Deadlift: The Next Rep is Going to be VERY Different
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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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The Deadlift Dry-heaves . . . Don't Get 'Em!
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(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:
Stance: Take a relatively narrow stance with your shins one inch from the bar.
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.
Shins: Drop your shins to the bar by bending your knees slightly (do NOT rock forward).
Chest: Squeeze your chest up ONCE to set your back in extension.
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!
If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.
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How to Pause Deadlift (and Why You SHOULD)
/Phil covers how to perform the pause deadlift as well as when and why you might find it useful in your training.
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This is KILLING Your Deadlift: 2 Errors . . . 1 Solution! | EASY and FAST
/Are these two errors destroying your deadlift? Find out and fix them in under 2 minutes.
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Setting Down the Deadlift
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Anjali positions the bar over the middle of her foot in the deadlift setup position.
