My Deadlift Needs Help. Criticise me?

[Jungnaut]

I need some help with my deadlift. It's been stuck at the same point since the beginning of the year. Basically the same pattern is emerging month after month:
- 140kg 5.R.M
- 150kg 3.R.M
- 160kg I can get up on a good day
- 170 kg no chance. I only get the slack out of the bar FML.

Below is a video of my 5 repper 140kg. What I would like to hear are any suggestions on form, positioning, posture that I could improve on so that I can break out of this plateau. My goal is to lift 2 x BW easy and reach a 180 1.R.M by the end of the year. I sure like to think that is realistic.

My current weight is 83.5kg. I have tried:
- plenty of volume in back off sets and multiple sets of 140kg on my deadlift days
- deficit deadlift to address my problem of getting the bar off the floor
- doing lots of front squats to get my quad strength up.

Reps for all advice provided

 

[ezra.bibby]

Obvious suspect is the music [emoji12][emoji1][emoji1]

 

[wingman]

You start the movement with your ass way too high in the air, begin much lower.
The angle of your back should remain the same from when bar is on ground til when bar passes knees or so.

 

[Jungnaut]

Obvious suspect is the music [emoji12][emoji1][emoji1]

You see what I gotta put up with every session?

 

[Goosey]

I see no video

 

[Jungnaut]

You start the movement with your ass way too high in the air, begin much lower.
The angle of your back should remain the same from when bar is on ground til when bar passes knees or so.

Good call wingman.. I have been using Rippetoe's setup cue of bar halfway across foot, lower the hips until the shin touches the bar. Didn't think about the back angle until the bar passes the knee thingy.
Repped!

 

[Jungnaut]

I see no video

lolwot.. Maybe try this link. https://vimeo.com/123387905

 

[steveP]

Obvious suspect is the music [emoji12][emoji1][emoji1]

We work hard, we play hard.

 

[wingman]

Good call wingman.. I have been using Rippetoe's setup cue of bar halfway across foot, lower the hips until the shin touches the bar. Didn't think about the back angle until the bar passes the knee thingy.
Repped!

You missed the 1st sentence?

 

[WoodyAllen]

Can't clearly see your stance and grip, but:

Most importantly, your shoulders are way too far in front of the bar. Your arms should be hanging straight, not angled back like that. The weight will want to swing forward when it clears the floor, and if it does that enough you will screw up your back.

Your back is not flat.

Your shirt is a poncey orange.

To fix this, drop your hips a little so that you sit down and back. That will bring your shoulders over the bar. Then the bar has a clear path to go straight up, and not tend to swing out away from your body. Even if your hips pop up as you take the slack out of the bar (but you can consciously stop that) at least you start your lift in a powerful position.

Lift for speed. Think "fast". You are kinda friggin around there.

When you drop your hips a bit your back will flatten as well, but main thing is to get your shoulders over the bar.

Ditch the orange shirt.

When did you last take a deload week?

What program are you following?

What are your last 4 deadlift workouts?

Do you have an exclusive deadlift day (maybe with accessories after)

 

[Jungnaut]

You missed the 1st sentence?

I was referring to it indirectly by saying that when I use Rippetoe's setup method, my ass ends up being way too high (coz I would only lower by hips until my shins touches the bar). I haven't scraped my shins for months now that I come to think of it..

 

[Jungnaut]

Can't clearly see your stance and grip, but:

Most importantly, your shoulders are way too far in front of the bar. Your arms should be hanging straight, not angled back like that. The weight will want to swing forward when it clears the floor, and if it does that enough you will screw up your back.

Your back is not flat.

Your shirt is a poncey orange.

It's a shoulder width grip with a slightly narrower stance. So the hands are just on the edges of the knurling and my feet inside of it. The inner forearms brush up against the outside of my shins during the lift.

To fix this, drop your hips a little so that you sit down and back. That will bring your shoulders over the bar. Then the bar has a clear path to go straight up, and not tend to swing out away from your body. Even if your hips pop up as you take the slack out of the bar (but you can consciously stop that) at least you start your lift in a powerful position.

Lift for speed. Think "fast". You are kinda friggin around there.

When you drop your hips a bit your back will flatten as well, but main thing is to get your shoulders over the bar.

Ditch the orange shirt.

Fantastico, I'll fix up that starting position. That should help in getting the bar off the floor, where my sticking point is. I've been applying power progressively rather than explosively so I'll grip and rip next time as well.

What's the appropriate colour to wear on deadlift day lmao?

When did you last take a deload week?

What program are you following?

What are your last 4 deadlift workouts?

Do you have an exclusive deadlift day (maybe with accessories after)

I'm doing 5/3/1 andjust finishing off a deload now. So yeah there is an exclusive deadlift day. Last cycle's worth of deadlifts:

DEADLIFT Cycle 4:
Deadlift Training Max Used: 165kg

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Set 1	100 x 5	100 x 5	120 x 5
Set 2	115 x 5	120 x 3	130 x 3
Set 3	130 x 8	130 x 5	140 x 1
Set 4	140 x 2	140 x 3	150 x 1
Set 5	100 x 10	120 x 5	160 x 0
Set 6	100 x 10	120 x 5	140 x 3
Set 7	100 x 10	100 x 8	140 x 3
Set 8		100 x 8	120 x 5
Set 9		100 x 8	120 x 5
Set 10			100 x 8

Followed by bunch of front squats, hanging leg raises.
REPPED!

 

[D1cko]

I wouldn't say there is much wrong except the angle of your arms. Your shoulders are way too far in front of you.
Fix that one thing, and keep doing what you're doing, see how that goes for a month or two. Don't go changing a million things at once because you'll never know what helped.

 

[Jungnaut]

Solid advice as usual [MENTION=9039]D1cko[/MENTION]; much appreciated REP INCOMING

 

[canned tuna]

Jung I was confused by a training post I saw a couple of months ago, you had completed the spread of work sets and then gone on to perform multiple sets of heavier weight with higher reps...
Indicating you aren't pushing the proper work sets hard enough.
I could definitely have misinterpreted what I read though, those were my thoughts at the time

 

[canned tuna]

Technical view from video

First off nothing wrong with setup. Everything looks very efficient

Second, these are things I am recommending from first hand experience and trial and error. No bullshit I've read on T Nation etc etc

Focus on bar speed off the ground
Reason being simple physics. The momentum achieved makes the rest of the movement easier
-Currently you are relying largely on muscling the weight, and little on explosiveness

Stop training slow negatives
Currently you are allocating energy into getting better at lowering the weight slowly
How about putting that extra energy into getting better at lifting the weight?

Make sure you are pushing your work sets/programming
As mentioned in previous post.
The body can handle it

Last of all. You are jacked... I could actually take some tips from you in muscle growth

Smash it bud

 

[Jungnaut]

Jung I was confused by a training post I saw a couple of months ago, you had completed the spread of work sets and then gone on to perform multiple sets of heavier weight with higher reps...
Indicating you aren't pushing the proper work sets hard enough.
I could definitely have misinterpreted what I read though, those were my thoughts at the time

Yea I remembered that canned tuna, and correct as I have been consciously conserving energy for the joker sets. Got to make my work sets the priority.

Focus on bar speed off the ground
Reason being simple physics. The momentum achieved makes the rest of the movement easier
-Currently you are relying largely on muscling the weight, and little on explosiveness

Stop training slow negatives
Currently you are allocating energy into getting better at lowering the weight slowly
How about putting that extra energy into getting better at lifting the weight?

Make sure you are pushing your work sets/programming
As mentioned in previous post.
The body can handle it

Thanks for the pointers, what I might actually do is do some power cleans before my deadlifts. I think that will prep my CNS for more explosiveness. Then I'll put the bumper plates on and start dumping!

Lots of volume has been key to bulking up mate, that 5/3/1 BBB challenge + 1000kcal surplus eating took things up a notch late last year
ON SPREAD

 

[WoodyAllen]

Maybe check with a video from a bit behind, so that you can see your back, knees and hands. Check that when your hands pass your knees that they do not touch the outside of the knee joint. Your grip should be close enough to almost touch, but if you are going for a max lift, even the slight touch of your thumb joint on your outer knee(s) can stall a lift.

Sounds like your grip is in the right spot. I grip about 25mm outside the knurl, but then I am taller and probably have a slightly wider stance because of that. When I look down, the bar cuts down the outside of my shoes, about 25mm in. If your stance is narrower due to your height (maybe the end of the knurl lines up with the outside edge of your shoes) then your grip would be about right. But just check that your thumbs never touch your legs and knees.

The bar should cut your foot in half, but that can vary a bit depending on your build. A typical fat powerlifter probably would need to have it a bit further out, but a lean guy like you should have the bar right up against the shins when you are in the take off position.

It may not look like it, but a deadlift is a speed lift. Think of an olympic snatch. Its all about speed and balance. Same for the deadlift. From your warmups on, always perform the lift with the thought of "FAST!!!" in your mind. The faster you break off the floor, the easier the rest will be.

Black is good. Or red. it's scientifically proven that a red motocross bike goes faster than any other colour. Same for deadlifts. Red be da bomb.

 

[Jeff]

A few random questions/comments:

- Is strength a priority for you?
- Why so many high rep sets? I had a quick look through your log and saw lots of sets over 5.
- Are you one of the stronger guys in your gym?
- Can you get to a gym that has people lifting big weights? Exposure to serious lifters could help change the way you attack the lift.
- There doesn't seem to be a lot of urgency/intent to the lifts.

 

[canned tuna]

.
It may not look like it, but a deadlift is a speed lift. Think of an olympic snatch. Its all about speed and balance. Same for the deadlift. From your warmups on, always perform the lift with the thought of "FAST!!!" in your mind. The faster you break off the floor, the easier the rest will be.

Amen