Switchin up the DL.
I have been struggleing with the dead lift recently…well in general I guess you could say. I started deadlifting about 2 months ago and haven’t really gotten the hang of it at all. I think part of my difficulty is in the fact that my torso is long compared to my legs. So…at the bottom of the lift I have a very hard time keeping my back good and locked with a strong arch.
Today I tried sumo deadlifts and I must say I definitely will be doing these all the time now! The sumo lift lets me get closer to the ground and really squat into it. Its harder on the hips, but easier on the back (which is another plus since I’ve had lower back disc surgery before and have lost some flexibility there). I also really feel like I can sit into though, and pull with much better form. I started at 135 to get the hang of things, then did 6x 225/275 and 4×315. Next week I’m going to throw 325 on there and pull 3 sets.
I have a couple problems though and I was wondering if there were any of you with stellar input you could give me. First of all, I have a training partner that does lower weight so I have to rack and load weights every set. With that being said, when I got my grip ready with a wide stance while the bar was still on the rack it was extremely awkward pulling the weight up, walking back two steps and then dropping the weight to the floor. Do you guys generally do a conventional deadlift to get the weight to the floor and then switch up the stance? Do you load the weight sitting on the floor and just go from there. After my last rep too it was kind of hard to get the weight back to the rack too…holding 315 and trying to walk the weight back, while its bouncing off my thighs and I’m struggleing with the grip.
The second problem I had was with the grip. I’m using an over/under style grip, but the bar is not knurled where I need to grip it. So it makes it slippery in comparison. Should I move my hands out a bit to the knurled part, which would place them a little wider than shoulder width?
Post by: TPower81
July 29, 2008 at 7:55 am
You may like this article for some ideas for various deadlifts depending on what your goal with them is: http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/dissecting_the_deadlift&cr=
Sumos are great for hitting the inner legs and glutes more, which are often neglected. Its not hard to make it up for the rest of the legs with front squats or close stance leg press. Keep at it!
July 30, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I have a bad back due to deadlifts and don’t do them anymore (though I really want to). I am tall and it is hard on my lower back as well. If sumos are working for you then go for it. They work slightly different muscles but as trixter says other moves can easily make up for this. I weight lift with my wife sometimes so I can sympathize with you. If you are working out in the gym the simplest thing to do is have 2 bars on the ground going at the same time. one with your weight and one with your partners weight. I recommend loading the bar on the ground and keeping it there. This will take all the awkwardness out of it and risks of injury. The only deadlifts I do are straight legged with dumbells. I find these ones don’t affect my lower back?? But of course these focus on your hams. Do what works for your body and don’t be afraid to ask people in your gym what you are doing right or wrong (make sure they know what they heck they are talking about) and last case scenario, take a movie and we would all be happy to comment on form as bb.com.