light lifts and see how your technique compares with something like the link above. It feels stupid to record yourself and watch it back, but no one else is going to see and it really helps you spot any obvious problems with form.

Stormstrike: It's my favourite lift too! I'm using less weight than you are, but I agree on the heavy of home mentality at least once a week with compound exercises like these.

[Drunkenfinn]

Eh, I usually do around something like this:

14x100kg
12x120kg
10x120kg
8x130kg
6x140kg

or around that.

Do you let the weights hit the floor when you do your reps? I personally dont as it feels kind of awkward and I dont like to "let go fo the tension" so to speak so I just go down and hover the weights just a bit above the floor and then pull back up.... It just feels better doing it that way for some reason :P

I might have to put em on the ground if I start lifting heavy, though. At the moment I'm just mainly keeping up my muscle-mass and trying to up my strength levels a bit while losing a lot of weight
No idea what my maximum is, though. I'd say it's around 180-200kg or so? Never really bothered to try

Results might go up a bit once I start bulking during the winter ^^

And just for references sake I'm 6'5 (196cm) and 250lbs (114kg) so you could say that my results are actually quite weak for my size :P

My all-time favourite lift has to be the Power Clean, though. It's kind of like the deadlift but you just move it up a notch... literally! One of my most-repeated exercises as im an ex-hockey player. I think I was able to powerclean around 135kg when I was 18-19 years old or so. No idea about now... probably less since I've lost a lot of my "explosive" power :P

[Deleted]

I don't know how heavy the 6x140 are for you, but if you go the limit there, then your max should be at around 170Kg, my guess.
I recently lifted the 200Kg. Bodyweight 100Kg at 1,91cm, so finally double of my bodyweight.
I always put the weight down, take a new grip and continue, so I do it differently than you. So I dont "bump" them from the floor, but I have to build new tension for every rep to get it off the floor.

@Spectral

Thats right, it's better to be safe.
Even tho deadlifts is one of the best exercises to protect your back you have to do it right to be effective and not counterproductive. But if you read the Deadlift 101 (my link above) carefully or any other more detailed explanation and maybe have one experienced lifter watch you once or twice, you should be fine.

[Drunkenfinn]

Stormstrike, I salute you for fitting the measurements of a real man. (ie. 100kg or more)
That would be all!

I should be able to hit around 105kg by the end of the summer myself :P

OT: Do you use a belt while lifting? I dont but that might change once the weights get bigger I do use straps, though... As without them I couldnt do that many reps before my grip-strength would fail me towards the end of the heavier sets :P

[Deleted]

Thanks for the compliment.

And no, I don't use a belt nor do I use straps. I use liquid chalk for grip tho, but otherwise, raw. Never done anything else.

[Palmz]

Something that really helped me was imitating the "natural" belt. Sucking in your gut (lower abs) and pushing up your butt into your gut. Doing that will tighten your lower abs and create a natural belt/girdle that tightens your entire abdominals and keep your organs tight. Saves your lower back and prevents injury. And it can be so easy to screw up your back if you aren't naturally an athlete! For newbies who want to try deadlifts though I would attempt to find the form and movement that is most natural for you. Romanian deadlifts, straight leg, normal deadlift and sumo deadlift's would be the ones to check out. Romanian are less back and don't require as much weight as the others. Usually the safest option.

I wish I could use chalk at my gym. They don't allow it on the floor. Just straps that I don't use either. I have huge calluses on my hands because of it.

[Jokerfiend]

Do you let the weights hit the floor when you do your reps? I personally dont as it feels kind of awkward and I dont like to "let go fo the tension" so to speak so I just go down and hover the weights just a bit above the floor and then pull back up.... It just feels better doing it that way for some reason :P

This is a key mistake with the Deadlift. Deadlift gets its name from it being " Dead Weight". Not letting the weight settle on the ground is a very bad and rookie mistake. With that, I question anything else you might say about lifting.

[Palmz]

This is a key mistake with the Deadlift. Deadlift gets its name from it being " Dead Weight". Not letting the weight settle on the ground is a very bad and rookie mistake. With that, I question anything else you might say about lifting.

For normal and sumo, definitely. You don't touch the floor though with RDL and straight leg though. That would really fuck up your back!

[Jokerfiend]

Also for people worried about form, there is a Deadlift technique that is easier to do and more forgiving.

If you have access to a gym, see if they have a Trap Bar. Lifting from the Trap Bar places more weight on the hip, and spreads the weight more evenly on your lower half.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2azlVRUbX3E

Here is it.

Thanks.

---------- Post added 2013-06-18 at 12:56 PM ----------

For normal and sumo, definitely. You don't touch the floor though with RDL and straight leg though. That would really fuck up your back!

RDL is for the hamstrings really. It also is generally done with weight you can easily lift for 8-10 reps for 4-5 sets.

[Droodid]

I tend to prefer using the trap bar once i get to higher weights of 400lbs+ because I feel it's not nearly as taxing on my body and is less likely to lead to a bad back.

Just personal preference, i like both bar and trap bar though.

[Ravock]

You can use a trap bar if you want, but you aren't really doing a deadlift anymore, and any other gym rats who saw you using it would likely talk trash about you :P

Deadlifts are supposed to be taxing on your body.

[Jokerfiend]

You can use a trap bar if you want, but you aren't really doing a deadlift anymore, and any other gym rats who saw you using it would likely talk trash about you :P

Deadlifts are supposed to be taxing on your body.

What are you even talking about?

Being 6'3ish, I have to get unnaturally low for a normal bar. Not really feasible to use raisers when doing 350lbs+ and bumper plates.

Not only that, nice side account Drunkenfinn. Flame-baiter. The :P is a dead give-a-way. Considering you use it consistently after every paragraph or sentence. If you are going to use a side account, you gotta change your writing style. Pathetic.

[Ravock]

lol.. side account? Don't flatter yourself man. I just troll these forums for the hilariously retarded shit people post. It gives me a good laugh. I just make the mistake of responding to some of these threads every once in a while. You know what they say about arguing with idiots.

[Drunkenfinn]

@Jokerfiend

Whoa, man! What did I ever do to you? O_o

I had no idea that not letting the weights settle on the ground was such a bad mistake, though! So thanks for that.
I've asked around about it from some experienced folks at our gym and they said it was okay... What exactly is the problem with it? Just curious.

Though I'll admit I'm not THAT knowledgeable when it comes to lifting, especially deadlift. Never did it a lot back when I was still playing hockey and football as it was more about training your explosive power so Power Cleans and Frontal/Normal Squats worked better for that purpose. Lifting has mainly been just something I did on se side as a part of the sport.

Being 6'3ish, I have to get unnaturally low for a normal bar. Not really feasible to use raisers when doing 350lbs+ and bumper plates.

I'll give the bear-trap a go since being 6'5 (and not very flexible) I have some problems with the straight bar as well which is the main reason I dont let the weights touch the ground :P Basically they "almost" touch the ground on each rep, but not quite...

And just in case you you didnt notice already... I definately do not have a side-account :P

Maybe I should lay off the ":P" a bit...

[Deleted]

Could you please stop spamming this thread with useless offtopic talk?

Ontopic:

I've never tried the trap bar, as we dont have any of those in my gym. But I'd like to try it, as more weight is possible with it. :>
And chalk also isnt allowed in my gym as well, but I use liquid chalk, which doesnt leave any stains on the floor, you can just put it on your hands nice and clean.

@Palmz

The thing you described with the abs and butt is something which comes naturally after a while. When you hit higher weights, you just have to do this to tense your core. Before every rep I inhale and tighten up my stomach as much as possible.

[perfektion]

vid of 650 :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOvI9...=TL38oTqyRDGQI

just did 675 a week ago

may be able to help a bit if any questions or whatnot arise---been lifting sheet for 5+ yrs

[Projali]

vid of 650 :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOvI9...=TL38oTqyRDGQI

just did 675 a week ago

may be able to help a bit if any questions or whatnot arise---been lifting sheet for 5+ yrs

Yessss, chucks.

I had no idea that not letting the weights settle on the ground was such a bad mistake, though! So thanks for that.
I've asked around about it from some experienced folks at our gym and they said it was okay... What exactly is the problem with it? Just curious.

Like said previously, the name deadlift implies you're lifting the weight from a "dead" state. People focused primarily on bodybuilding (not talking about RDLs, variations, etc.) will sometimes not release the weight at the bottom because their focus is hypertrophy, not strength. Powerlifters and Olympic lifters are much more interested in imitating what their competition lift will be so it only makes sense to practice it from the ground pretty much every time. Plus, lifting from the ground increases your T-levels by like 5 million so...

I'm 6'1", 175lbs (EAT MORE SKINNY), starting a new 5x5 to push max up to 400lbs (~180kg). Inguinal hernias one year ago and bad shoulder injury more recently have hampered my progress (and commuting for school/work have massively interfere with my training schedule). Schedule is much less demanding so I'm ready to get back after it.

[Deleted]

Very nice perfection. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

My last training couple of days ago:

60Kg*10,10
90Kg*10
120Kg*6
150Kg*4
180Kg*3,3,3,3
190*2
150Kg*15 PITT-Force

Keep lifting!