The Deadlift Dry-heaves . . . Don't Get 'Em!

/ Testify Strength & Conditioning/

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 08/20/21)

Have you seen that guy at the gym who gets the deadlift dry-heaves? You know the guy - the one who sets his back two, three, or four times before pulling the bar off the floor? If this guy happens to be you, let’s fix this.

When you set up for your deadlift, keep it simple with the 5-step setup:

  1. Stance: Take a relatively narrow stance with your shins one inch from the bar.

  2. Grip: Bend at the waist (not the knees - keep them “straight-ish” for now) and take a narrow grip on the bar - just wide enough to ensure that your hands are on the knurl and that your thumbs don’t drag up your legs on the pull.

  3. Shins: Drop your shins to the bar by bending your knees slightly (do NOT rock forward).

  4. Chest: Squeeze your chest up ONCE to set your back in extension.

  5. Pull: Drag the bar up your legs as you stand up.

On step 4, don’t complicate things (and exhaust yourself!) by squeezing your chest up (i.e., setting your back) and then relaxing multiple times. You are not a ratchet strap, so setting your back multiple times doesn’t make it any tighter than setting it once, and it’s also a waste of energy, which, as you know, is also bad for the climate.

Again, keep it simple. When you get to step 4, squeeze your chest up hard, which sets off a wave of contraction down your back, and then drag the bar up your legs. Set the back once. Set it hard - but set it once.

We hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

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