Isometric DL at the sticking point

Do these after your regular deadlifts and use no straps. Some loading parameters to choose from:

a. 3sec/5 sets b. 5sec/3 sets c. 10sec/1 set

Not anchoring your lift off with a hip flexor “pinch” is one of the reasons you may be having a problem holding your arch. Review the “Pulling yourself down to the bar” section in the very beginning of this book.

• Thoracic spine

You may start the pull with your upper back somewhat rounded. The more flexed it is, the easier it is to start the pull—and the harder to finish it.

Regardless of how much thoracic spine flexion you start with, it may not increase any more once the bar gets moving. If your upper back bends towards the end of the pull, a proven remedial drill is a partial deadlift. Boris Sheyko recommends pulling from slightly below the kneecaps. Obviously, you must not go so heavy that your upper back caves in, or you would be defeating the purpose of the exercise. Konstantin Konstantinov, who practices extreme upper back flexion, uses deads with bands to strengthen his finish.

Renowned spine biomechanist, Stuart McGill, PhD, has designed an innovative exercise which will hit all your upper back weak spots with laser-like precision. Lie face down on a flat or incline bench, the part of your torso above the sternum hanging off. If the bench is flat, some-one will need to hold your feet down. Hold a weight in some-one hand. Let your spine slightly flex and rotate as you lower the bell a few inches. Then pull back and bring your spine back to neu-tral. Don’t shrug up and don’t hyperextend.

Switch hands and repeat. Then slide up higher on the bench so more of your torso is off the bench and repeat. McGill recommends seven to eight levels to hit all the back extensor motor units. “Loads in the hands are typically not large initially since the objective is to focus on the ability to sense the different section of the muscle and activate them—mental imagery is most important here.”

“The moving fulcrum during back extensor exercise is a philosophical approach to train dif-ferent motor units within the muscle… the fulcrum is systematically moved along the torso, slightly changing the mechanical demands with each positional change. This systematically challenges each section of the extensor motor unit pool.” The scientist insists that you focus on feeling the right muscles. “Imagery enhances the activation of every available motor unit.”

You may have to put a short stiff pad on top of the bench if the latter does not allow you to comfortably hang off the edge. Or lie on a gym ball with your feet hooked under a stationary object.

• Scapulae

An obvious beginner mistake is starting the pull with the shoulders shrugged up and/or back which causes a leak in the scapulae.

Another cause is failing to take the slack out of the bar with your lats, or doing it incorrectly.

By “incorrectly” I mean recruiting your “wings” as you would use them in a bent over row. The correct way is similar to the gymnastics front lever or the straight-arm pulldown. The lats should contract as a unit with the serratus anterior and the obliques, “closing” your sides. Your shoulders “antishrug” towards your pelvis.

Although a maximally protracted position would shorten the stroke, it would prevent you from getting your shoulders back at the top. So you will need to individualize the degree of scapular protraction.

The best lat loading technique that I have come across I learned from Mark Reifkind, Master RKC. Set your lower back arch and brace with your knees slightly flexed as you are standing over the bar. Take your air in and descend with tension. Reach the bar with difficulty, as if fighting the resistance of very tight gear. This will make you stretch your shoulders down and prevent you from dropping the hips too low. Set your grip one hand at a time. How you do it is the key.

As you have gripped the knurling—your arm and shoulder taut, your body fighting to get down against the resistance of the real or imaginary suit, groove briefs, and knee wraps—hiss out a little air. Stick your tongue between your teeth, contract your abs and the obliques on the side you are setting your grip on, and hiss out a little air under high pressure.

If you do all of the above correctly, your lat will lock in so strongly that the bar will noticeably bend (the technique is best practiced with a whippy deadlift or weightlifting bar). Your waist will also be perfectly braced. Still “having difficulties getting down”, barely reach the bar with your other hand and repeat the process. Now drop your hips to the appropriate depth and hit it!

The technique is worth patiently practicing to get it right as it delivers great tightness, link-age, and leverage.

• Elbows

If you start the lift with your elbows flexed, the weight will soon straighten them out for you.

Care for biceps tendon reattachment surgery?

Lock your elbows and cramp your triceps as you are descending to the bar and keep them that way.

Picking a higher focal point at the start of the pull—straight ahead rather than on the ground 6-10 feet in front of you—may be in order, if you just cannot help curling your deadlifts.

• Wrists

Goosenecking your wrists when setting your grip could be a problem. RDC says: “If the hands are rotated as you grip the bar, it most likely will slip out as the weight pulls down, and pulls the rotated hands (flexed wrists) back to a straight up and down position.” So don’t do it.

• Fingers

The bar rolling down towards your fingertips is finger leakage. Andy will show you how to deal with it.

Deadlift and Squat