Deadlifts

Deadlift 

When I used to compete in powerlifting the squat was the modus operandi for competence in the sport. I am a squatter. I have relatively small thick hands, short arms, and a long torso. Never the less I deadlifted 290 kgs. at 90 kgs. bodyweight. That’s 640 at 198 for the Americans in the crowd. Not bad for someone who would only train the deadlift six weeks leading into a competition. Since then many average lifters realized they can add a significant amount to their total training the deadlift. Good thinking! Training all three, or six lifts, is the best practice for overall health also.

This photo motivated me to lift weights in the 7th grade. World record deadlifting by Lemar Gant.

Deadlifts start on the platform (floor). We can take any stance our knees are over our heels and set the back. If the knees are not over the heels the forces created at the hips are extreme and sheer forces are to be avoided at all costs in training and competition. All lifting is posture based. Maintain good posture no matter what.

Conventional deadlifts are for people with strong backs. The feet are hips width apart. We squat down with a back-set (good posture), grab the bar outside the legs, and stand up maintaining the back-set. Keeping the shoulders in-time until the bar passes the knees is difficult but imperative. The hips are stronger than the back. If we rush the bar off the platform we risk leaving the shoulders behind and putting more stress on the back than we want. There are training exercises, RDL, good mornings, hyperextensions, which train the ability to extend the hips with less leg involvement. These are training movements. Use everything in competition not parts.

Sumo deadlifts are more hip and leg oriented than conventional style deadlifts. These give the back “a break” lifting heavy weights. Wide stance with the hands inside the knees to grip the bar. I read recently that these have been called “California deadlifts”. They are quite popular in CA. I only met two people in a year who are conventional deadlifters, in Los Angeles. Some of these lifters were not even built for sumo DL. Hip injuries resulted, invariably.

Conventional deadlifts are for those with strong backs. Sumo deadlifts are for our longer limbed friends who find it difficult to get to the bar conventionally. We should all practice both forms. Stand and deliver.  The meet don’t start ‘til the bar is on the floor. The quotes border on cliché. Be a balanced lifter is my advice. Get strong on the squat, bench-press, deadlift, clean, jerk, and snatch and you have an advantage on those who specialize on one lift. If you want to specialize do it on the squat it transfers better. At Doc’s Gym we are balanced and we dominate our competition.

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