In this article on the DEADLIFT, you are going to discover five important steps to performing your deadlifts with good technique. When you have good technique, you will set yourself up for maximum strength and injury prevention.
The tips I share with you in this article will help you to build a better deadlift.
Let’s get into it…
5 Steps For A Big Deadlift
1. Get Your Set-Up Right
- Take a hip-width stance
- Keep your toes pointing straight head or turned slightly outwards
- The bar should be touching your shins, or be within 2 inches of them
- Grip the bar with a mixed grip
- Arch your lower back
- Relax your upper back and shoulders
- Keep your head neutral
2. Get Tight
Tightness is essential for strength and injury prevention. Here is how to get TIGHT:
- Squeeze the bar as hard as possible
- Brace your abdominal muscles (imagine somebody was going to punch you in the stomach)
3. Take A Deep Breath And Pull
You are now ready to break the bar off the floor. Here is how to do it the right way:
- Take a deep breath into your stomach
- Pull the bar off the floor, keeping it close to your body
- When the bar gets to knee height – drive it through to lockout by pushing your backside forwards
- Finish by standing tall – chest out, shoulders back, stomach tight
4. Put The Bar Down On The Floor
Once you have locked out your deadlift, it is time to put the bar down on the floor again. Here is how you do it without hurting yourself:
- Stay tight and take another breath into your stomach
- “Drop with the bar” by pushing your backside backwards and allowing the bar to fall quickly to the floor
- DO NOT LOWER THE BAR SLOWLY (this is a recipe for injury on the deadlift)
5. Repeat For Reps
- For your next rep do exactly the same as outlined above
- Make sure the bar starts in the same position in relation to your shins on each and every rep
- There you have it – that is how the most successful deadlifter of all-time performs this brutal movement.
Now that you know how to perform your deadlifts the right way, let’s talk about how to train your deadlifts so that you get STRONGER.
Beginner Deadlift Routine
When you are first starting to train your deadlift there is no need to get too complicated with your training. Start out with 135 lbs (60 kg) on the bar and perform 5 reps.
The next time you train your deadlift, add 5 pounds (or 2.5 kg) to the bar. Do the same the next session – and the one after that.
If you are like most men, you will probably be able to proceed in this fashion until you can pull somewhere between 225 lbs and 315 lbs for 5 reps.
At this point you may start to struggle. Here is what to do when that happens…
Let’s say you go to the gym with the aim of pulling 275 lbs for 5 reps (having pulled 270 lbs in your last session). However, you end up getting only 2 reps and feel tired. Clearly, you need to change your plan in order to keep progressing.
So take a few days off the gym and then come back and start a new training cycle a bit lighter, then work back up to a new personal record over the course of several weeks. Here is an example of how that might look:
– Week 1: 225 lbs x 5 reps
– Week 2: 235 lbs x 5 reps
– Week 3: 245 lbs x 5 reps
– Week 4: 255 lbs x 5 reps
– Week 5: 265 lbs x 5 reps
– Week 6: 275 lbs x 5 reps (a new personal best and a great sign that you have gotten stronger)
– Week 7: 285 lbs x 5 reps (another personal best)
– Week 8: 295 lbs x 3 reps (very tough)
At this point, start another training cycle. This time though – instead of starting your training cycle with 225 lbs x 5 reps, start a little heavier.
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