This Mistake Will RUIN All Your Lifts!
/Want to improve every one of your lifts with one fix? Make sure you're doing this.
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Most Common Deadlift Error? (It's NOT What You Think)
/Are you making this deadlift error? It's extremely common, and it's making your deadlifts a lot harder (and last longer!) than they should be. Let's fix it.
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Don't Let This Mistake RUIN Your Deadlift!
/With a very simple cue, Phil addresses a common deadlift mistake that lifters make when setting their backs and starting to pull the bar off the floor.
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The Deadlift: Use Your Lats . . . But DON'T Think About Them
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Do you think he’s thinking about his lats?
Got a barbell that wants to drift away from you when you deadlift? It’s a miserable experience. Let’s fix it fast.
(Watch the included video for a quick demonstration of how to do this.)
Your latissimus dorsi (your “lats”) form a connection between your upper arm and your spine, and because of this, they perform an important function in the deadlift - they keep the bar close to you as you pull, i.e, they are responsible for keeping the bar over the middle of the foot.
However, if you tend to let the bar swing away from you when you pull, simply cueing yourself to “use your lats” may not be terribly useful as it can be difficult to picture what the lats are actually doing. With this in mind, let’s cover a useful mental picture as well as a few cues to help you use your lats . . . without ever thinking about them.
figure 1
Mental Picture
Instead of holding a barbell, picture yourself holding a pool noodle - you know, those flexible, floaty pieces of foam that you use to whack your friends over the head . . . in the pool. With this mental picture (Figure 1), use one of the following cues:
Cue #1: Bend the bar backward.
If you’re holding a pool noodle, you can actually bend it backward around your shins (as shown in Figure 2). This action of pulling back on the bar is performed by the lats, but you don’t need to think about your lats - you simply think about the action of bending the bar backward around your shins, and the lats will automatically do their job. As a side note, it is rarely useful to think about individual muscles while lifting - think “movements” not “muscles.”
Figure 2: Bend it backward
Cue #2: Pin it to your shins.
Same idea - just a different way to think about it. Cue yourself to keep the bar pinned to your shins, and if you accomplish this, your lats will be doing their job.
As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.
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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?
Your Hideous Deadlift: Do It WRONG . . . to Get It Right?
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his back is so terrible he won’t even show his face.
Are you having a tough time setting your back correctly when deadlifting? To get it right, it can help to do it wrong first. Let’s get to it.
(Watch the included video for a quick demonstration of how to do this.)
In this approach, you're going to set the bar on the pins with some weight on the bar. You don’t need a lot of weight - just enough to allow yourself to put some tension on the bar (i.e., some upward pull) without actually allowing the bar to start moving upward.
figure 1: The bar is set just below the knees.
You're setting the bar on the pins because - when going through the 5-step setup for the deadlift (click here for a video) - most people find it easier to set the back correctly in rigid extension from this higher position as compared to the usual position wherein the plates are on the floor. In Figure 1, I have the bar set just below my knees, but if you need to start higher than this, that’s perfectly acceptable.
figure 2: back flexion
Back flexion - or rounding your back - is pretty easy for most people to achieve, and you're going to take advantage of that here. First, cue yourself to flex your back (Figure 2). In other words, you're going to do it wrong. Remember that a person who struggles with back extension can usually do this pretty well - in fact, it’s typically the default position - but if you need a little additional help, you can cue yourself to round your back as high in the air as possible or cue yourself to make your back into a mountain. Additionally, make sure your shins stay in contact with the bar throughout this process, and the bar must remain motionless. From your hips on down, nothing should move or change shape.
figure 3: Back extension