6 Tips to Load a Barbell for Deadlifts EASILY!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

When people are new to lifting, one of the comments we often hear is that it’s a pain to put full size plates (i.e., 45-lb metal plates or any bumper plate) on the bar when deadlifting. We hear this primarily regarding the deadlift, but the problem shows up in the snatch, clean, row, or any other lift wherein the barbell starts on the floor.

Whether it’s putting the first 45-lb plate on the bar or subsequent 45-lb plates on the bar (this applies with any bumper plate as well), below are a few tips that will help. Also, there are several videos throughout this article that cover these tips and include demonstrations, so I’d recommend checking them out.

For clarification, from here on, “plate” refers to a metal, 45-lb plate unless otherwise specified.

Tip #1: Lift as Few Plates as Possible
If it’s a short distance, save yourself some energy and simply roll the plate across the floor.

Tip #2: Putting the First Plate on the Bar
Don’t put the first plate on the bar. Instead, do the following (as shown in Figure 1):

  1. Set the plate on the floor (numbers facing up).

  2. Put one end of the barbell through the plate.

  3. Set the other end of the bar on the floor.

  4. Slide the bar through the plate until the plate is up against the collar of the bar.

figure 1

In short, they key here is to not put the first plate on the end of the bar, but rather put the end of the bar through the first plate.

Tip #3: Putting the Next Plate on the Bar
The second plate (i.e., the first plate on the opposite end of the bar) should be the only one that even potentially poses a problem, and we’re going to solve that right now.

With the plate standing vertically (after rolling it over, of course), raise the end of the bar to the height of the plate’s hole. Then, you have two options:

figure 2

Option 1
Get the plate onto the bar, pick up the bar slightly with one hand, and slide the plate on with the other hand.

Option 2
Get the plate onto the bar, straddle the bar, and slide the plate toward you using both hands (Figure 2). It’s useful to note that this option requires less strength than Option 1.

figure 3

Tip #4: Commercial Deadlift Jack (but . . .)
Now it’s time to get the rest of the plates on the bar, but it’s annoying to slide additional plates on the bar since they are the same size as the plates already on the bar. As a result, you’ll experience a lot of friction between the plate and the ground. Also, as you add more plates, picking the bar up off the floor to create some space between the plates and the floor (so there’s no friction between those two surfaces) becomes more difficult.

The solution is a deadlift jack, but perhaps not the kind you’re imagining.

Of course, if you can afford and want to buy a full-size deadlift jack, go for it (Figure 3). They’re amazingly convenient, we have one at Testify, and our members greatly appreciate using it. That said, they’re a bit pricey, and there are other options, such as . . .

Tip #5: Fishhook (DIY Deadlift Jack)
The fishhook is an easy-to-make, DIY deadlift jack, and it’s incredibly useful. My wife and I have one in our garage gym, and we have several of these at Testify as well. We have a video on how to make and use the fishhook, so be sure to check that video out if you’re interested.

However, if you don’t feel like making a fishhook jack, the next solution is . . .

Tip #6: Plate Jack
The plate jack is simply any 2.5-lb plate that you are going to use as a deadlift jack. It doesn’t have to be a 2.5-lb plate - you could use a 1.25-lb plate, a 5-lb plate, or even the thickness of your belt (sometimes referred to as the “belt jack”).

figure 4

To use the plate jack (Figure 4), set the 2.5 on the floor, roll the first 45 up onto the 2.5 (make sure it stays there!), and then slide any other 45s onto the bar since the 2.5 will have jacked the bar up slightly, and now the additional plates slide on and off very easily.

As always, we hope these tips help you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

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