TOUCH THE WALL!
Fastest easiest way to travel is in a straight line. Deadlifts aren’t any different!
As we always say the deadlift is a leverage. When the shoulders stay over the bar it creates a much safer, efficient, STRONGER lift.
The problem most people have is understanding the HIP HINGE. This is one of, if not the most important part of the lift in optimizing efficiency. ,
Most want to pull the bar to the hips. When in fact, you actually want to PUSH the hips into the bar. And this is what the HIP HINGE is all about.
To understand this idea, soak in these two cues:
- TOUCH THE WALL (Hips straight BACK)
And
2) TOUCH THE BAR (Hips straight FOWARD)
TOUCH THE WALL: When conducting the DOWNWARD portion of the deadlift (eccentric) think about having your rear end TOUCH THE WALL. This won’t actually happen, so don’t allow yourself to fall back on this. Doing this will create more of an imbalance then what was there. To help avoid this problem, continue to think about external rotation, SPREAD THE FLOOR. By engaging your hamstrings and glutes, all while also keeping your core tight. By following those cues the bar will stay in the straight line it is supposed to on the eccentric.
Once the bar is on the ground and the body is tight (core braced, external rotation in the hips/feet) continue to spread the floor with your feet squeezing your glutes tight. This will initiate the bar off the ground.
TOUCH THE BAR: Now during the UPWARD portion of the lift (concentric) force your hips to the bar. You want to act as someone just tazze you in your butt and you want to get away. The cue to use here is TOUCH THE BAR. Initiate this by squeezing your glutes together hard as you can. By forcing your glutes together. This will naturally, by the way the anatomy and physics of the human body work, bring your hips into the bar… HARD AND FAST.
The one thing I’ve noticed by coaching athletes and clients that are new to the deadlift is that your arms aren’t doing any of the lifting. Naturally for beginners they think they need to use their arms to help bring the bar to the hips for a little extra umf in the lift. This can only cause injury over time. Think of your arms as levers or hooks. You’re gripping the bar as hard as you can in your hands. Then flex the triceps like your life depends on it, this will take off almost all the pressure of your bicep, which is where the most common injury occurs in the lift. These two cues will help the arms stay stabilized throughout the movement.
This can be practice with nothing in the hands or a broomstick or even a light loaded bar. Act as if this is your 1RM so when you need to properly execute that max rep, it’s like it always as been! This is where developing the motor pattern in the lift is the most important, if it doesn’t feel right here it wont feel right on your 1RM. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, Fast is Strong, STRONG IS STRONG.
- Dylan Spina – @dylanspina61
IVB Trainer and Nutrition Coach
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