3 Critical Deadlift Tips

3 Critical Deadlift Tips

November 19, 2019

Practical advice on the best way to get strong with this powerful exercise

There is absolutely no question about it: The deadlift is the most misunderstood lift in America today. Many coaches tell me they are concerned that it can cause lower back pain, and certainly there are several deadlifting mistakes that can cause this problem. Here are three valuable tips to help athletes deadlift more weight and perform the exercise safely:

Tip 1. Only perform low reps. To perform more than 5 reps in the deadlift, especially in the 10-rep category, is asking for serious trouble. The maximum number of heavy reps that should ever be attempted in the deadlift is 5.

There have been some so-called professional research studies that recommend athletes should perform one set of 7-12 reps to exhaustion. Most of these studies do not include the dead-lift. For example, an eight-week study of students in a physical education class doing curls and bench presses does not constitute reliable research for heavy power weight training. In fact, it is inexcusable to make such comparisons. It is quite obvious that heavy deadlifts were never done by these strength coaches in their personal training.

It is dangerous and foolhardy to do more than 5 reps. As the body becomes fatigued from doing too many reps, it becomes difficult to maintain good form. Deadlifting is grueling work but highly rewarding if you keep your reps down to 5 or less.

#2. Only deadlift once a week. The deadlift is a challenging exercise that requires a relatively long recovery time, so only one deadlift workout per week is necessary.
#3. Do not pause between repetitions. This is critical! Do not pause with the weight on the floor between reps. Performing reps in this manner put great stress and pressure on the lower back and the lifter’s entire system. Slightly bounce the weight, making certain the bar is very close to the shins. Bouncing keeps the body “locked-in” at all times while aiding the beginning of the lift with momentum. Your athletes will see a gigantic difference when you have them make this change. Another benefit is that they’ll lift more weight.
The deadlift can be a coach’s most valuable motivational tool, and it is a superior core lift for developing total body power. Follow these training valuable tips and help your athletes achieve upper-limit strength and power!

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Comments

Robert Grone

Robert Grone said:

Some of the worst and most ambiguous advice I have ever heard.Most of the best powerlifters in the world stop all reps(no bouncing).They also often use ten rep sets.Ever hear of Dan Green,and if you don’t know who Dan Green or Louie Simmons are you shouldn’t even be writing an article on deadlifting.

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