Deadlift Q&A

Speaking of deadlifts, I had been doing them twice a week and had stalled on making progress. About two weeks ago I decided to go once a week. So after my second week of once a week I was rewarded with a great deadlift day today. Doing them twice a week was apparently taxing my recovery ability too much. Maybe with deadlifts less is more.

Chuck

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I read your message about doing deadlifts once a week and making gains. I had mentioned earlier that I only work each body part once per week. I have been doing this for years successfully. As a matter of fact, if you have ever followed powerlifting most of the "Big" DL guys only pull once every week or two. They do work their back hard every week though with other exercises. As I said before, when the intensity is high, the frequency is low. Less is more.

Rick
http://www.geocities.com/born_again_hard/

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The main problem a lot of people on will have with deadlifts, frankly, is finding a place to do them. Most modern gyms don't have a lifting platform - an area set aside for Olympic bar work from the floor. You'll have to find an area where you can stretch out just a little bit anyway. Put an Olympic bar on the floor. If you can't find any other place, stand inside a squat rack but start with the bar on the floor instead of the pins. Go ahead and start with it empty to get the feel of the movement.

Laree

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<Do you place the weight down after each rep rest pause style, or are you gripping that barbell for the entire duration of the set?>

I grip for the entire duration of the set, the barbell does not touch the ground.

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I always set the weight down momentarily when I deadlift. Pretty much like a rest pause (but I never loosen my grip), maybe 1 second goes by between reps. This takes total concentration so you can keep your form correct otherwise going this speed you will tend to start using your back more than your legs. On stiff-legged deadlifts I use no pause just a slow descent and faster ascent.

Guy

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I do not grip it for the entire set. To me the DL is a real technique exercise. At least if you want to remain injury free. I do other grip work (Ironmind grippers, Titans Telegraph and pinch griping - and soon a wrist roller) and prefer to focus on the actual lift as opposed to the grip aspect of it. I prefer to set the barbell down and re-set between each rep. Only take enough time between reps to take a couple of breaths. And I lower in a slow controlled fashion keeping the bar very close. Though I do shrugs with the same weight that I DL and obviously maintain the same grip throughout (though much less time since its a much shorter ROM). Either way we are both doing a great exercise that few seem to do any more (I see fewer deadlifters than squatters) and also giving appropriate attention to the grip.

Chuck

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Deadlifts without straps work my forearms pretty good, which leads to another question: how many folks here deadlift without straps? How much weight can you deadlift without straps? Personally, I've yet to be able to get more than 200# for three without them. I just have personal problems with straps.

Craig

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I share your enthusiasm for the deadlift. If I could only do one exercise I'd have a hard time choosing between the DL and squat but would probably choose the DL. I think the DL and standing overhead press would make a heck of a one/two combination.

At any rate as to your question about straps: I don't use them. I've only been back to lifting for about 5 or 6 months after a layoff of over 10 years. I'm not lifting what I used to and at 49 I'm working up slowly and concentrating on form. I decided to forego straps in order to let my grip develop along with my lifting. At present I do warm-up sets of 135x5, 185x5 and 235x5 followed by a work set of 275x5. Part of whether or not you use straps is determined by how you do the DL. In a way I view each rep as a set in and of itself. I believe form is so critical on this exercise that I set the weight down between each lift, reset, regrip and pull. It only takes a few seconds. As wonderful as the DL is I think you can hurt yourself if you let yourself get sloppy just to get the reps out. I could not do this without straps if I did DL's touch and go style with the weight and held one grip for the entire set. The total movement is too long to do that. I shrug the same weights that I DL and as long as I'm doing sets of 6 to 8 I can do them no problem with no straps but the time of the lift is much shorter since we're only talking a few inches of movement.

I love the DL. It always leaves me breathing hard and feeling worked. I do it first and a good DL really sets the tone for the rest of the workout. And it's all downhill from the DL.

HTH

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When I do my deadlifts I go slower in lowering the weight than I do in coming back up. Also you want to keep that weight as close to your body as possible, any leaning away from the body will strain the back. One other item: I seldom do more than eight reps per set.

Guy

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I think you are right on the money with your advice. In fact I dropped my reps from 10 per set to 6. I noticed that it was real easy for form to deteriorate with each additional rep. And the real deterioration took place, as you pointed out, in the lowering phase. It is too easy to inadvertently lean forward when you lower the weight. And I think that it's on the lowering where you will tend to hurt yourself. Not lifting when you are really concentrating on keeping an arch in your back. I think my DL's have been more productive since I started doing one warm-up set (about 60%) and three work sets of 6. I know my form has been much better.

Chuck

Click here for Dave's deadlift description

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