Articles By Jim Smith
Author of
Accelerated Muscular Development 2.0
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[Editors note]
On this page, you're going to get an in-depth look at
deadlifting...the benefits of it, how to do it, how to improve
it and a whole lot more. Deadlifting is one of THE most
productive exercises you can do and this information will
get you pointed in the right direction!
Types
of Deadlifts:
- Sumo Deadlift
- Conventional Deadlift
- BTR (Beyond the Range/Deficit)
Deadlift
- Snatch Grip Deadlifts
- Suitcase Deadlift
- RDL’s (Romanian) Deadlift
- Trap bar Deadlift
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Deadlift
Benefits:
- to build strength and enhance
power potential
- to add muscle mass to the entire
body
- develop core strength and rigidity
- injury prevention, in everyday
life you have to pick things off the floor
- confidence
- support grip strength
How to Build the Deadlift:
Good
Form
First off, you have
to deadlift with good form. If you form is off, it will lead to
you missing the lift, typically right off the floor.
- 1. Form Check
- 2. Shins on the bar – You
must make sure you are as close to the bar as possible. This
shortens the distance between the center of gravity (COG) of
the bar and the COG of the lifter. This is the most advantageous
leverage position
- 3. Big Air – You have to
catch a big air to increase your intra-abdominal pressure
- 4. Force Your Abs Out –
This along with a big air will provide you with a natural belt
to ensure your lower back and abdominals are braced and strong.
This technique is further enhanced when you actually wear a
belt because you’ll be forcing your abdominals out against
a rigid object.
- 5. Do Not Jerk the Weight Off
the Floor – Rather push the floor away after you develop
a high level of full body tension.
- 6. Keep the Bar Against Your
Body the Entire Lift – Again, maximizing your leverages.
- 7. Lockout With a Powerful Glute
Contraction – Do not hyperextend your lower back, lock
out your hips by forcibly contracting your glutes.
Are
You Weak?
Make sure you develop
not only your posterior chain, but your core strength, upper back
musculature and grip.
- 1. Develop Posterior Chain –
RDL’s, Stiff Legged Deadlifts, GHR, Reverse Hypers, Partial
Range (rack lockouts), Beyond the Range (standing on plates
or blocks)
- 2. Develop Core – Engaging
in compound movements, L-sit pull-ups, medicine ball exercises,
ab roller, the posterior chain exercise in part 1 develop the
antagonist (to the abdominals) side of the “core”.
- 3. Develop Your Upper Back –
pull ups, face pulls, seated rows, bent over rows
- 4. Develop Grip Strength –
thick bar holds, rack holds, plate pinch, utilize double overhand
(pronated grip) as long as you can while you’re working
up on your deadlifts sets.
You’re Not Psyching Up!
To pull heavy you have
to be mentally prepared. When you approach the bar you have to
be ready to go.
How
to Fix Your Deadlift
- 1. I’m Missing at Lockout
– What should I do?
Technique – finish with glute contraction, head forward,
pull shoulders back
Strength – incorporate more pull-ups, rack pulls, good
mornings, reverse hypers
- 2. Knees Kicking In with Sumo
Deadlifts – What should I do?
Technique – force the knees out during the eccentric and
concentric phases of the lift, “spread the floor”
Strength – incorporate x-band walks, lunges, step-ups
- 3. I’m Missing Off the Floor
– What should I do?
Technique - create tension in legs, lower back AND lats before
pulling, head up, push the ground away, try various foot positions,
use wrestlers shoes
Strength – incorporate beyond the range deadlifts, band
resisted deadlifts, GHR
Training
For a Stronger Deadlift
So how does one build
a strong deadlift? What training techniques work? What doesn’t
work? Most importantly, how often does one deadlift?
Although I am fairly young in years,
I am still “old school” when it comes to training the
deadlift. I am a firm believer that you need to pull at least
once a week if you are going to consistently add weight to the
deadlift. However, I also believe in using many variations of
the deadlift, as well as many assistance exercises, in order to
make the deadlift skyrocket!
Let’s start with some basic
assistance exercises.
The first I want to mention
is the barbell good morning.
In my opinion, nothing is better
for strengthening the structures of the lower back for big pulls.
This exercise can also be extremely risky if you are not careful.
Beginners should start out light, with an empty bar, and strive
to add only 5-pounds a week. It is a risky exercise, and you do
it at your own risk. To me, the benefits I see in my deadlift,
and squat, far outweigh the risks.
Start with the bar on your back
like you would if you were performing the barbell back squat.
Use the same stance width you use when squatting or deadlifting.
Keep the back tight and push the butt back as you lower the weight.
Take the weight down to about waist height, keeping the back tight
the entire time. No rounding! Your weight should be on your heels
and your butt should be back. The stress should be felt on the
low back as well as the hamstrings. Now flex the back and hamstrings
to return the weight to the standing position. Throw your ego
out the door! Go light, strengthen the back, and reap the benefits
of this great exercise!
The next assistance exercises
are for the hips. I am
a firm believer of strengthening the hips as much as possible.
As the hips get stronger, your sumo and conventional pull will
increase. As a matter of fact, I believe in this theory so much
that I train all my pulls sumo style until I am two to three weeks
out of a contest. Only then do I switch to conventional. With
that, one of the best ways to strengthen the hips is to pull sumo!
Concentrate hard on pushing the feet into the platform and spreading
the floor.
A second way that is tremendous
in strengthening the hips is the barbell box squat. Use a wide
stance and squat onto a box that is a little below parallel. Lower
slow to the box, do not bounce or slam onto it! Once on the box,
relax the hip flexors then flex them hard to pop off the box and
lockout the weight. Drive out on legs the entire time, lowering
and lifting. Spread the floor with the feet hard!
To learn how to box squat properly,
visit www.elitefts.com and read the articles on box squatting.
Reps, sets, weight, etc. are all explained in great detail.
A third exercise I like to use
on my hips is the bottom-up chain suspended squat. This movement
requires a cage and some heavy-duty chains. I set the cage pins
up so when the chains are attached, the bar is below parallel.
I then wiggle under the bar, get
set-up as straight as possible, then concentrate on driving my
feet into the ground and lifting the weight with my hips only.
Keep your back straight the whole
time and use the hips. Drive out hard with those feet. A quick
word on why I use the chains instead of the cage pins: the chains
allow me to use my proper form as opposed to being locked onto
the pins. Also, with the chains, I can really wiggle under the
bar, as it is free to move with me.
Along with these assistance exercises,
I also pull at least once a week. This is a constantly changing
process; sometimes I may do regular pulls from the ground, sometimes
I will do a rack pull, sometimes I will go off a box, and sometimes
I will do a specialty lift such as adding bands or chains.
One movement I really like to
do is the rack pull. Put the bar in the cage at your sticking
point. For me, this is about 14” off the ground. I tend to
slow down at this point and it causes my deadlift to grind to
a halt. Experiment to find your sticking point, but you can do
these from as low as 1” from the ground and as high as above
the knees. Everything about your form stays identical as it would
to pulling off the ground. I do singles and triples with these,
and I always use a semi-sumo style.
Another great movement in building
deadlift speed is the band deadlift. Loop a couple of Jumpstretch©
bands over the bar like so:
Now pull like you normally would.
Use perfect form and make sure to pull with speed. If you don’t-you
won’t make it to lockout! Use 60-80% of your max, and then
add bands of your choice. Do triples, as many as ten sets.
If you have access to chains, you
can use them as well. Just drape them over the bar, then go to
it. More chains = more weight at lockout!
Another great way to overload the
top for a strong lockout is to use dumbbells. Beware, dumbbells
are much more intense then chains or bands because the weight
gain is not gradual, but rather instant. Chain some dumbbells
to each side of the bar like so:
Make sure to measure the chain and
have the dumbbells kicking in right at your sticking point. This
works okay off the ground, but even better in the cage, as you
wont have to worry about hitting the dumbbells on the way down.
Use this for singles work.
If you have access to the Jumpstretch©
bands, you can also do the reverse-band deadlift. I love this
lift as it really strengthens the lockout portion of the deadlift.
Simply attach the bands of your choice to the cage pins at a desired
height, or the top of the cage. The higher the bands are attached,
the more they will help off the ground. Then attach the bands
to the bar. You will notice, depending on what bands you use,
you will need a certain weight just to keep the bar on the ground.
This weight can be used as the amount the bands are actually de-loading
from the bottom.
With all this talk about lockout
strength, how does one strengthen the bottom of the lift? Nothing
is better then the deadlift off a box. Stand on a box that allows
the bar to almost touch the tops of the feet. Keep your form the
same as you would if pulling a regular deadlift, only now you
must get the hips much deeper to initiate the pull. Everything
stays the same! You will find you will have to use much less weight
to perform this lift.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Accelerated Muscular Development
2.0 and grab your copy now!
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