Source
r/weightroom•
ellpol

Deadlifts: head up or neutral?

Posted Oct 5, 2014, 10:27 AM UTC

14
samlamamma•

Lower your hips a bit. It's okay to have the head up a bit but it seems like you're over doing it. It's comfy cuz you're used to it.

2
zda•

I'm a newbie as well, but shouldn't your ass but waay lower?

2
ellpolOP•

I hear some advice that says you should always keep your spine neutral (yo Elliott!) And some that says your upper back should not be relaxed in any way (T nation). Looking at my video, it looks ridiculous to have the head up, but it's most comfortable for me.

Any other critique is welcome, especially regarding lumbar position!

1
zobger•

You're overdoing the look up cue; neutral head is better imo.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of tension / tightness in your setup and execution. In the video, you don't appear tight before or during the pull. After the pull you appear to sway back and forth from the feet to your head.

here are a few suggestions:

  • Setup - try to pull yourself into position. Start with a straight legs, push hips back such that you feel your weight on your heels / stretch in hamstrings, bend down from hips to grab bar (try to maintain hip back position, slight bend in knees to reach bar is fine), grab bar tightly and pull a bit and flex / tighten your lats. Now 'pull' yourself into position by bending knees so shins touch bar while not losing tension in the upper back / lats and tight grip on the bar.

  • Execution - after setting up there should not be any movement anywhere in your body. While holding the tension throughout the body, take a deep breath into your belly (NOT into your chest) and brace abdomen as though you're going to be punched. Now push with your legs while simultaneously trying to flex your glutes. Do not lose lat or core tightness. Flexing glutes brings your hips forward, the lats keep the bar close to your body.. with the end result of you standing up with the bar.

Try not to move your feet, body after the lift. Your body should be rock solid with tension at the top with the bar. Now push your hips back and do a controlled drop of the bar without letting go of it. As you just clear your knees, bend it and continue the controlled drop of the bar (you appear to be moving bar around knees in the video).

Of course there would be slight variations to feet positioning and shins touching bar depending on your limb lengths. But the general idea is to create tension throughout your system before the lift and maintaining it till the end. Also try it barefoot, it'll give you a better idea of what pushing through your feet feels like.

2