Deadlift: The Next Rep is Going to be VERY Different
/
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.
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.
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?
How to Convert Kilograms to Pounds Fast | Easy Math Trick!
/Convert kilograms to pounds quickly and easily without a calculator! Useful for physics homework, chemistry homework, and lifting weights.
(This is a Blast from the Past video originally published on 01/08/22.)
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.
The Deadlift Dry-heaves . . . Don't Get 'Em!
/
(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.
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?
5 Mistakes That DESTROY Your Lifting Warm-up
/Want to have a more effective and efficient warm-up? Avoid these mistakes.
At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Click the button below to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach and start getting stronger TODAY.
Testify Daily Townsman - September 11, 2023
/THIS WEEK'S SUBMISSION
From our video The Deadlift - How to Use Your Lats (click the title to watch):
Randall Gonzalez
Great cue! I have one question about another cue to understand if I'm doing deadlifts right. One common cue I have heard is do the first half portion of the deadlift by doing a leg press. Given that cue, should I be using at all my back to pick the weight from the floor or just the legs as mentioned in that cue? Asking this because if I only use the legs in the first half I'm able to lift less weight/feel weaker than using the back to pick the weight from the floor. Thoughts?
Phil
Glad you liked the cue, Randall! As for your question, I'll start by noting that we're actually talking about the difference in using your hips (probably what you're referring to when you say "using my back") versus using your knees (what you're referring to when you say "just the legs). No matter whether you're using your hips, knees, or both when you deadlift, you will be using the back. The back should function as a rigid segment that transfers the force generated in your hips and knees (or "hips and legs") through the back, then down through your arms to the bar.
Moving on the meat of your question - both knee extension (the "leg press the floor" cue) and hip extension are occurring throughout the entire deadlift, but the beginning of the deadlift is dominated by knee extension while the 2nd half of the deadlift is dominated by hip extension. We use the "leg press the floor" cue to drive home that motion of knee extension at the beginning of the pull, but your back angle should also start changing right away (i.e., becoming more vertical) as well due to your hips extending/opening/straightening.
The bar path (as viewed from the side) will be a telling sign. Video yourself from the side, and if the bar is starting over the midfoot and traveling in a nice, straight, vertical line, you're doing well. If it's looping around your knees, you're not straightening your knees enough (or at all) as you start the pull. If it's traveling vertically, you've got it.
You can check our video on this here:
The Deadlift: Use Your Knees, Baby!
The video linked above is primarily about the importance of knee extension at the start of the pull, but it also talks about the fact that hip extension does occur as well, and you can watch the good examples in the video (Sharon, Joy, and the reps where I'm doing it correctly instead of incorrectly), and you'll notice that while the knees are straightening, the back angle starts changing right away as well.
Hope this helps!
ARTICLES & VIDEOS
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. Click here to watch.
He Stopped Pressing Like This. You Should Too.
Many lifters use their hips incorrectly in the press and don't even know it. Do you? Let's find out and fix it. Click here to watch.
Stop Destroying Your Squat - Do THIS Instead
Stop raising your chest early in the squat - it makes for a weaker squat. If you struggle to drive your hips up, here's a simple fix. Click here to read.
Blast from the Past: Get a Better Clean Rack Position
Do your wrists and elbows despise you when you clean? Stop using your hands to rack your cleans. We explain and demonstrate. Click here to watch.
Blast from the Past: The Super Secret Way to Put on Knee Sleeves!
Stop struggling to get your knee sleeves on! Phil teaches you this super secret method - it's simple and easy. Click here to read.
NEW TESTIFY GEAR!
Baseball season is here, and so is Testify’s new 3/4 raglan shirt - in multiple colors! Get yours today and represent your favorite gym!
Click here to head to the Testify Store.
WHAT'S COMING UP
Below are a few of our upcoming events, and you can find out what else is on the calendar by heading to our events page at www.testifysc.com/events.
Starting Strength Self-Sufficient Lifter Camp
September 23, 2023
Spend the day learning the Squat, Press, and Deadlift and how to self-evaluate your lifts while training in your garage or commercial gym without a coach.
Click here to register or for more information.
Testify Fall Classic
October 21, 2023
The Testify Fall Classic is back for 2023, and we invite you to be a part of it! This is a strengthlifting meet, which means the contested lifts will be the squat, press, and deadlift.
Click here to register or for more information.
Benching Bonanza! The Annual Testify Bench Press Jubilee
November 17, 2023
Benching Bonanza is a strength meet wherein the only contested lift is - you guessed it - the bench press. There will be one bar, and the meet will be conducted in a "rising bar" format, so the weight on the bar only goes up! It'll be a ton of fun, so come on out!
Click here to register or for more information.
THIS WEEK’S CONDITIONING
Option 1
Sled
Outdoors:
10 rounds of:
Push sled 100 ft
Pull sled 100 ft (hand over hand)
Indoors:
20 rounds of:
Push sled 50 ft
Pull sled 50 ft (hand over hand)
Compare to 2023.07.10.
Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes
Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = lowest distance.
Compare to 2023.06.19.
Option 3
Outdoors:
5-10 rounds:
10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)
50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 minute
Indoors:
5-10 rounds:
10 sledgehammer strikes (5R, 5L)
100 ft farmer carry (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 minute
Compare to 2023.05.22.
Option 4
1. 5 yoke carries @ 30 yd (15 yd downback) – work up to heaviest carry
2. 5 rounds of 5 reps on the axle “clean and press away” – work up to heavy set of 5
Compare to 2023.05.22.