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

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.

For a video on this topic, see below. We hope this helps you get stronger and live better!

These Aren't the Rests You're Looking For

Take a look at Figure 1 . . . this isn't the rest position you think it is.

Figure 1: Not a great resting position

You know that moment - that moment when you’ve pulled three heavy reps on your deadlift, you’ve set the barbell down, you still have two more reps to go, and . . . you start fidgeting around before you pull the next rep.

Let me offer a suggestion - don’t do that.

The temptation to hang out down there is understandable; after all, you’ve already done something extremely challenging multiple times, and you’re getting tired.  The problem is that this position in the deadlift - the position with you crouched over a heavy bar sitting on the floor - isn’t really a resting position.

Yes, it is where you’ll take your breath, and yes, you’re not supporting the weight of the bar at this point, but this is still not a good resting position (ask yourself - would you normally choose to rest in a semi-crouched-over position?). The longer you stay down there, the more tired you’ll get, and the longer the set will take. The best resting position for a set of deadlifts? Taking a well deserved seat after you’re done with the set.

So, the next time you deadlift, I challenge you - be efficient with your time when the bar is on the floor. Give yourself one breath between reps, set the back in rigid extension with tension on the bar, and then smoothly pull the next rep. Don’t rush the setup, but don’t dilly-dally either. Be efficient.

One breath between reps. No muss. No fuss. And you’ll be done with your set a lot sooner than that silly person who takes five breaths between each rep.

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

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