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Some tips for a big deadlift (video)


Mini Forklift
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A quick overview...

 

I'm currently working towards pulling 440lb at my next full powerlifting meet in April.; my longer term goal for this year is to break the New Zealand raw deadlift record for the 130-145lb weight class, 451lb as it currently stands.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35cGtqTRXkU

 

I filmed this video over the weekend, there's an hours worth of deadlifting that's been cut down to a little over 11mins. I talk you through how I work through sets, how to structure your warmups sets in terms of reps and then we get into the bigger weights I finished up on pulling 440lb (a little over 3 x bw) off a couple of 20kg plates ~ next month I drop down to one plate and then it's time to work from the floor.

 

You can find Part I as well as my blogs on my YouTube account, I am posting this one for two reasons: I tried to explain a lot of what I do and why I do it like that, and also because I was really happy with how the final two sets turned out (you have to get to the end to get what I'm talking about)! Thanks for watching, and any questions please feel free to post them up either here or in my journal, http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=27555

 

Regards from kiwiland MF.

Edited by Mini Forklift Ⓥ
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... and apologies in advance for the salmon pizza at the start of the video. I've been a pescetarian since 2001 but I'll be making the shift to vegan hopefully before the year is out. Still trying to convince the wife it won't affect our little girls upbringing and make things harder for her. It's kind of a work in progress

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Your strength-to-weight ratio is ridiculous, but you are a pretty thin dude. Why not eat moar?

Because I compete in the 130-145 weight class ~ 150 is about the heaviest I like to get. Downside of being 150 is that I tend to lose strength when I drop the 5lb back down to make weight, so now I tend to just try and stay right at the top end of my class

 

http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/customavatars/avatar87309_36.gif

 

I prefer to think of myself as lean rather than skinny haha !!

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Awesome strength mate...really cool seeing someone in this weight range working towards big numbers. I would however (please don't think I'm being a usual forum troll)would work on your form when your setting & getting the bar initially moving.

All the best & good luck

Thanks for the comments

 

Form... as in getting my hips lower and recruiting more leg drive? If so, that's something I have been working on for while now. I've still got a way to go before my technique is perfect, but I feel like I'm slowly getting there.

 

Personally I think that performing deficit DL's on a regular basis have helped me immensely; I alternate between standing on plates and pulling (see pic) and using the smaller 35's on the bar to get it lower to the ground.

 

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/310526_192629757481104_161273440616736_442132_1977041737_n.jpg

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Your strength-to-weight ratio is ridiculous, but you are a pretty thin dude. Why not eat moar?

Because I compete in the 130-145 weight class ~ 150 is about the heaviest I like to get. Downside of being 150 is that I tend to lose strength when I drop the 5lb back down to make weight, so now I tend to just try and stay right at the top end of my class

 

http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/customavatars/avatar87309_36.gif

 

I prefer to think of myself as lean rather than skinny haha !!

 

So the next class is 145-160? Get on up there to 160!

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Awesome strength mate...really cool seeing someone in this weight range working towards big numbers. I would however (please don't think I'm being a usual forum troll)would work on your form when your setting & getting the bar initially moving.

All the best & good luck

Thanks for the comments

 

Form... as in getting my hips lower and recruiting more leg drive? If so, that's something I have been working on for while now. I've still got a way to go before my technique is perfect, but I feel like I'm slowly getting there.

 

Personally I think that performing deficit DL's on a regular basis have helped me immensely; I alternate between standing on plates and pulling (see pic) and using the smaller 35's on the bar to get it lower to the ground.

 

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/310526_192629757481104_161273440616736_442132_1977041737_n.jpg

 

The biggest tip I was given by a long time power lifter was that your set up should take longer than the set. Not to be critical but you grab the bar then start to position your feet. You should be getting your feet placement first, then bending from the hips (not dropping them) get the grip (then bring the shins to the bar). The arch in the back should be a result of you pushing your chest out, Not dropping your hips (some people do need to slightly to get a better angel) & fill the diaphragm with air. As you commented the initial move should be from the quads, then hips pushing though ect....To me it almost looks like you are jerking the bar to get it moving, Let your quads do the work on the initial move.

 

It's not me being critical, Just trying to help you avoid an injury as I suffer from sciatica & I really had to spend a lot of time nailing proper form with deads.

 

http://youtu.be/Syt7A23YnpA

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You can find if you know where to look Mark Rippetoes starting strength dvd to download...I would high recommend getting it

I wasn't aware there was a DVD to that, thanks for letting me know. You have seen it?

 

I was actually looking at buying his 'Texas Method' book, I've been told that 'Starting Strength' is more for beginners. I know that both Tate and Wendler recommend him so that's good enough for me.

 

Another good one is 'SuperTraining' by Mel Siff. I'm currently just finishing up Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 e-book, that was a great read and one that I would highly recommend if you want to make some big gains on your compound lifts. It is what my training programmes are modelled on.

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The biggest tip I was given by a long time power lifter was that your set up should take longer than the set. Not to be critical but you grab the bar then start to position your feet. You should be getting your feet placement first, then bending from the hips (not dropping them) get the grip (then bring the shins to the bar). The arch in the back should be a result of you pushing your chest out, Not dropping your hips (some people do need to slightly to get a better angel) & fill the diaphragm with air. As you commented the initial move should be from the quads, then hips pushing though ect....To me it almost looks like you are jerking the bar to get it moving, Let your quads do the work on the initial move.

 

It's not me being critical, Just trying to help you avoid an injury as I suffer from sciatica & I really had to spend a lot of time nailing proper form with deads.

Thanks for that, really appreciate your input.

 

Completely hear what you are saying, and personally I have reagrded deadlifts for a long time now as a pressing movement rather than a pull. Pressing & driving through your feet to power the bar up, I have been trying to lower my hips for the last few months to try and create more leg drive therefore taking a little bit of my lower back out of the movement. I agree I do need to get the intial move coming from the quads, but guess it's the way I have always done them. It's just the hardest bit of getting the bar off the floor ~ after that I'm generally okay and I have never had any real problems with locking out or the top portion of the lift.

 

This gives you a slightly different angle; this was about two months ago at my last meet, my final lift of 418lb:

 

 

Thanks again though, feel free to make any other suggestions. I don't claim to know everything and I realise technique is something that's a continual evolvement

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Great relative strength mate.

 

There's only one thing I'd watch out for, and that's unlocked elbows at the initial pull with the over/under grip. You see a lot of nasty bicep tears resulting from this, and it's an easy thing to change in the setup.

 

 

EDIT: also just saw your bench press at that comp. That's a serious bench for your size! I've got about 20kg BW on you and am nowhere near 105kg

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Now that was sweet:)

Better

 

Great relative strength mate.

 

There's only one thing I'd watch out for, and that's unlocked elbows at the initial pull with the over/under grip. You see a lot of nasty bicep tears resulting from this, and it's an easy thing to change in the setup.

 

EDIT: also just saw your bench press at that comp. That's a serious bench for your size! I've got about 20kg BW on you and am nowhere near 105kg

Much appreciated, thanks for your comments and the tip about the unlocked elbows. I'm aware of the bicep tears (seen a few vids on YouTube of it happening), must admit I haven't been aware of what position my arms are in when I start the pull. I will look into that though and do a little research, so thanks again for the heads up.

 

I always thought bench was a weak lift for me, but I suppose it's okay. I have a push/pull meet in 3wks time, hoping to get 107.5kg for that and then 110kg at my April meet. Kind regards MF.

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Forklift, how long and often do you usually work out?

I train 6 days a week, but bear in mind Mon-Wed is only one movement and Thu is a rest day so it's not as full on as it looks. I I take extra rest days as and when I need them. Most workouts are 40-60mins and I very rarely train longer than an hour.

 

MON: SQUATS

TUE: BENCH

WED: DL or DL VARIATION

THU: REST

FRI: LEGS w SQUAT VARIATION

SAT: CHEST w BENCH VARIATION

SUN: ASSISTANCE & ANCILLARY WORK

 

I rotate that training cycle like this:

 

WEEK 1: Light (working at 70% max)

WEEK 2: Medium (working at 80% max)

WEEK 3: Heavy (working at 90-100% max)

WEEK 4: Deload

 

I also take a full week off the gym every 12 weeks or so, just to allow my CNS to recover and allow my immune function and other systems to come back up

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I'm just a little under 2wks out from a push/pull meet, starting my final heavy week now before I deload and rest up.

 

Deadlifted 3 x bodyweight last night so pretty happy with that, my final three sets were:

 

352 x 4

396 x 2

429 x 1 (3xbw) ** PB **

 

Interesting thing (to me anyway) is that I've probably trained DL's less this time around than I usually do.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

There's only one thing I'd watch out for, and that's unlocked elbows at the initial pull with the over/under grip. You see a lot of nasty bicep tears resulting from this, and it's an easy thing to change in the setup.

 

 

 

This. I was going to post this but you beat me to it!

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I'm just a little under 2wks out from a push/pull meet, starting my final heavy week now before I deload and rest up.

 

Deadlifted 3 x bodyweight last night so pretty happy with that, my final three sets were:

 

352 x 4

396 x 2

429 x 1 (3xbw) ** PB **

 

Interesting thing (to me anyway) is that I've probably trained DL's less this time around than I usually do.

 

Im a big fan of under training my Deadlift, I very rarely go over 90% in a training cycle. Also I only Deadlift from the floor once every 2 weeks. Just my way of doing things and it works pretty well for me and my clients and my team

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Nice Work! How come at the bottom, it almost appears like a stiff legged deadlift? When I deadlift, I am almost in a full squat position. I really work my quads when I deadlift so at the bottom, I look like I am squatting. What you are doing looks more like what I do when I work my hams. Maybe my technique is bad?

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Nice Work! How come at the bottom, it almost appears like a stiff legged deadlift? When I deadlift, I am almost in a full squat position. I really work my quads when I deadlift so at the bottom, I look like I am squatting. What you are doing looks more like what I do when I work my hams. Maybe my technique is bad?

Your technique is not bad. Ideally you probably want to have a starting position that looks like you are halfway through a squat (hope that makes sense) ?!

 

I'm a work in progress in trying to drop my hips and get lower down so I can get more leg drive, also reducing the work that my lower back is currently having to do. This is a great DL, always good to refer to in terms of optimal technique:

 

 

Cheers MF.

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