Should I give up on deadlifts?

[bud_2005]

Maybe I'm just not built to do deadlifts. I just can't figure out the form. I watched many youtube videos on how to do them. But my lower back always kills me afterwards. I'm getting really frustrated.

 

[Triple T]

Maybe I'm just not built to do deadlifts. I just can't figure out the form. I watched many youtube videos on how to do them. But my lower back always kills me afterwards. I'm getting really frustrated.

Same here guys, I've been trying to do it for awhile now.
But it just doesn't seem to feel right. I'll have to video tape myself one of these days and post it up.
A couple of the guys at the gym say I'm doing it with correct form, but it just doesn't feel like it.

But any tips? Like things we should do that sometimes forget?
Maybe your own experiences..

 

[wolf116]

get a powerlifter to teach you

 

[Flyer]

youtube is horrible.

check out crossfit.com, -> videos links, also listen to the lectures.

^and yeah, get a powerlifter to teach ya.

 

[MrS]

You push your feet into the ground, push your hips forwards.

 

[mrRuckus]

Hips and shoulders raise at the same rate.

When i concentrated on that my form was a lot better and just naturally went the right way. Lower the weight if your hips are shooting up faster than your shoulders (stiff legging it). I lowered the weight by 20 lbs and had to work back to my previous but now my back doesn't hurt after them.

Drag the bar up your body or very very close to it. Then when the bar gets to your knees, hump the bar.

Really. I had more power shooting my hips straight up and tearing it from the ground and i didn't realize i was doing that so much. Then i concentrated on not letting my hips and the bar leave the ground unless my shoulders were following them up at the same rate... if that means less weight so be it. My back is MUCH less aggravated afterwards now and i'm back to the same weight i was at before in a few weeks.

 

[Kerpal]

Video yourself doing it and post the video here, Rippetoe will tell you if anything is wrong with your form: http://strengthmill.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36&order=desc

 

[Cry For Love]

There are a lot of guys like that. My mates have similar trouble.

The big trouble for them happens to be to get the back at a lower angle to the floor, they are crouching pretty much with a vertical back like in a squatting exercise.

 

[Being_the_Don]

stronglifts.com had a good deadlift video.

 

[Mr.Positive]

You push your feet into the ground, push your hips forwards.

This is important. Also, remember to push off with the heel of your foot, not the ball of your foot.

You could also try shoes that do not have any raised heels and flat soles. I use converse all stars with good luck. I know they make shoes specific for weightlifting, but I haven't found them.

You could try deadlifting barefoot too, if your gym allows it.

The deadlift is my favorite exercise. Good luck and get the form down before adding a lot of weight.

 

[onyx]

when i first did deadlifts, my shins were scrapped real bad, and my glutes and i think hamstrings were sore or thighs cant remember which, but i never had any back pain at all

 

[Quiksilver]

Can't believe no one's mentioned this yet...

It sounds like you have tight hamstrings, which is preventing you from using proper form. I agree you should give up on deadlifts... Until you loosen your hammies a bit.

Do a google search on hamstring stretches, and just do them every day.

 

[NeedsAGuitar]

Squeeze your glutes when you do this, as it is impossible to arch your lower back while doing this. And it also gives you more power. When I first did this, it was the best deadlift I ever did and I felt most of it in my legs.

 

[Cry For Love]

Can't believe no one's mentioned this yet...

It sounds like you have tight hamstrings, which is preventing you from using proper form. I agree you should give up on deadlifts... Until you loosen your hammies a bit.

Do a google search on hamstring stretches, and just do them every day.

I dont think that could be the culprit. I have hamstring inflexibility, to such a degree that I can only touch the middle of my shin with my hands when bending over, no deeper. But it doesnt interfere with doing deadlifts because the movement doesnt include having to bend over while knees are straight, its bending over with knees flexed which doesnt stretch hamstrings to their limit.

 

[bud_2005]

I think I might have finally figured it out. Instead of throwing my hips ahead, I ws leaning back which it looked like they were doing in the videos. My back still hurts a little but not nearly as much as before. My back seemed to hurt when I lowered the bar back down. Any more tips and thanks for those already given.

 

[Quagmire911]

Look on the last page of JohhnyIrish's log. I list three deadlift threads.

 

[Throttle]

leaning back which it looked like they were doing in the videos.

as suggested by others above, there are lots of bad deadlift vids out there, esp. on youtube but also elsewhere.