The deadlift is sometimes claimed to be one of the simpler barbell lifts, because It’s just “picking something up off the ground.”
But, in a way, this does a disservice to the complexity and skill component of the lift.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when learning to deadlift with a barbell is… learning with a barbell.
Say whattttt? This is because starting with a barbell, especially when lifting from the floor, adds a ton of complexity right off the bat that most people aren’t ready for.
First, we must start with learning the basics of a hip hinge (pssst, start here: http://www.bspnova.com/if-you-only-learn-one-exercise-make-it-this/), then we learn to kettlebell deadlift.
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Our members at BSP NOVA have an aim to pass our kettlebell deadlift strength standard before they to move on to deadlifting with a barbell.
Why, you ask?
When approached in this order, by the time someone gets to using the barbell off the floor or an elevated surface, they’re already proficient at the hip hinge and learning the movement is much easier.
Now that a base level of skill and strength has been achieved through kettlebell deadlifting, we’re ready to move onto the barbell.
But, there are a few things to consider when making the switch.
Tip # 1: Elevating The Bar As Needed
We rarely have individuals deadlifting from the floor in our gym.
Why? Because no one NEEDS to do so unless they’re a competitive powerlifter or Olympic lifter.
Now, if someone can safely get into the position to do so, then sure, we may have them deadlifting from the floor. But this is rarely the case from day one.
If we have someone who doesn’t have the hip mobility, core stability, or skill to deadlift from the floor in a good position, then they don’t. It’s a risk reward balance where the risk is not worth the reward.
Instead, we can simply elevate the bar using plates and risers as shown in the video below (Rackpulls and RDL’s could be a good variation too). By raising the bar off the floor as shown in the video below, it allows the individual to get the benefits of deadlifting, but in a safer position for them. Hex Bar Deadlifts can be elevated as well, although this is less common because the higher handles make them elevated deadlifts already.
Tip #2: Pulling Slack Out Of The Bar
When we’re deadlifting from the floor, or an elevated surface, it’s important that we pull the slack out of the bar each rep.
Since the weight must have a slightly bigger diameter than the barbell, there will be a tiny bit of space between the bar and weight. “Slack” refers to the space between the barbell and the weight that is placed on it. We can even hear this as a clicking sound if we pull on the barbell while it’s resting on the floor.
[This does not apply to the rack pull deadlift, because when the bar is resting on the rack, there is no slack to pull out]
When we deadlift, we don’t want to aggressively pull on the bar without any tension (as shown initially in the video below). If we don’t set ourselves up with tension first, things get weird. An easy way to think about this is to imagine a bar is loaded with 135 pounds. We put 130 pounds of force into the bar first to create tension, then add those 5 extra pounds to lift the bar.
By pulling ourselves into position this way we create rigidity throughout our whole body. There is less likelihood that we will lose our position since we have tension locking us into place.
Nothing changes regarding our technique—it’s the same exact deadlift from the floor, but we’re simply making it a “two-part pull” in a sense.
- We pull ourselves into a tighter position,
- then we drive the ground away to stand tall.
Tip #3: Keeping The Bar Close
We teach the importance of keeping an implement, usually a kettlebell to start, close to us when deadlifting.
If our hips are the primary mover in a deadlift, and we let the bar get away from us by placing it down too far forward, it’s going to make the lift harder than it needs to be. It’s less efficient and may also shift that load from our hamstrings and hips to our lower back, which we don’t want. This can be one reason why people still claim deadlifts are bad for your back, because they’re loading their lower back more than is desired.
Besides having awareness that the bar is drifting away and consciously keeping it close, there are two cues that you can use to help keep the bar close:
- Imagine there is a towel in your armpit and “pinch the towel”
- “Break the bar around your shins”
Both these cues will get our lats to kick on and create tension to pull the bar in close and keep it there. Also, since our lats attach in our lumbar spine they can serve as stabilizers of our lower back. This could help us create more rigidity throughout our upper and lower back to keep our spine in a stronger position under load.
It’s Still A Hip Hinge
Whether we deadlift from the floor, or an elevated surface, we’re still performing a hip hinge. We start the movement by reaching our hips back to get hamstring tension, drive the ground away to perform the lift, and we finish it in a tall and tight position.
We elevate our bar if needed, pull the slack out first, and make sure we keep it close throughout the lift.
Deadlifting doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult to learn if we follow a simple process. Give these tips a try and you’ll be well on your way to a heavier, safer, barbell deadlift.