1 yr. ago • 100%

Deadlift Advice

I've been going ot the gym for a little while, using GZCLP on Perseus.
Been making steady progress (besides a longer dip after a nasty cold) but I still struggle with deadlifts, especially now that they're getting a bit heavier.

I got a shit back and inherent anterior pelvic tilt, it's easy to tweak the lower back for me. I put a lot of emphasis on keeping it straight, neutralizing the tilt and bracing the core to support it.
Still, sometimes I feel the pinch near the sides of the lumba spine. Any advice to help with that would be phenomenal.
I got stupid knees. They're not injury prone or anything, but they stick out. Several times now I bruised them pretty severely, mostly on the way down. The bar slides down the quads - as I learned it should - and then bonk into the tissue just above the patella before continuing around the knee.
What am I doing wrong?

Here's my form at the moment of impact

This is roughly where I hit and bruise

23 comments

When I first started trying to up my deadlift, I found Alan Thrall's setup worked well for me. He has since revamped it here: https://youtu.be/MBbyAqvTNkU

7
- Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  https://piped.video/MBbyAqvTNkU
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  1
- Thanks, that provides some clarity for the setup that I was missing.
  Might be bending the knees too early on the way down!
  
  1
I can't help for #1. As for #2, you want the bar to slide against the quads on the way up, but on the way down, you want to bend at the hips first to clear the way for the bar such that you can safely just drop it. The bar should ideally not touch your legs at all on the descent.

5
- The bar should ideally not touch your legs at all on the descent
  
  hm definitely seeing conflicting advice about this.
  Either way, it seems I'm bending my knees too early. Thanks for the advice to bend at the hips first!
  
  1
  
  It depends on if you want to do the eccentric/controlled descent or not. You don’t need to for powerlifting so people often don’t. It can be really good for training though.
  
  If you’re just dropping it then get your legs out of the way, if you’re supporting the load and letting it down slowly then you definitely DO NOT want to suddenly shift the center of mass away from you. If that makes sense
  
  3
Yeah a clip would be better. See it all in motion.

I would already recommend to use different shoes. Something with a flat and hard sole or barefoot.

5
- Thanks! Yeah these are generic 'training shoes' that I use for fencing and gym.
  
  I'll have to remember to take a better clip next time, there were far too many people in the background of this one.
  
  1
Post a video to the Form Check Friday on the Calgary Barbell YouTube/Discord. You'll get great advice.

2
Neoprene knee sleeves and a decent width weight belt will probably provide some benefit to both.

You can brace your core much better with a belt and neoprene sleeves will atleast provide some cushioning from the accidental impacts.

Its hard to comment on form from one pic, especially mid lift. Id be more interested to see your setup.

2
- Thanks for the gear advice!
  Here's another snap:
  
  Sorry bout the messy crop, there were a lot of people moving about.
  
  1
  
  Now its kind of hard to tell with the dark pants and dark weight plates but I'm no expert but it looks to me like your shins are just a little too far out from the bar, your ass needs to come up a bit more loading your hamstrings just a little more and your shoulders need to come a little further forward over the bar.
  
  2
- Neoprene knee sleeves and a decent width weight belt will probably provide some benefit to both.
  
  You can brace your core much better with a belt and neoprene sleeves will atleast provide some cushioning from the accidental impacts.
  
  Its hard to comment on form from one pic, especially mid lift. Id be more interested to see your setup.
  
  Actually come to think of it, I dont ever run the bar down my quads. I checked a few "form guide" videos online and while its CLOSE it doesnt look like its making contact with the legs in any of them.
  
  Actually thinking about it I never run the bar down my
  
  1
I’m not a doctor.

Try adding a good full body warmup by rowing/jump rope etc for 5-10 minutes followed by a light weighted mobility drill like this https://youtu.be/liuvRkaVGhk?feature=shared

Do the warmup and mobility drills everyday. Your focus needs to be on having good form, its not about speed or strength its about the motion. Do an extra set of 20 slow, easy good mornings opposite your daily mobility work, ie if you work out in the evening do the good mornings in the morning. You will increase that hinging motion by hundreds of reps every week and that will improve your ability to DL.

Changing up your style of DLs after a progression cycle will help keep you from getting bored and incorporate different little muscles.

2
- Wow that's a lot of info!
  
  I was actually looking for some good chill kettle bell routines to switch up mace bell routines with.
  Tysm!
  
  1
- Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
  
  https://piped.video/liuvRkaVGhk?feature=shared
  
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  
  I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
  
  1

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