We are going to continue with the king of exercises. We have already discussed Deadlift Variations and their benefits. Today, we are going to take a look at ways to improve your deadlift. There are many limiting factors that can play a role in preventing you from improving your deadlift form. Today, we will focus our attention on three of the most common limiting factors – Grip Strength, Upper Back Strength, and Glute Strength.
1 – Grip Strength
The deadlift is a hip dominant lift that utilizes muscles in the entire body. That being said, most people will be able to handle bigger weights than other compound lifts (bench press, lat pulldown, etc…). Often times, the weight you can pull off the ground is limited by the amount of weight you can grip. Once you start losing grip, the whole lift starts to fall apart. You can try varying grips by using a hook grip, mixed grip, or by using straps. However, the best way to improve grip strength is to mix it into your training.
Here are a few tips to do just that:
- Don’t use chalk
- Yes chalk will help you get a better grip on the bar, however lifting without it will make you work hard to hold onto the bar thus improving your overall grip strength.
- Static Holds
- This is easy and can be done on lighter deadlifting days. At the top of the lift, hold the bar for an extended period of time.
- Use Fat Gripz
- Fat Gripz are a great tool for improving strength in hands and wrist. They make the bar thicker and force you to work harder to hold onto the weight. Outside of deadlifting they can be used to make any pulling exercise harder.
- Use Double Overhand Grip
- A lot of people set up for their deadlift, even at light weight, with a mixed grip. This is a mistake. You should always use a double overhand grip until you need to switch. Overtime, your hold on the bar will become stronger.
- Single Arm/Suitcase Deadlift
- Place little or no weight on the bar. Place your hand in the middle of the knurling and deadlift the weight up. You can stand behind the bar or to its side to do a suitcase deadlift. Offsetting your hand will challenge you even further.
2 – Upper Back Strength
As the weight gets heavier, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain a neutral spine. This leads to some rounding at the upper back. For some deadlifters, this will lead to compensations in the lower back that can lead to injury. Focusing on engaging your lats with these accessory lifts will help you keep this position a lot longer.
- Upper Back Rack Pull
- You will need a power rack with adjustable pins.
- Set up the pins so the bar is 1-2 inches below your knees.
- Maintain the same posture throughout the lift that you will during a regular deadlift.
- The higher start position will put more emphasis on your lats while allowing you to develop a more explosive hip extension.
- Farmer Carry
- This movement has the added benefit of strengthening your grip.
- Grab a set of dumbbells, kettlebells, or a Hex Bar.
- Be sure you have some space in front of you.
- While squeezing the weight in your hands and pinching your shoulder blades together, start walking.
- Be sure to keep your shoulders down.
3 – Glute Strength
Learning to properly load the hip during a deadlift is absolutely essential. Also, you must be able to contract the glutes to get a proper hip extension at the top of the lift. Focusing on strengthening your glutes will help you become more efficient in both.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5rrs89dSM
- Hip Thruster/Shoulder Elevated Bridge
- This movement is a more advanced version of a glute bridge.
- Instead of lying down on the ground, rest your shoulders on a bench.
- You will be pivoting from the bench so be sure to play around with the position until you find one that is most comfortable.
- You can place a barbell across your hips (with a pad), dumbbells, or hold a kettlebell.
- Press down on your heels and squeeze your glute to press your hip up towards the ceiling.
- At the top contract your glutes and pause for a second before coming back down to the starting position.
The next time you deadlift try implementing some of the strategies that we talked about today. We hope you will see results with the strategies we provided here today. As always, remember that we are here to help if something doesn’t feel right. Feel free to record yourself and post on our social media for pointers.