Deadlift: The Next Rep is Going to be VERY Different

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

The Phenomenon
You’re sweaty, nervous - heck, practically nauseous at this point - and you are entirely unsure whether your upcoming set of five on the deadlift is going to go or not. So what do you do?

“Feelings lie,” you remind yourself, so you walk up to the bar, set up, and start the set.

The first rep is rough. Very rough. Rough like that single ply toilet paper you thought wouldn’t be so bad . . . but it was.

And then something interesting happens . . . the second rep is actually easier. Quite noticeably. You break it off the floor smoothly, and it certainly moves faster than the previous rep.

The third rep is about the same as the second rep, and the fourth and fifth reps are pretty tough, but by now, you know you can finish the set, and indeed you do.

What on earth? Why does the second rep go better than the first rep? And how can you take advantage of this phenomenon in the future.

Why This Happens
While there might be more than one reason, one probable factor is that - by the time you get to the second rep - your body “knows” how hard you have to pull to get that bar moving.

Among the Big Four - the squat, deadlift, press, and bench press - the deadlift is unique. It is the only lift of the four wherein you don’t support the weight of the bar before the lift starts. After all, it’s sitting on the floor. In the squat, press, and bench, you are supporting the bar before any movement starts, and as a result, you get to feel the weight of the bar compressing you before the real work begins. This gives your brain and body an opportunity to calibrate itself for the task ahead; it gives you a rough sense of how hard you have to drive the bar upward.

This isn’t true in the deadlift. That very first rep - the first time you struggle to break the weight off the floor - that is the actual opportunity for this so-called calibration. As a result, there are two activities going on in the first rep - you are getting a sense of the bar’s weight while at the same time completing a rep.

By the time you get to the second rep, you know - whether consciously or subconsciously - how hard you have to pull, and as it turns out, this helps quite a bit.

How Can You Use This Phenomenon to Your Advantage?
Get the first rep.

No, it’s not complicated or sexy, but it’s crucial. Don’t think about whether or not you’ll get all five reps. Don’t think about how tough the set is going to be. You know that - as long as you complete the first rep - the second rep will be easier, so . . .

Get the first rep. This is what you tell yourself. Get the first rep, and the rest of the set will take care of itself. It’s too easy to go down the rabbit hole of anxiety before starting a work set of deadlifts, so cut that process off at the pass. Remind yourself to complete the first rep, and then take it from there.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

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