Elitefts Deadlift Manual PDF

ELITEFTS
DEADLIFT MANUAL
By Dave Tate
The information contained on the EliteFTS.

com website, Training Logs, Q/A, Exercise
Index, Articles and so on, is not intended to be
a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment in any manner. Always seek
the advice of your physician or other qualified
health provider with any questions you may have
regarding any medical condition.
WWW.ELITEFTS.COM
DISCLAIMER
Because physical exercise can be strenuous and subject to risk
of serious injury, EliteFTS.com urges you to obtain a physical
examination from a doctor before using any exercise equipment
or participating in any exercise activity in relation to EliteFTS.com.
Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning
any nutritional or exercise program, or using any equipment from
EliteFTS.com. Any recommendation for changes in diet including
the use of food, supplements, weight reduction and/or bodybuilding
enhancement products are entirely your responsibility and you
should consult a physician prior to undergoing any dietary or food
supplement change. Never disregard professional medical advice or
delay in seeking it because of something you have read on EliteFTS.
com. Any content, information and/or exercise equipment provided by
EliteFTS.com, is for informational and educational purposes only and
any use is solely at your own risk. Using any equipment purchased
from EliteFTS.com is solely at your own risk. EliteFTS.com, without
limitations, is not responsible for any injuries which may occur as a
result of; (a) your use of all amenities and equipment in the facility
and your participation in any activity, class, program, personal training
or instruction, (b) the sudden and unforeseen malfunctioning of any
equipment and (c) our instruction, training, supervision, or dietary
recommendations.
The information contained on the EliteFTS.com website, Training

Logs, Q/A, Exercise Index, Articles and so on, is not intended to be
a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment
in any manner. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding
any medical condition.
The views and comments of Article Authors, Team EliteFTS, Q/A

Authors, Training Log Authors, and others do not reflect the opinions
of and are not endorsed by EliteFTS.com.
2 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 3

CONTENTS PART V:
CONVENTIONAL
PART VI:
FINNISH
DISCLAIMER p.03
PULLING FOR DEADLIFT
FORWARD p.07 THE SUMO SECRETS
DEADLIFTER By Sakari Selkainaho
PART I: WHY By Zane Geeting Through out the years, the

deadlift has been our ”national
I HATE THE DEADLIFT Are you a sumo deadlifter? Have
sport” here in Finland. World
you ever pulled a PR attempt
By Dave Tate to your knees and stalled
records has been broken since
The first and simple reason why I hate the deadlift early 70´s. What makes Finns pull
completely?
is that I’ve always sucked at it and making gains so much, what is their secret ?
If you answered yes to one or
on it was the slowest process in the world. Actually I took a look and after collecting
both of the above questions, I
the only real time I made decent gains was when I training information of ...
have a sure-fire way to...
stopped doing them altogether. p.56 p.60
p.10
PART II: BIOMECHANICAL PART VII: 14 DEADLIFT

ANALYSIS OF THE DEADLIFT TIPS AND TRICKS
By Martyn Girvan By Dave Tate
The deadlift can be considered as one of the best This is the king of all mistakes I see. Too many times lifters try to
tests of overall body strength (Groves, 2000). It is a squat the weight up rather than pull the weight. Think back to the
multi joint movement that in simple terms involves number of times that you’ve seen a big deadlift and thought to
picking up a barbell from the floor and standing to yourself ...
the erect position.
p.24 p.68
PART III: DECONSTRUCTING PART VIII: LIGHTNING DEADLIFTS

THE DEADLIFT ByJosh Bryant
By Dave Tate Until recently, the deadlift was the bastard child of the strength
and conditioning community! Many lifters have shied away from
I hate deadlifting. Going the rest of my life without
deadlifts due to their immense difficulty, only to walk away with
doing another pull would be fine by me. The reason
suboptimal strength gains and back development. Lately a
for this is that since my first competition back in 1983,
contingent of the game’s top trainers have covered the deadlift,
my deadlift has been a struggle. It was nothing like
seemingly from every angle, in attempts of ...
the squat and bench press, which are my strong ...
p.30 p.74
PART IV: SUMO DEADLIFT: PART IX: STEVE GOGGINS:

ELITEFTS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION DEADLIFT TRAINING TIP
By Team elitefts By Steve Goggins
Elite level lifters who pull sumo, what have you found to be the The deadlift is the one exercise that allows you to relax your
most effective means of increasing your pulling strength off the muscles in between each rep—unlike the bench press and the
floor? My technique is solid so I’m looking for insights on any squat when you’re doing them for reps. Most believe that it’s best
special exercises that have yielded you significant results in ... to let the weight down fast and concentrate more on the positive
upward motion of the lift. And I agree with the fast, positive ...
p.42 p.78
PART X: REAL TRAINING VIDEO: WHAT YOU NEED PART XIV: THE DEATH LIFT!
TO KNOW ABOUT DEADLIFTS OFF PINS AND BLOCKS
By Marshall Johnson
By Dave Tate
The death lift—the one true test of strength and the one lift that
My program called for pin-pulls, but considering I’m doing these is still relatively untouched by the advancements of powerlifting
for hypertrophy instead of pure strength, I went with pulls off gear. Nowadays, people can put a lot of time into mastering
blocks instead. There’s a BIG difference between pin pulls and their supportive gear and get hundreds of pounds of carryover,
pulls off blocks in how the bar and movement acts. especially in the squat and bench. But the deadlift stands alone
as a lift that you either have or you don’t.
p.104
p.82
PART XV: MONSTER GARAGE GYM: HOOK GRIP

PART XI: 10-WEEK INTERMEDIATE
101…IT’S A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP
DEADLIFT PROGRAM
By Eric Maroscher
By Zane Geeting
His name was Master Chai, a multi-degree black belt who came to the United States
If you want to hit a deadlift PR, you need to build your training around it. The program I’ve from the mountains of Korea. Thinking back, I don’t recall the year, day, or date, but I
written here is a ten-week cycle for an intermediate lifter who fails just below the knee. remember watching the event unfold right in front of me when I was a teenager, just like
On most deadlift training days in this cycle, you will pull from the floor for triples, doubles, it was yesterday. Master Chai had all of his Tae Kwon Do students, myself included, in the
and eventually singles. After deadlifting from the floor, you will pull from six or four-inch parking lot after one of the students broke his hand trying to break a brick.
blocks. The percentages will increase each week, except for deload weeks.
p.110
p.84
PART XII: ADD 100 POUNDS TO YOUR PULL PART XVI: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN
By Chase Karnes DEADLIFT
The following program is basic. I’ve used this and similar setups with clients 9 part video play list by Matt Wenning
and myself, and had great success—it works. This exact program has been
used to take a client’s max deadlift from 315 to 415 in 24 weeks. There’s Welcome to the long-awaited follow-up to Matt Wenning’s popular
nothing revolutionary about this. It’s just a smart, simple program that works. “SYTYCS” series. This time, Matt targets the pull in the same expert
This works exceptionally well for beginner and intermediate lifters. fashion that he did with the squat. We brought in loyal elitefts™
customer and amateur strongman competitor Ryan Minney as
p.88 our training subject and his form is broken down, analyzed and a
thorough plan to improve his deadlift is laid-out.
PART XIII: 24 WEEK DEADLIFT p.116

Deadlift: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was 85% of
his true 1RM.
Squat: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was based
on 85% of his estimated 1RM. Since his squat technique wasn’t as proficient as his
deadlift, I worked him to a 5RM instead of a 1RM. This was used to establish his estimated
1RM.
The training max or everyday max is a very important part of this program. Using a true
max for this program will not work properly.
p.92
FOREWORD
This is a 15 part article that would be better
thought of as a manual on deadlifting. This is
not something you will sit down and read in one
setting. I suggest you read this in sections and
bookmark to reference later. I have never seen
the need in using manuals as “bait” to get people
to sign up for our mailing list. As a business owner
I am part of hundreds if not a thousand mailing
lists. They provide quick insight of what is going
on in the industry (and others I follow) and inspire
ideas. Almost everyone in the strength, fitness
and conditioning industry uses this “bait” to get
you to sign up for their list so it must work right?
Maybe – maybe not but I still like the elitefts way
better…Give you to the content first and let you
decide if you want to revisit the site, subscribe to
our newsletter (strength club), or support us with
your business. Maybe it doesn’t work as well but
you won’t have to keep closing annoying pop up
screens so that has to be worth something. Enjoy
this manual on The Deadlift.
– Dave Tate founder Elitefts.com Inc

more determined by what I wanted to total
THE DEADLIFT than by breaking a deadlift PR. Toward the
The first and simple reason why I hate the later years of my career, I knew I could pull
deadlift is that I’ve always sucked at it and between 700-740 pounds on any given day,
making gains on it was the slowest process if I trained the lift or if I didn’t. What I ended
in the world. Actually the only real time I made up pulling was based on how I finished the
decent gains was when I stopped doing them squat and bench.
altogether.
Training the deadlift was much worse.
PART I
I never hurt myself (seriously) doing the The BEST thing about when I trained at
deadlift and was scared to do them (how can Westside was that we didn’t deadlift often
you be scared picking something up?) and (many times not once for months). We did
E THE DEADLIFT they really aren’t that hard to do. Sure, if you pin pulls, close stand yoke bar low box
WHY I HAT
do 20-rep sets they will kick your ass, but so squat, TONS of goodmornings, and special
will 20 reps sets on just about any compound movements, such as reverse hypers
movement. My point is that there really isn’t and glute ham raises. Not only did these
any real reason why I hate the deadlift so increase my squat (and deadlift), they also
re much, but I do. provided a means to NOT deadlift and that
in g yo u ha d to do in a meet befo was AWESOME!
th
lift was just that e “the meet does
n’t start
To me, the dead O T on e of th os SERIOUSLY
nner. I was N t meets NEVER st
arted on NO MORE
you could go to di ys .” To m e, m os s,
until the bar hits
the floor gu
n th e de ad lif t began. To regres To me, the deadlift was just that thing you had
he
as hell wasn’t w , but it was a mea
ns Now that I’m retired from the sport, I don’t
time and it sure d, it st ill su ck ed to do in a meet before you could go to dinner.
eet wasn’t that ba t important thing.
What care if I ever pull another deadlift in my life.
deadlifting in a m al w ay s th e m os I was NOT one of those “the meet doesn’t
ought that was hat I wanted to
total than I don’t write my own programs, but I will
to a total and I th te rm in ed by w start until the bar hits the floor guys.” To me,
ays more de reer, I knew admit if I see the deadlift or pin pull in the
I pulled was alw . To w ar d th e la ter years of my ca the
most meets NEVER started on time and it
by breaking a de
adlift PR
ds on an y gi ve n day, if I trained sure as hell wasn’t when the deadlift began.
program I WILL replace it – even if I have to
een 700-740 poun based on how I
finished do three extra movements for 12 extra sets,
I could pull betw up pu lli ng w as To regress, deadlifting in a meet wasn’t that
hat I ended I would much rater do that then a few sets
lift or if I didn’t. W bad, it still sucked, but it was a means to a
nch. of deadlifting.
the squat and be total and I thought that was always the most
important thing. What I pulled was always I CAN’T stand the deadlift!
ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 11

AT THIS POINT, I DID THE
INFAMOUS “HAND STARE.”
YOU’VE SEEN IT. YOU MAY
HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT.
THIS IS WHEN YOU DROP A
PULL AND LOOK AT YOUR
HANDS LIKE WTF JUST
HAPPENED.
THAT ONE DAY WHY

There was ONE day where I almost liked the I called for 770 pounds on my third attempt I was totally confused and did the hand stare At this point you may be asking why I’m writing
deadlift, but as usual with the deadlift, that for a 30 pound PR. The bar flew up and right for what seemed to be 20 minutes until Louie this article. Here is the honest answer: we are
got shot down. I have no idea why, but at a before lockout without even slowing down, finally walked over and said, “Your pulls having a Day of the Deadlift Sale the same
local Ohio meet back in 2002, I pulled my my right hand popped open and the bar hit looked really good.” I asked him what the day this article is launching, so it can’t help to
650-pound opener and it was easy (it always the floor. hell happened to my grip. His answer, while have this extra promotion. Since I’m writing
was). I then jumped to 720 pounds for a PR classic Louie, just made me hate the deadlift about something I can’t stand, the least you
total. Normally I would call it a day and pass At this point, I did the infamous “hand stare.” can do is check out the sale. Hahaha – wait!
more, “You were never strong enough to have
the third, but the 720 was really easy. This isn’t You’ve seen it. You may have actually done it. I’m serious.
a grip problem before.”
“powerlifer talk” it was seriously really easy. This is when you drop a pull and look at your
hands like WTF just happened.

VINCENT DIZENZO
BOTH
• For any style-deadlift, flex

your triceps while pulling (this
helps prevent bicep tears)
• The hook grip is an excellent

MIKE ROBERTSON ZANE GETTING way to protect your biceps
I also figured if I’m going to do this, I want to and back. However, you
write something that will actually help you all. SUMO SUMO need to condition your hands
I’ve been in the sport for a very long time and for this, especially your
taught hundreds (if not thousands) of people • Get your heels underneath • Arch hard
This gave me the idea to send an e-mail thumbs. It gets better every
how to deadlift. For many people it is really as the bar
to Team elitefts™ and ask them for their top • Get your hips low week. Be patient.
simple as just bending over and picking it up, • Sit down, push your knees
three verbal cues when teaching the deadlift. • Take the slack out of the bar • If you are riddled with injuries
for others it is a real struggle to teach them out to keep shoulders over
At the end of their tips, I posted mine with a and get your whole body and still want to pull, try a
how to pull effectively and correctly. Unlike the bar
couple videos that I think might help you out. tight trap bar.
the squat and bench where deep detailed
instruction seems to work best, deadlift These tips are listed as Sumo or Conventional. • Tight lats/pull the bar BACK
• Spread your knees hard SUMO
instruction seems to work best with very Some of the team provided just how they pull,
simple verbal cues. while others provided tips for each. • Spread the floor • Get and keep your hips
flexible.

Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000 videos, 800 exercises, The
Strength Cast, Iron Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
NO REGISTRATION, SUBSCRIPTION OR MEMBERSHIP FEE REQUIRED.

Visit today www.elitefts.com
MATT RHODES JOSH BRYANT
CONVENTIONAL BOTH
• Pull the slack out of the bar • Visualize yourself completing
the lift ahead of time. The lift
• Don’t jerk the bar off the floor
is done before you approach
HARRY SELKOW the platform.
• Push your feet through the
floor and drive your head up CONVENTIONAL
CLINT DARDEN • Speed is your cue as you
• Set your feet in the most • Keep your head in the neutral approach the bar
CONVENTIONAL powerful position for your position. Neither up nor down, • Commit to the pull!
Disclaimer: I’m such a non- body but straight ahead.
technical lifter and still learning, MARC BARTLEY
• Keep the spine “organized”
so my thoughts may be
BOTH
completely wrong. • Lean back into the heels and
• This applies to either doing add tension to the glutes and
• Push your abs out as far as
75 to 80 percent work. Ease hamstrings
you can to take up as much
space as they can vertically.
the weight off the floor. Once MOLLY EDWARDS • Scrape the shins and then
it leaves the floor, about two
When my abs push out, they BOTH throw the hips into the bar
to three inches, then apply as
also force my chest up and like you mean to do on a
much speed as possible. • Setup is key
keep my lower back from Saturday Night
rounding, which is important • Overextend at the top by • Get one big breath before
under heavy loads. The SUMO
trying to get the shoulders grabbing the bar. So many of
stronger your abs, are the behind your waist as fast as us lose our air. • Like in those ballet classes
more weight they can hold. I you can. The bar will ride the you got kicked out of, Plié.
think of it as a turtle shell that legs and distribute the load • Use your ass from the floor Push your knees out along
runs from my nipples to my better. Squeeze the UPPER DAVID KIRSCHEN the bar.
nads. glutes at the top to lock the JULIA LADEWSKI
quads in and limit bent-knee AL CASLOW SUMO • Arch hard
• DO NOT STOP PULLING! A BOTH
lockouts. •
lot of amateur lifters miss BOTH • Pull yourself into your arch Sink back into the heels
their pull because they SUMO before breaking the bar off • Pull the slack out of the bar
• Spread your knees out to get • Put tension in your hamstrings
thought that it was hard and the floor
• Going back to easing it off your crotch close to bar and glutes and GO! SUMO
mentally decided to quit
the floor, a way to know if • Keep your lower back tight,
pulling. Lifts CAN be finished! • Arch hard and pull your chest • Dip • Arch your lower back, but
you’re getting the legs and but your upper beck relaxed
It’s just like every grip event, up don’t shrug your shoulders.
you have to tell yourself that glutes in it, once it comes off • Grip
• Keep your arms straight, do
you will NOT quit. The only the floor, if you are holding • Spread the floor • Keep your hips down, but
not bend your elbows • Rip the skin from the shins
way that I will stop is if it the best leverages, you don’t sit too low. Find the
• Start pulling your head back
simply falls out of my hands literally FEEL the weights • Lean back to the point that • For a great deadlift, you have point where you’re in a good
or drags me back down to drop into the legs, hips and • Be patient while driving off the you would fall if the weight to have “skin in the gym, for position, but still get some
the floor. glutes. floor was not there to counter the win. pop off the floor.
balance you

JO JORDAN CJ MURPHY MATT LADEWSKI
SUMO BOTH BOTH
• Drive down through your • Flex your lats and tris when • If you’re having grip issues at
heels taking slack out (tri -lat tuck) lockout, you may be pushing
the bar out in front of you
• Pull up and back • Put your weight on your heels/ when your hand is against
big toe up
• Drive your head back as you your leg. Try widening your
pull • Drive your hips into bar once hand spacing.
it passes the knees”fuck the • Don’t be afraid to use straps
MATT KROC bar.” in training. It will allow you to
• Fall back at lockout focus on the pull without the
SUMO worry of your grip failing. It will
• Try to push out to the sides also allow you to work your
with your feet versus down, STEVE GOGGINS back evenly.
“spread the floor.”
BOTH CONVENTIONAL
• Open your groin as much as
• Get your head up at the • If you don’t have a problem
possible to keep your hips
beginning and keep it there with lockout and miss off the
in close and improve your
the entire time until you finish floor, open your feet up and
leverage.
the lift. push your knees out to the
CONVENTIONAL side.
• Make your arms long and
• At the start of the pull, use relax your shoulders. • When you pull, drive your
your quads and try to squat heels into the ground as if
• Pull on your heels, but keep you’re pulling yourself into the
the bar off the floor to get
your feet flat and toes down. ground.
it moving quickly, which will
keep you in a good position • Explode but don’t jerk! • Don’t try to lift the bar straight
leverage-wise for the lockout.
CONVENTIONAL up! Try to pull the bar back
• Keep your ass down and into you.
head up • Pull the bar into your legs as
close and as hard as you can. SUMO
• After taking the slack out of Try to drag the skin off your • When setting your grip, use
the bar, rip it off the floor. legs. your elbows to push out your
• Grip the bar with your hands knees before you pull.
directly under your shoulders
to get the maximum length
from your arms and to
decrease the distance you
have to pull the bar.

ADAM DRIGGERS
BOTH
• Have a training partner flatten

the bar before you pull. When
the bar is loaded, sometimes DAVE TATE
HANNAH JOHNSON
it’s left with a bow when it is let
SUMO
down from loading. If that bow BOTH
is there when you begin the • When you set up, keep your
pull, it can cause an unusual • “Squat the weight up”
crotch over the bar the entire
recoil. time you sit down • Thrust your hips forward and
• Keep your head up, your squeeze your glutes at the
• Arch your lower back
chest bowed out and your top
shoulder blades together. • Round your upper back
• Keep shoulder blades tight
• At the top, when the weight CONVENTIONAL
slows, squeeze your glutes • Begin the pull by flexing your STEVE PULCINELLA
like it’s your first night in abs
prison. This really helps the BOTH
last few inches to lockout. • Keep your arms straight • Always think of your start as
• Buy a Metal Pro Deadlift suit. • Keep your head UP a PUSH with the legs, not a Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000 videos, 800 exercises, The
I’m sorry, sometimes I pander… PULL with the back. Strength Cast, Iron Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
• Try to fall over backwards
22
WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL
each style at approximately 80 percent
INTRODUCTION: of the lifters one repetition maximum.
The deadlift can be considered as one One repetition from each style was then
of the best tests of overall body strength analysed.
(Groves, 2000). It is a multi joint movement
that in simple terms involves picking up a PARTICIPANTS:
barbell from the floor and standing to the The participant for this study was one elite
erect position. The movement includes the level power lifter who has been competing
recruitment of the muscles of the hip, lower
PART II
at national level for two years.
back, upper back, quadriceps, hamstrings
and abdominals. If used correctly, it can be an APPARATUS:
IC AL ANALYSIS OF excellent exercise to use in the development
HA N
The equipment used was a Sony digital
EC
of strength, speed and power. During this
BIOM analysis, the objective was to compare and

contrast the biomechanical efficiency of two
handicam 120x zoom video camera set up
on a tripod to record the observations. A
EA DLIF T
weights belt was used for back support,
D
types of deadlift styles and determine which
TH E type should be used for certain body types. as well as an Olympic style barbell
in conjunction with weight plates. All
PROCEDURE: observations were conducted at Apollo
Fitness Centre.
erall body
ed as on e of th e best tests of ov s The participant was given instructions on
be consider at in simple term
The deadlift can jo in t m ov em en t th both conventional and semi round back LITERATURE REVIEW:
2000). It is a multi standing to the er
ect
strength (Groves, th e flo or an d deadlift techniques. The video recording
up a barbell from ent of the muscles
of the
involves picking es th e re cr ui tm equipment was set up at ninety degrees to the In competitive powerlifting, the deadlift is
ement includ minals. If
position. The mov ad ric ep s, ha m strings and abdo t demonstration at a distance of approximately the third lift in order following the squat
per back, qu
hip, lower back, up ex er ci se to us e in the developmen five metres away. This was to ensure parallax and bench press. It often comes down
nt
can be an excelle ysis, the objectiv
e was
used correctly, it ur in g th is an al and perspective errors were each accounted to performance in the deadlift to decide
d and power. D ciency of two type
s of
of strength, spee om ec ha ni ca l effi for. Recordings were then made for a series the difference between winning and
contrast the bi should be used
for certain
to compare and in e w hi ch ty pe of conventional and rounded back deadlifts. losing a competition. There is a saying in
d determ
deadlift styles an Multiple repetitions were performed in powerlifting circles that the competition
body types.

rise to the suggestion that conventional style
deadlifting may be suited to lifters of larger
does not start until the bar hits the floor, body mass with longer arm length and sumo
meaning that a strong deadlift will often lead suited to those of smaller body mass.
to a good competition result.
The conventional style involves the use of
Much of the research that involves the deadlift the erector spinae, trapezius, quadriceps and
has looked at sumo and conventional styles. hamstring muscles (Stone & O’Bryant, 1987).
Sumo style is used with a wider stance in Further analysis of the conventional deadlift
which the lifter grips the bar with the arms indicates that the gluteal, latissimus dorsi,
placed on the inside of the legs. Conventional teres minor subscapularis, infraspinatus,
style deadlifting involves foot placement supraspinatus and biceps brachii all assist
at approximately shoulder width apart and with the lift to some degree (Farley, 1995).
gripping the bar on the outside of the legs
The kinesiology of the conventional style
(McGuigan & Wilson, 1996).
involves setting up with the feet spaced
Both techniques have been used effectively in shoulder width apart. Common practise is to
elite power lifting competition. Conventional use an alternating grip which involves one
style places a large emphasis on the use of hand pronated and the other hand supinated
the erector spinae muscles because in this to assist with grip strength. Common practise
position the trunk is normally flexed forward. to set up for the initial pull involves aligning DISCUSSION/ CONCLUSION:
Sumo style is performed with a more erect and the shins close to the bar (Farley, 1995).
upright back alignment that allows for greater Choosing a style of deadlifting can best be close to the body while deadlifting which will
Keeping the load as close to the body as suited to a person’s individual body mechanics. assist with a more efficient movement and less
recruitment of the hip muscles to perform the
possible should assist with increasing the Many variables come into play that may affect wasted effort. This may be due to the reduced
lift (Piper & Waller, 2001).
mechanical advantage for greater force the efficiency of the lift. These factors include moment arm of force.
The sumo lift is considered to be the more production (Stone & O’Bryant, 1987). In torso, leg and arm length (Stone & O’Bryant,
biomechanical efficient lift of the both contrast to this, some literature has suggested 1987). In contrast to much of the research put forth,
techniques (McGuigan & Wilson, 1996). It is that keeping the load too close to the body I suggest a different starting position to the
suggested that bar travel is minimized with may cause excessive drag and friction against Movements are governed by physical laws. conventional deadlift that may assist those
a shorter stroke and aids the ability to recruit the body that may decrease the efficiency of Understanding and applying biomechanical lifters who tend to be of taller stature with
a greater number of muscle fibres from the the lift. Correct starting position indicated by principles to deadlifting technique can result longer arm length. Both sumo and conventional
posterior chain. Studies have indicated that many texts suggests that the pelvic girdle is in in the lift being more energy efficient and styles have been studied extensively but
sumo style deadlifting can reduce bar travel line with or slightly below the knees. The back allowing greater peak performance. In contrast minimal research has been done in what I call
by nineteen percent (McGuigan & Wilson, should remain flat and at an angle of forty five , poor body mechanics become less efficient a semi round back style which may contra-
1996). degrees to the floor. and may cause injury (Stone & O’Bryant, 1987). indicate some previous research with regards
to lumbar spine loading.
Studies by McGuigan & Wilson (1996) have Additional support for this method put forth Mechanical work can be described as force
indicated that in elite competitive powerlifting by Daniels (2003) indicates keeping the back exerted on an object over a distance it is The semi round back style involves a similar
the majority of world records are held by flat and placing the hips below the half squat dislaced (Siff, 2000). For efficient use of force, initial set up to the conventional style but the
lifters using the conventional style. Sumo position. This position is said to put the initial the displacement should be along the same hip girdle is set at a higher start position for
style deadlifting has not produced as many load of the pull on to the quadriceps muscles line and in opposite direction to the resisting the initial pull. This position would be almost
world records but has performed greater lifts without placing undue stress on the lumbar force of the load (Stone & O’Bryant, 1987). This a quarter squat position with the upper back
in terms of relative body weight. This gives region of the spine (Groves, 2000). gives additional support to keeping the bar kept flat and at a ten degree lean to the

floor, as opposed to forty five degrees lean indicating that much caution must be taken REFERENCES
suggested in many texts. when considering this method for athletes
as for the increased risk of injury to the lower Cholewicki, J., McGill, S. and Norman, R. (1991). Lumbar Spine Loads During the Lifting of
Previous research has suggested that a person back region. Extremely Heavy Weights. Medical Science Journal of Sports Exercise. Vol 23, pp1179- 1186.
maybe more biomechanical efficient in the Daniels, D. (2003). Deadlift 101, Part 1. Powerlifting USA. Vol 26. No.8.
quarter squat position than in the half squat This type of lifting conflicts with much of
position. Studies have indicated that greater the research that suggests correct deadlift Groves, B. (2000). Powerlifting: Technique and Training for Athletic Muscular Development.
loads can be used in the partial quarter squat form. In the absence of previous research, Champaign: Human Kinetics.
movement than the half squat (Siff, 2000). experiential evidence has indicated that using Farley,K. (1995). Analysis if the Conventional Deadlift. Strength and Conditioning Journal. Vol
the semi round back method has resulted in 15, No. 2, pp 55-58.
The semi round method also allows for the bar three athletes breaking world deadlift records
to travel in a straight line. The shortest distance in WPC and WDFPL federations. Other McGuigan, R.M. & Wilson, B.D. (1996). Biomechanical Analysis of the Deadlift. Journal of
between two points is a straight line, therefore competition results include a further five Strength and Conditioning Research. 10(4), 250-255.
this can decrease the distance of travel. The lifters who have broken Victorian state and
conventional method causes the lifters lower Australian national records. This may be due Piper, T.J. & Waller, M.A. (2001). Variations of the Deadlift. Strength and Conditioning Journal.
limbs to shift forward in the starting position. to reduced bar displacement and therefore Vol 23, No. 3, pp 66-73.
This will cause the bar to travel in a ‘S’ type reducing the amount of work performed. This
Stone, M. & O’Bryant, H. (1987). Weight Training: A Scientific Approach. (2nd ed.). Edina:
motion with the load moving away from the technique has only worked for taller type
Burgess International.
body and then moving back towards the body lifters, which may be more biomechanical
once the load has cleared the knees. efficient for those with longer type levers.
This gives rise to the idea of trying to turn the Much assistance work must be employed
deadlift into the quarter squat motion but the to strengthen the abdominal, spinal erector,
load being off the floor. For this to occur, the hamstring, gluteal and upper back muscles for
lifter must have an extremely strong upper this method to be effective. Care and patience
and lower back. The higher starting position must be exercised if considering using the Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000
can reduce the displacement of the load and round back method as a preferred style. videos, 800 exercises, The Strength Cast, Iron
therefore in turn reduce the amount of work Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
performed. Further research in this area is needed to NO REGISTRATION, SUBSCRIPTION OR
investigate differential leverages and the MEMBERSHIP FEE REQUIRED.
Studies by Horn (1988) suggest that muscles responsible for effective motion.
electromyographic activity in the spinal erector When considering various techniques,
muscles were twice as active in conventional individual body leverages need to be taken
lifters when compared with sumo technique. into account along with the assessment of the
Cholewicki et al (1991) studied the lumbar individuals muscle strengths and weaknesses.
spine load of both sumo and conventional Caution should be used before considering
technique. No significant difference was this technique due to the increased risk of
found in disc compression force at L4/L5 injury. If employed correctly, the semi round
regions using both techniques. There were back method may lead to greater competition
significantly greater L4/L5 moments and load totals for the powerlifter.
shear forces in the conventional technique.
This may suggest that the greater forward
lean of round back technique may further
increase L4/L5 moments and shear forces
28 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL

I hate deadlifting. Going the rest of my life
without doing another pull would be fine
by me. The reason for this is that since my
first competition back in 1983, my deadlift
has been a struggle. It was nothing like the
squat and bench press, which are my strong
lifts, and I’ve tried everything to fix it. From
deadlifting three times per week, to twice per
week, to once a week, to once a month, and
(my favorite) not deadlifting at all. However, I
never gave up and eventually I was able to
build my pull to a point where it became my
“means to a total,” and I still look for new ways experience, only 20% of deadlifting slumps
to build bigger deadlifts today. The difference are due to physical issues or programming
is now I really don’t care about my own pull flaws. Technical or technique problems
but do care about how I can help others pull represent a full 70% of lifters’ challenges,
more. This article is about helping you improve with mental issues making up the final 10%.
PART III
your deadlift. The deadlift is surprisingly
complex. While it’s cool to say “just walk up Note: These tips are based around
to the fucking bar and lift” that’s not enough—I increasing maximal strength in the deadlift,
CT ING
my particular area of expertise. It’s not
STRU
laugh every time I hear that. If only it was that
DECO N simple. It certainly won’t cut it if you’re stuck

in a plateau—and a deadlifting plateau can be
about tweaking the pull for a bigger back
or programming for a greater hypertrophic
THE DEADLIFT
the worst you’ll ever come across. response. To accomplish that, I’d defer to a
true expert in that realm, namely someone
like John Meadows.
3 THINGS
Like the bench press and squat, a deadlift MENTAL: 10%
r
of m y lif e w ith out doing anothe plateau is due to one of three issues:
st
g. Going the re is that since my
first The deadlift is getting popular. It’s weird,
I hate deadliftin re as on fo r th is
e by me. The been a struggle
. It was Physical – programming, flexibility, considering it’s such a shitty experience, at
pull would be fin y de ad lif t ha s least in my opinion. While not nearing the
competition back
in 1983, m
s, w hi ch ar e m y strong lifts, and strengthening weaker muscles and
pres
squat and bench ree times per wee
k, to movements. fan appeal of the squat or bench press, the
nothing like the de ad lif tin g th
ng to fix it. From th, and (my favorit
e) not gap is definitely closing, which I’ll concede
I’ve tried everythi to on ce a m on Mental – level of arousal/over-arousal.
once a week, and eventually I
was able is a good thing. As a result, you now hear
twice per week, to ne ve r ga ve up d guys spouting that the deadlift is the “true”
However, I ns to a total,” an
deadlifting at all. be ca m e m y “m ea Technical – exercise technique and
a point where it today. The differ
ence measure of strength. I must be in bizarro
to build my pull to gg er de ad lif ts execution.
ways to build bi but do care abou
t how I world. Ten years ago the argument was
I still look for new t m y ow n pu ll the squat or the bench press was the
n’t care abou u improve Most lifters think their deadlifting slump is
is now I really do Th is ar tic le is about helping yo to due to physical issues. So they ask, “What true measure or strength, as too many
pull more. . While it’s cool
can help others ris in gl y co m pl ex
e deadlift is surp ’s not enough—I
laugh exercises should I do?” or “How do I tweak otherwise weak people can sport above
your deadlift. Th r an d lif t” th at
to the fucking ba e. It certainly won
’t cut it my programming? Do I pull every four days average deadlifts just by having the right
say “just walk up w as th at si m pl
that. If only it be the worst or every five?” They got it all wrong. In my leverages. Here’s the thing. Whatever a
every time I hear an d a de ad lif ting plateau can
a plateau—
if you’re stuck in
you’ll ever come
across. ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 31
lifter is strongest at will always influence the
“best strength indicator” debate. So every
600-pound raw bencher is going to say that the
bench press is the true measure of strength,
just as every 1000-pound squatter will say the
same thing about the squat. The fact is, its what
you’re shitty at that really measures ability. So
in my case, perhaps the deadlift is the true
measure of strength. Lucky me.
Most mental issues in the deadlift pertain

to arousal—about 50% of lifters need to be
extremely aroused to pull a lot of weight.
You’ve seen them—they pace around, smack
heads with their training partners, scare old
ladies, etc. The other half is the opposite. Like
me, they need to be more relaxed. When I got
too aroused all hell broke loose. I screwed up
either the setup or execution. So for mental
issues, the first thing you need to do is identify
the type of lifter you are. If you aren’t a hyper- before they even get up there. Let’s not forget teachers, and it’s for a reason—my deadlift
arousal type, don’t chase those methods. You’ll all the cues. Coaches use different cues to sucked so I consulted with the best.
just make any other underlying issues worse. accomplish basically the same thing—“Keep
The nature of the deadlift also contributes to its FEET
the shoulders in line with the bar” versus
potential for mental fuck-ups. Unlike the squat “Chest up” for example—however, depending Foot position is much ado about nothing.
or bench press, in the deadlift there’s no pre- on the lifter, one may be too much information Here’s how you figure out your ideal width:
load. You can’t unrack the weight and “feel it and the other not enough. This is true with all Hang from a chin-up bar and drop to the floor.
out” and adjust your mental state accordingly, lifts and all sport skills for that matter. So if you Note your foot position when you land. That’s
whereas in the squat or bench you can tell have doubt, ask what the end result should the right conventional deadlifting stance
right away if the lift is going to be cake or if you be, or look for it in the cuing being used. Don’t for you. I think I first learned this from Fred
need to get your shit correct. Furthermore, in let a confusing cue knock you out of your most Hatfield, but have used it many times over the
the deadlift there’s no eccentric loading and natural lifting pattern. years with lifters, as well as with run of the mill
therefore no stretch reflex to take advantage
personal training clients.
of. So unlike the squat or bench, you go in TECHNICAL: 70%
blind and completely on your own. SHINS
SETUP
Note: There are some ways to get some This can vary from right against the bar to
stretch reflex but that’s beyond the scope of The keys of proper deadlift setup are things I six inches or more away from it. I think mid-
this article. learned as a young lifter from Bob Wahl, Louie, foot distance is an optimal starting point but it
Ricky Crane, Steve Goggins, and Ed Coan. really depends on quad size. Someone with
All that adds up to guys showing up on meet Honestly, I can’t remember whom I learned huge quads will need the bar further away so
day and failing to budge their 3RM weights. what aspect from, so I want to make sure they it doesn’t ride up and hit the quads—meaning
They mentally fuck themselves out of the lift all get credit. That’s a pretty esteemed list of if you have Meadows-like quads the bar will
32 ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 33

chain recruitment. Also, there’s knurling on
the bar for a reason so if you need to grip one
be stuck under them and you’ll have to pull finger wider to use it then do so. The biggest
over and around them—while someone with mistakes I see with grip are holding the bar
skinny quads and no teardrop can start much way too close on a sumo deadlift and too
closer. Again, mid-foot is a great starting place. wide with a conventional. Of course there will
Some lifters like to lift the toes to get the weight always be deviations from the norm, but if you
moving backwards while others find twisting shoot for keeping the arms in a straight line
the feet (meaning the action of doing this, your you’ll probably end up in a good position.
actual foot doesn’t move) helps activate the
glutes. I like the most natural position to start. Note: If you’re a powerlifter, I suggest using a
This lets me keep an “ace in the hole” so if I mixed grip as this is how you’ll compete. If you
find it sticking mid-lift, I can turn my toes (twist). aren’t a competitive lifter I “normally” suggest
This will further contract my glutes, which may not using a mixed grip (and if you need straps
be enough to keep the weight moving. If I did then use them) but this depends on what PULL THE SLACK
this from the start, the glutes would already be you’re training for and what the deadlift has The first thing to do after the setup is to pull
firing all-out at the sticking point and as such been put into the program to enhance. the slack out of the bar. Reach down and grab
couldn’t be “called in” to assist. This is what I a loaded barbell. Hear that clicking sound?
HEAD
mean by always keeping something in the tank. That’s the sleeve of the barbell connecting
The idea is to drive the head back into the with the collars. You want to remove that play
BACK
traps, not just look up. The excessive head before you initiate your pull. That’s what guys
I prefer a slight, not extreme, arch in the lower cranked up towards the ceiling thing you see mean when they say to pull the slack out of
back. The upper back should be rounded today is completely unnecessary. It’s also the bar. Doing this initial “pre-pull” allows the
and somewhat relaxed, the shoulders slightly counterproductive. The head follows the body, hips to drop down slightly. Although this step
slumped. This improves leverage and shortens so you want to drive the head back, not up. For is subtle, if skipped, the hips will slide out of
the distance of the pull. At no point during the the same reason, looking down is a surefire position once you really start to pull, which is
pull should you allow the spine to enter into way to miss a lift. Find a spot on the wall that when the weights break from the floor.
over-flexion. requires you to keep your head up and back
into the traps and begin the pull from there. AIR
HANDS Another head position issue I find (working Wear your belt as tight as you can. I always
To set up, I normally coach guys to just drop the with powerlifters) is their traps and upper backs cinch mine at least 1 or 2 holes tighter than
arms straight down and grab the bar, although get so thick that they have a hard time keeping where I have it when I squat or bench. It’s
a bigger, heavier guy with broad shoulders their heads up in the first place. I’ve seen guys so tight I basically can’t breathe, meaning I
will need to be a bit wider. Keep the arms so thick they can barely turn their heads to the can only draw in about 50% of the air I can
straight but relaxed. There’s no need to flex side without having to rotate their torso. Telling normally draw in.
the triceps unless in extreme situations. If the them to look up will get you about as far as
hand position is correct then the hips should asking them to pick up a nickel they dropped Less air in the lungs helps keep everything—
be where they need to be. We don’t want the on the floor. You can scream at them all day the lungs, the chest—lower, making it easier
hips to be in the squat position (too low) or to get their heads up but if the structure won’t to hit the lockout position. If you don’t wear
in a Romanian deadlift position (too high). The allow it they’ll just tune you out. However, they a belt, just remember to draw in 50% of your
best descriptor would be like a quarter squat. can and should drive their heads back into lung capacity, brace your torso, and keep
This allows for the ideal hinge and posterior their traps and this is what you need to look for. everything tight.

NOTES ON SUMO SETUP STICKING POINTS
Sumo is obviously a wider setup, with the ankles. This keeps the hips closer to the bar. If that doesn’t help and you’re still weak off
WEAK OFF THE FLOOR
hips closer to the bar. From the side, a good When I teach the sumo pull I tell people to get the floor, here are your fixes:
sumo deadlift should look almost like a leg their starting position so their crotch is over the If you’re weak off the floor, it’s typically one of
press in that the torso doesn’t move much. two things: DEFICIT DEADLIFTS
bar i.e., “Balls over Bar.” For some the easiest
The rules for pulling sumo really aren’t much way to do this is to start in a standing position The key here is not to use too much of a
different from what’s been presented above The weight is too heavy. Duh. Take some
and squat down. Others find it easier to bend deficit—two or three quarter-inch rubber
except for how you get into the start position. weight off the bar.
over, get the grip, and then pull the chest up mats is plenty. An excessive deficit turns
Your stance will be based (again) off what to bring the hips forward. Go with what works You’re overtrained. Look back in your log. the lift into a quad-dominant movement
you “feel” works best. Sumo can go from best, but I will say that from teaching hundreds How often have you been deadlifting? The and takes stress off the posterior chain.
modified to ultra wide—whatever allows for if not thousands of lifters it’s easier to teach deadlift, especially heavy deadlifting, is
the best pulling position and bar path is the them to get the position by squatting down. extremely taxing. You may need a two-week Upper Back Work
one to use. Once this is determined, you want Even if they change later they’ll get the feel break followed by a few weeks of lighter Chest supported rows are ideal. Barbell
to drive your feet apart (spreading the floor) what the start should feel like. pulling sessions performed multiple times a rows are the hardcore choice but they
while trying to keep your knees in line with the week. This can help build work capacity. involve too much erectors for my taste.

SHOULD I PULL SUMO OR
CONVENTIONAL?
The answer is whichever version makes you I usually tell them to switch styles. It often
feel stronger. If the beautiful simplicity of that works. When I was 180 pounds I pulled
response isn’t enough detail for you (imagine conventional. As I got bigger and my deadlift
that) here are some general rules of thumb. started to suck, Ed Coan suggested I switch
to sumo. It worked, and I stuck with sumo from
TORSO LENGTH 190 pounds up to 220 pounds and beyond.
Short torso – You can pull conventional or Once I reached 275 pounds, however, I had
sumo. to go back to conventional. Obviously I didn’t
get taller, just thicker and wider. As such, my
Average torso – Pull sumo. proportions changed, meaning my deadlift
had to change too.
Long torso – Pull sumo.
WEAK AT THE KNEE In other words, the longer your trunk, the more
First, make sure the glutes are fully engaged. better off youll be pulling sumo.
Now this is not glute activation that you read so ARM LENGTH
much about. I think much of that is bullshit. If you
We’re training the upper back here. If you want can perform the range of motion, your muscles Guys with short, T-Rex arms should pull
to train the lower back, do Romanian deadlifts. will be “activated.” I’ve torn both my glute and sumo. Those with longer arms should pull
my hamstring on separate occasions—trust conventional. How do you know if you have GRIP
Hamstrings me, you know they’re not involved. They can short arms? I get asked that all the time and
however, not be contributing as much as you it never fails to make me laugh. Do you have Grip is tricky. Many guys screw it up. In terms
Do a variety of movements that work both
need. To remedy this from occurring at the to roll your sleeves up all the time? Then of placement, your thumb should overlap the
origin and insertion.
top end, I recommend pin pulls and deadlifts you probably have short arms. Go try on a first one or two fingers. Your thumb shouldn’t
WEAK AT THE SHIN off blocks. I prefer pulling off blocks. Pin fucking dress shirt. If the sleeves are too long, be crushing all your fingers, just these two.
pulls are brutal to recover from as the arms congratulations, you just determined you have But you should squeeze the shit out of them.
This is due to a lack of acceleration, or not Typically, when a grip fails, the little finger
are forced to absorb much of the force from short arms. How do you know if you have
pulling fast enough once the bar has broken fails first. Ed Coan used to say you want to
the barbell smashing into the pins. Too much long arms? Let’s be honest. If you have long
the floor. Your fixes are: keep that finger breaking first, which meant
grip-intensive work is hard enough to recover arms you’ll know. Does it seem to take you
Speed deadlifts form; pin pulls magnify this. Pulling off blocks, twice as long to bench press when comparing strengthening the pinkie finger and ring finger.
while a pain to set up, is a far more natural yourself to your partner who happens to be To accomplish this, buy one of those heavy
Do these at 55-60% of 1RM for 8-10 singles. pull. And unlike pin pulls, they reinforce all the built like a fire hydrant? Keep in mind, this is black paper clips from an office supply store
Do them on squat day, either before or after good things you’re trying to do in a perfect all based on an average build. When a lifter and do pinches against the thumb, first with
you squat, depending on your priorities. The deadlift. I don’t hate pin pulls (provided you’re gains weight, things can change dramatically. the pinkie finger and then with the ring finger.
trick is to do two single reps in a row with a not doing them in my gym with 800 pounds For example, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound lifter I never had a grip issue. Louie would say it’s
distinct pause in between. No bouncing. If you loaded on a $1000 dollar competition bar). might have comparatively long arms. But if he because I never pulled enough to develop
do a double with a bounce, the second rep Just do them less frequently. Also, with either gains weight and gets up to 280 pounds, he a grip issue. Chuck Vogelpohl, however, is
has benefited from momentum. You’ll know pin pulls or pulls off blocks, don’t pull from too suddenly might have average-length arms. someone who did have one. He’d often lose
cause the second rep will look better than the high. Too high will affect your hinge and turn That’s because as someone gets bigger pulls due to failing grip, which drove him crazy.
first. The goal is to eliminate the bounce, reset the movement into a quad exercise. Finally, and wider, their proportions often change. What finally fixed it for him was single dumbbell
properly, and make the first rep look better any pin or pull off a block should be done So, when someone contacts me saying they holds using a hex dumbbell. Be careful not to
than the second. conventional. Sumo versions of these are “always” pulled a certain way but are noticing let the fingers rest in the grooves where the
useless. their lifts have gone to shit since bulking up, numbers are stamped in.

THE OVERALL PULL
A key point that often gets
overlooked is that a deadlift, be it
sumo or conventional, is less about
pulling up and more about pulling
back. You know you’re setting up
right when the only thing preventing
you from falling backward on your
ass is the weight of the barbell.
To understand why, think of the
deadlift as a teeter-totter. Say you
weigh 250 pounds—you want to
get as much of your bodyweight
helping you pull that weight as
possible. This means less pulling
up and more falling back. So, if you
had 250 pounds on the barbell,
your bodyweight alone should
be enough to move the weight—
without you exerting an ounce of
force. You’ll know you’re doing
this correctly when your warm-up
sets seem to fly up from the floor
like you were using a broomstick
instead of a loaded barbell.
DEAD TO RIGHTS
You don’t have to like every
exercise you perform. And you
won’t get any grief from me if you
say you hate the deadlift. However,
like it or not, you need to respect vi d e o s, 8 0 0
4 ,0 0 0 ar ti cl e s, 14 ,0 0 0
it. And if something is so important 0 Q&A s, o d ca st ,
O ve r 3 5 0 ,5 0 C as t, Ir o n S u b cu lt u re P
e S tr e n g th
that you force yourself to do it e xe rc is e s, T h ai n in g lo g s.
despite hating it with every fiber of an d 4 0 p ro tr
H IP
R MEMBERS
your being, then you might as well IO N , S U B S C R IP T IO N O
AT
N O R E G IS T R E D.
do it right. Give these tips a run and F E E R E Q U IR
m
w w.e lit e ft s. co
make your pull a thing of beauty. V is it to d ay w

JAMES SMITH: Elite level lifters who pull sumo, what have you found to be the most effective
means of increasing your pulling strength off the floor? My technique is solid so I’m looking for
insights on any special exercises that have yielded you significant results in the low end/off the
floor strength component.
DAVE TATE: The best thing I’ve found is getting stronger. This sounds very simple but has
worked for so many lifters. What I mean by this is that you have to increase your overall body
strength. This would be quads, hamstrings, low back, abs, etc. This is really basic stuff, but
something that people may forget. The start depends on position. If your hips are off, they
move too far back and you lose your force. If you can film the pull, let me see it. I have to see
what’s going on to make any type of assessment.
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: I used to suck at these, but then I started pulling my sumo deadlifts off of
mats and it seemed to make a big difference. You can try three inches or so (three mats). You
can also get a similar training effect by using 35-lb plates on the bar rather than 45-lb plates.
The 35-lb plates are obviously smaller and will require larger ROM. Or you can just put on more
equipment like Dave does.
PART IV
DAVE TATE: I don’t even take that as an insult.
T EF TS
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: It’s not. I admire that in you.
IFT : ELI
SUMO DEADL
JAMES SMITH: JL, thanks brother. I actually tried pulling sumo off of elevated surfaces. I just
N
didn’t keep it around long enough to experience any significant training effect. My dumb ass
E D IS C U SS IO
ROUNDTABL
fault. I think I’ll perform a cycle of those for my next training block.
That’s also my logic for increasing pulling strength off the floor – increasing the ROM. I just
didn’t know if maybe I had overlooked or was unaware of another means of strengthening
the bottom end such as using a cambered bar bench press. For strengthening the low end
u found to press, I’ve also thought of performing low wide stance squats (although these are hell on the
te rs w ho pu ll su mo, what have yo the
ite level lif lling strength off hips) and perhaps even a repetition version of partial deadlifts such as dumbbell presses and
JAMES SMITH: El ea si ng yo ur pu
tive means of incr r insights on any
special suspended push-ups.
be the most effec I’m lo ok in g fo
que is solid so results in the low
end/off
floor? My techni yo u si gn ifi ca nt JIM WENDLER: I agree with Dave on this one. Sometimes we’re too busy looking for the
ve yielded
exercises that ha magical exercise rather than doing the ones that we know work – and doing them hard and
component.
the floor strength
with purpose. My deadlift went up simply because I quit screwing around with the light weights JIM WENDLER: Touché.
on my assistance work and did movements and weights that were challenging and had a great JAMES SMITH: JL, good stuff. I appreciate
carryover. Remember, there is a difference between training with exercises to get stronger and your comment regarding the role of special
training to rehab a muscle group. I think these lines get crossed too much. exercises. I really need to make a trip to
I’ve also found that sumo deadlifting is more technique than conventional pulling. You have see you guys at WSB/EFS. All this time I’ve
little room for error when pulling sumo. A conventional deadlift is more of a grunt, caveman lift. developed my technique by studying videos
So if your technique is even slightly off, an easy pull can turn into a max effort. Unfortunately, and illustrations. I was fortunate to have lifted
most people think they are going to be great sumo pullers when they do their speed deadlift with some very strong elite lifters when I was
work. This is because it’s easy. It’s only when you start pulling around 85 percent does the form in San Diego, but for the last year, I’ve trained
start really making a big difference. alone. The good thing is I’ve gotten stronger.
The bad thing is I have no one to watch my
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: Never forget that the special exercises are for refining problems. Nothing form. I video stuff but as you guys know it’s not even close to having an elite or stronger lifter
fixes getting a sumo dead off the floor like getting stronger hips and legs (if you’re in the coach your ass.
position). All of your basic accessories are still the best ways to increase the deadlift. I think so
many times we get caught up in being so smart about training we forget that grabbing a heavy BRIAN SCHWAB: I pull sumo and there are a couple exercises that have really helped me.
ass deadlift and pulling is a great way to get stronger. Even the simple things like shooting First, is training my abs. These exercises made my mid-section extremely strong:
hoops helps with the basic conditioning and muscle coordination. The bottom line is that you • sit-ups with a plate behind your head
shouldn’t leave your glute hams, reverse hypers, and other basic accessories for the magic
bullet exercise. • spread eagle sit-ups
• medicine ball throws
• incline sit-ups
• hanging leg raises
• pull-down abs
• sit-ups on the glute ham raise
For your hips, I think people need to try these exercises:
Band abduction and adduction: Try not to make this more complicated than it is. To do this,
there are several ways you can rig the bands up with a power rack, bench, or jump strength
platform. Just pick one for each muscle group and a do a couple sets for each.
Light sumo pulls standing on blocks: This is done exactly as it sounds. Keep the weight light
and work on keeping a tight arch and working the range of motion.
JIM WENDLER: Isn’t that what I just said?
Pull thrus with a wide stance: This is great for the hip drive needed to finish the sumo deadlift.
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: Sort of but different.
Duck under: This is a great/mobility movement. Set a power bar up in the power rack so that
JIM WENDLER: And when did you start shooting hoops?
it’s chest level. Stand off to the side and squat down, side step and duck under the bar while
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: When you started losing weight. keeping the chest up. This is great for hip mobility. As you get better, lower the bar.

JAMES SMITH: Thanks, Brian. I’m going to have to try some of those exercises. When I pull, this is what I do: The bending over and then sitting back is
kind of like levering yourself off the floor. It
JIM WENDLER: You can do something other the train heavy? • I set my feet. ALWAYS have your toes
reminds me of school when we learned about
pointed outwards, never straight on the fulcrums. I don’t remember what that means
J.L. HOLDSWORTH: I can see the light bulb flickering over your head. sumo deadlift. You can’t get your knees but just go with it. When you have your belly
TIM HAROLD: Damn it! I saw this thread, and my eyes lit up. Why is Dave the only one who out wide enough to get your hips as close full of air and you’re leaning and sitting back,
said anything about form? Special exercises are great, but you can throw that into the water to the bar as possible if they’re pointed a tremendous amount of force against the bar
if your technique isn’t up to par and you’re unable to use the strength you’ve worked so hard straight ahead. is created before you snap off the ground if
to develop. If your form is off because of a weakness somewhere in your body, that’s another • Take a breath into your gut. Flail your arms you’re wearing enough gear and you’ve even
story. Make sure your form is correct before you start trying all these cool exercises. Otherwise, if you do that faggot shit and whatever started to use your strength yet. If you can get
you’ll end up with a great good morning but your deadlift will still suck because you can’t do it other tai chi-like dance moves some the timing down by practicing with moderate
right. Once your form is correct then we can talk about exercises to make you strong and raise to heavy weights (never light weights because
people do before they grab the bar.
your deadlift. I don’t believe in light weights for mastering
• Bend over and grab the bar semi straight- form), then you’re well on your way to leaning
legged. Don’t squat down. If you do, how to have a much bigger sumo deadlift.
you’ll defeat the purpose of why I pull this
way. While you’re grabbing the bar, start I don’t pull every week. I think that would be
tightening up your lats, erectors, etc. too stressful on the body. I do think that pulling
heavy twice per month is okay though. If you
• This is the secret right here. Take another need to work on your sumo technique, focus
very quick breath into your belly if you on a few keys every time you pull. Record
can and the sit back and SNAP. Push your some of your sumo deadlifts and post them on
knees and feet out as hard as you can your myspace page or somewhere I can see
while sitting back and pushing your hips to them. Maybe I’ll be able to give you some key
the bar, staying back on your heels. points to focus on while you’re pulling. I think
If you do this right and in one seamless you can deadlift every week if you really want
motion, which will take time, the weights will to, but you shouldn’t do it for too long. You’ll
jump off the floor. You should wear gear for also need a decent deload period. Typically, I
this for sure. I’m kind of weird, but I like the have only pulled when I felt like it.
Metal deadlifter for this and maybe a thin
pair of briefs underneath. You need tons of
What’s good form? Well, I don’t necessarily think that I have the best sumo form in the world. tightness in your hips. Because of the way the
However, I don’t think there are too many people who can rip big weights off the floor with the Metal deadlifter is cut with the straps and that
speed that I do. How do I do it? Before every deadlift attempt, I have Joe Bayles and Bob Coe groin shit, it will help push your hips forward,
shove a grenade up my ass. It’s simple. I see all these people who want to ease a sumo deadlift and if you’re lucky, castrate you.
off the floor because somewhere along the timeline of weightlifting some fucking jerkoff said I’m going to post more if you guys want to
that sumo is hard off the floor and easy at lockout. Also, they said that conventional is the ask questions. This just popped into my head,
opposite – easy off the floor and hard lockout. BULL FUCKING SHIT! Maybe that’s why there but I have to run. I have a date with a girl who
are only a few people who have pulled 900 pounds with sumo style. I’m really rambling but has TMJ. I think she might come down with a
hopefully you’ll learn something to take to the gym with you. The deadlift, whether you’re serious case of lockjaw by the morning.
pulling sumo or conventional, is about attitude. Every time you pull a deadlift, snap it off the
ground! But to do that, you have to have perfect form. I forgot one tidbit about why I pull that way…

But for seniors, I’m going to try a few ideas that I’ve gathered from conversations with other This is why it’s useful to see training videos.
lifters. I’m going to apply them to deadlift training and see if can pull three times per month You can look for the breakdowns to see if
without affecting my overall training too much. I would like to get two good pulling sessions on they’re technical or muscular. When you do
DE day per month. I want to work up to a moderately heavy weight for a few singles, and then post them, post some speed sets and also
take another good jump for a big single and stop. Nothing too hard. But when I’m fully jacked some heavy sets. Don’t post any reverse band
and ready for seniors, I’d like my last pull workout to be 800 lbs for 3-4 singles and then 845- or against band stuff. They will only alter this
865 for a single. This won’t be necessarily be a full bore max workout, but if it’s heavy enough, to a certain degree. It’s hard to see from video
I think I can get some good form work in. (Also, for WIW, I don’t think you’ll need to do speed because you can’t determine how much the
pulls at all. I really haven’t done them in a long time. I believe that if you’re training your squat tension is affecting you without seeing every
properly and not squatting on too high of a box, force development will transfer to the deadlift.) warm up set.
I also hope to get in one pulling sessions on ME day per month where I’ll do something fun Here’s another tip that I picked up from Louie.
like reverse band deadlifts of a box deadlift for an absolute max. This might also be the only Take your Chucks to a shoe repair shop. Have
max effort work I do at all leading up the seniors too. The rest of the ME days will be rest pause them build the front up two inches higher in
workouts on the back attack. I’ll talk more about the rest pause later, but it’s a training method the back (on the slope). This helped me to pull
that I picked up from Dante Trudel (who owns Truepreotein.com). I can tell you it’s the real deal, back better.
and it’s fucking hard. It’s working so far, and I believe it will be rewarding on meet day. It’s also
TIM HAROLD: Here are some of the common
the perfect compliment to the Westside style do training, although some may disagree. I think
sumo pulling problems I see.I’d like to see
it used properly it will make you brutally strong and BIG. This stuff is the best of both worlds.
a lot of sumo lifters point your toes outward
Powerlifters make fun of bodybuilders and vice versa, but there are many things we can learn
and think about a slightly wider stance. Their
from each other.
hips can be much closer to the bar during the
DAVE TATE: I agree 100 percent with Tim, and I’m actually kind of proud of him for his great advice. pull. They’re pulling straight up and slightly
Tim has come a long way since I first met him, which proves that you need to keep learning to get forward. I’d like to see them pulling up and
stronger. Very few get as strong as he is without figuring some shit out along the way. back instead. A wider stance as well as getting
their hips closer to the bar and pointing their
The only thing I would add is that with speed work, you should reinforce your technique with toes outward more should help this.
each and every rep. Make damn sure that they are all dead on. If you ever pull for one more
rep, let go of the bar and reset each rep. This way you’ll learn to pull one rep. Also, when you Also, lifters often spend way too much time
do speed pulls, you should use 40-60 percent weights to work on technique. For most, this bent over trying to position themself. For
will be okay, but some will need to work up to heavier pulls to the get the full effect. In other fuck’s sake, they look like one of those cats
words, some will look great with sub-maximal weights while others will look like crap with that has to step on the pillow for an hour
bigger weights. before it decides to lie down. Shit or get off
the pot. You don’t realize how much energy
There are two ways to avoid this. One, you can always pull in a slightly fatigued state (same as you’re wasting by taking so much time to get
meet) such as after a speed squat session. If you pull on ME day, do more warm up sets then to the bar and set your grip. Without gear, this
you do now (double them). Second, you can work up the weights on the days that your speed takes a lot out of you and even more when
pulls feel great. Most of the time, they feel great because your form is on. Work up to see if it you’re in tight gear. Get your feet set, grab the
will transfer to bigger weights. If it does, that’s great. If not, analyze the breakdown and you’ll bar, and go.
discover your muscular weak points. When you find your weak points, add in some special
exercises to bring them up.

Another thing to consider is the angle of your a great deal. If your knees are over the bar, TIM HAROLD: As far as the post I made about training sumo deadlift some time ago, don’t pay
shins. They should be perpendicular to the that means that you’re leaning forward. And attention to it. I don’t even remember what’s in the post. I don’t remember what the reasoning
bar when you break ground. By not doing that means your back is hunched over, you’re behind what I was doing at the time was or whether or not it would work now. Every time
this, you’re not taking advantage of those not arching enough, and you’re on your toes. I train for a meet or talk to lifters from around the country, I learn new things. My training is
leverages and you’re hindering your pull Basically, you’re fucked from the get-go. CONSTANTLY evolving. I take what works and keep it in and throw away what isn’t cutting it.
As my training evolves, so does my philosophy on training. What I said 1-2 years ago may not
LET’S RECAP SOME THINGS FOR YOU TO WORK ON: jive with what I would tell you today. Scrap that article or read it and try some of it out to see
what works for you! Evolving as a powerlifter involves immeasurable amounts of trial and error.
You will and should try everything that Louie, Dave, or the other great minds of the sport have
1 2 3
already said is retarded and don’t work or will get you hurt, especially the hurt part. Dave’s
Feet pointed outwards, Sit back more before you Get your fucking head up: crippled ass has a PHD in fucking yourself up.
wider stance: This will get break the ground: This We all know this, and we all
your knees out more and should feel very tight (while still need to be told about it The ultra-wide speed pulls are gold. Do them as a special exercise or do them hardcore for a
your hips closer to the bar, sitting back, you’re pulling from time to time. Fucking month or two until you start getting strong on them. After you’ve done them for 1-2 sessions
which makes it easier to the slack out of the bar). do it. and your progress stagnates (or you’re just flat bored with them), drop them completely for a
keep your shoulders behind This will get your shins while. When you come back to them, you probably won’t be right where you left off – you may
the bar. This really takes perpendicular, and improve only be at 90 percent from where you stopped – but you’ll surpass that easily when you train
advantage of the strong your arch and hip position the ultra-wide hard again. I FIRMLY believe in the saying, “One step back to take two steps
back, ass, and hamstrings (which should still be as high forward.”
that we spend most of our as possible without leaning
time developing. This also over or losing your arch).
helps with getting back on
your heels and not up on
your toes.
This is going to be a process, but eventually, you’ll start feeling how everything works together
and your deadlift will improve a great deal. I think when seniors come around you should be
able to really grasp my concept on sumo pulling and hit a big PR. That’s if your fat hands can
hold on to as much weight as you’ll be able to pull.
MARK O’SHEA: Tim, ages ago you posted the routine you used when you switched from
regular to sumo. I’m not sure if you remember it, but it was something like this:
• DE cycle
• ultra-wide, 70 percent
• feet raised on platform, 70 percent
• bands, 70 percent
• sumo, 90 percent before beginning circa max
How did this go, and what changes have you made?

In other words, look at it like this. As a lineman in high school, we used a technique when we
were down blocking called the drop step. You take one step with your outside leg (whichever
way you’re going). This gives a little ground but you’ve positioned yourself to get on that guy’s
outside shoulder more quickly so that you can take him out of the play. Give to take. Enough
rambling. I do that too much sometimes.
JIM WENDLER: Spud, you had some tips on the Q&A about sumo deadlifting. And since you
have perfected your style, what are some tips? I know you have some unique views on this.
MARC BARTLEY:
1 Speed deadlift work. This was a tremendous help. I went up to 500 lbs and did five sets
of triples for five or six weeks. I didn’t squat on this day. I did wide-stance leg press with
a dead stop in the bottom. Sometimes, I would mix in conventional speed pulls with the
sumos. Check out my Saturday logs.
2 The sumo is mostly a pinch off the bottom and then you slam the speed to it. So don’t
worry about speed out of the hole. Form must be first. Drive the head and back up the
whole time so that when you get to the suit, it won’t pull you over. The sumo is basically
a wide-stance squat so you have to treat it as such. Take your suit straps and put them
right over your delt, not the traps. When you go to pull, lift your arms over your head.
This will cause an erector shirt type effect to help hold your shoulders back even more.
3 Line your feet up pigeon toe if possible. Or, in other words, try to line up your feet parallel
to the bar as much as you can stand it. You’ll have to practice this. It’s very uncomfortable,
but it will keep you in line better to lockout the bar. When you put the suit on and line up
on the bar, spread the knees out towards the plates and push back. This will eliminate
the tail tuck caused by the suit. I like the Metal deadlifter or one ply squatter suit for this
type of pulling.
4 Over exaggerate the top of the movement. I learned this by watching the Europeans
in Finland. Right above the knees, they throw the shoulders back as hard as possible
so that the upper body is slightly behind the hips. It’s old-school deadlifting like the
Strongmen do on car deadlifts. This shortens the lockout distance and puts your hips
and lower body into a better position to lockout (squat-like). Do lots of rack lockouts for
JIM WENDLER: I know you have sausage fingers. What are some grip exercises that you do to
threes right above the knees on ME day and remember to over exaggerate.
help you when pulling?
JIM WENDLER: What about people who get stuck the last couple of inches?
MARC BARTLEY: I would do rack pulls just below the knees. This will help with the lockout and
MARC BARTLEY: I would say the tightness is hip flexor related. There are a couple of dudes holding weight. Do triples without straps until you can’t hold anymore, and then go to the straps
at the compound with the same thing. You might try some good hip flexor stretches before and and continue doing threes. This is what Steve Goggins suggested to me, and it seemed to help
after squat/pull. Don’t do too much during but do a lot after. I had the same problem with the me out. Another thing is to do soap swings one-handed sumo style with heavy kettlebells. Go
ducking feet. It’s very hard to over pull at the top. I pull my toes in slightly so that I can get outside somewhere and out of the way, soap your hands thoroughly, and do 8-10 violent swings
more overextension at the top. I wouldn’t say that you’re weaker with the extra weight but less on each hand or until the weight pops out of your hand. My grip has always been an issue
coordinated. Work on speed deadlifts on DE day first to cement the form and lockout. I’m also because of my short arms and fat fingers, which I do believe limited my lockouts. If I could use
deficit pulling speed off a three-inch box for three-week waves. This seems to help on both ends. straps in a contest, I know I could pull well into the 800s so this tells me the grip is limiting me.

Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000 videos, 800 exercises, The
Strength Cast, Iron Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.

Are you a sumo deadlifter? Have you ever As I said above, just like most sumo
pulled a PR attempt to your knees and stalled deadlifters, I would stall out as the bar
completely? reached my knees. I never attributed it
to the fact that my lower back just wasn’t
If you answered yes to one or both of the strong enough to hold the position—but
above questions, I have a sure-fire way to add that’s exactly what it was. I continued having
pounds to your deadlift and help you blow the same problem until I finally listened to
past your current PR. Brian Carroll and added in the conventional
There was a time in my lifting career when I was pulling. I say pulling and not deadlifting
stuck at a 620-pound deadlift for over a year. because I was doing several variations of
I pulled against bands, chains, and combos of the pull.
both. I pulled triples, double, singles, changed The main variation was block pulls with the
suits, etc. Still, no matter what I did, I couldn’t weights elevated to four and six inches.
crack that barrier. The bar would break the I established rep PRs on these lifts in the
PART V
floor and stop dead at my knees. That was, conventional stance while wearing a belt
however, until my good friend Brian Carroll and gym shorts. These became part of
G
suggested that I incorporate conventional
U LLIN
my rotation, and I would shoot for a new
CONVENT IONA L P pulling into my training. After just a few months,

I pulled 711 pounds in a meet. That’s right—
PR every time I did them. Since I was so
weak at them, my strength built very fast
L IFT ER
over a 90-pound PR in just a few months.
D EA D
and I was able to PR in a very short time-
FOR THE SUM O The sumo deadlift is a funny thing—it’s as hard

as hell to learn, but once you do, it’s so easy
frame. For instance, the first time I pulled
off of the six-inch blocks, I hit a top double
of 525 pounds. Within two months, I was in
to use that you never want to go back to the
harder conventional style again. It’s a very the high 500s. This wasn’t bad considering
pt to your I was only trying for a PR on that height/rep
H av e yo u ev er pulled a PR attem technical lift, but it’s a shorter, more efficient
deadlifter? stroke executed in a much stronger position range every four to six weeks.
Are you a sumo
d completely? (for most people). This makes many of us sumo
knees and stalle e questions, I ha
ve a During this period in time, I was also pulling
th of th e ab ov deadlifters steer clear of the harder work…but
yes to one or bo and help you blow
past sumo from the floor for sets of two to five
If you answered yo ur de ad lif t this couldn’t be a bigger mistake.
add pounds to
sure-fire way to
your current PR.
reps. So, a training session would
include both styles. (Usually,
the sumo pulls were my main
movement and the conventional
block pulls were a secondary
movement). As time went on, I
began pulling conventional from
the floor. It even became my
main movement at one point, with
sumo pulls being done for form/
speed every three to four weeks.
The more progress I made on the
conventional pulls, the more my
sumo pull rose. My first meet after
switching to this style was the
2010 APF MI State meet where
I pulled 711 pounds at 220. This
was the same weight class that I
had missed 650 pounds so many
times before.
Now, I’ll be the first to tell you

that conventional pulling for a
sumo guy who has developed a
weakness is no fun. I hated it at
first—absolutely dreaded it. But
over time, and after experiencing
the rewards that came with it, I
grew to love it. I promise you that
if you give this a run, you won’t be
disappointed. Just keep in mind
that you need to start slow and you
need to stick with it. The only way
this won’t work is if you push it too
hard too fast and hurt yourself, or if
you give up on it because it sucks
to use 100 pounds less than you
do in the other stance. And trust
me, it sucks, but the reward is the
opposite of suck.
Let me know how it goes!

1
GENETICS
To be able to lift a lot, you have to be talented athlete. Most of the guys had long arms and
legs. You could see middleweights pulling over 200 kilos the first time they saw a power
bar. But that’s only a good start. The best deadlifters in the late 70`s and early 80´s had two
things in common. Most of them had a background of hard labor, like lumberjacks, construction
workers, farmers or something similar. They carried, lifted and dragged for their living. That
laid a perfect background for deadlift training and very often ensured a hard grip too. The
second thing was Olympic lifting background, they had pulled alot before their powerlifting
career. Raimo Välineva held Scandinavian records in Olympic lifting and was able to clean 330
pounds with straight legs. He had World records of 688 in 148´s and 716 in 165´s in early 80`s.
When weightlifting had the press it was more a pure strength sport as now when speed and
technique more critical.
Many of the new lifters have some type of athletic background from other sports. Ismo Lappi,
338,5 kg deadlifter in 165´s, has thrown javelin over 75 yards and ran 100 meters in under 11
seconds in his teens. He is fast and explosive enough to deadlift big.
2 SQUATTING FOR THE DEADLIFT

All of the former record holders and many of today’s too, squatted with a narrow stance. This
had two advantages. First, it served as an excellent special exercise for deadlift. Many trained
the squat three times a week. Twice back squatting and once front squatting. The other back
squat could be a high bar session.
Other squat exercises were something like lunges, or step squats, using bar on back. These
were done sometimes a box under front or back feet, varying how it hits glutes and hamstrings.
A 8-12 inch box under back feet hits the upper part of glutes quite hard.
PART VI
Many used different stances. The narrow stance high bar was the most common but many, like
Taito Haara, Reijo Kiviranta and Hannu Saarelainen, squatted with 3-4 stances.
During the last years, the box squat has become very popular in Finland. Janne Toivanen put it
FINNISH
in practice by hauling up 804 in `96 IPF World’s in Austria. Many have followed. Ano Turtiainen
started using the box and now pulls over 859 in every meet he enters. Ismo Lappi, the new
WR holder in 165´s in IPF, does box squats as assistance. Veli Kumpuniemi stated that if would
DLIFT SECRETS have known how to use a box in his prime he would have lifted a lot more. How much more?
DEA He tore his hamstring while trying 804 in the 181´s back in 1981. He hit 822 ( 373 kilos ) in a
national before that weighing under 190 pounds. All his hamstrings could handle he hauled
up. He never really recovered but wanted to send his compliments to Louie Simmons for this
excellent exercise.
sport” here
de ad lif t ha s be en our ”national hat
years, the e early 70´s. W
Through out the en br ok en si nc
3 DEADLIFT VARIETY
records has be
in Finland. World h, what is their secr
et ?
s pu ll so m uc
makes Finn w and Many still train the deadlift two times a week. In the early days, it was not rare to deadlift three
tr ai ni ng in fo rm ation of many ne
after collecting ation.
times a week. Veli Kumpuniemi, the only man we call Mr Deadlift in Finland, trained deadlift
I took a look and m e ba ck gr ound and inform sometimes four times a week. Here’s some pulls to use:
re is so
former greats, he
DEADLIFT STANDING ON THE BLOCK. PULLS WITH A SNATCH GRIP. Sumo lifters with a strong back, like Veli Kumpuniemi, Janne Toivanen and Aarre Käpylä locked
out their legs way before extending their torso. Aarre Käpylä, who pulled 10×661 via conventional
Many used 2-6 inch block and pulled standing This has two variations too. Some pulled the
too, got the most out of his hips by keeping his legs almost straight. Jarmo Virtanen, an eight
on it. That has been a pull used very often. weight all the way up and some just up to past
time IPF World champ, used the technique.
Many did these for 3-5 reps using conventional knees. These developed technique by forcing
style even if they pulled sumo in meets. you to keep shoulders in line and it´s a good People used to think that Jarmo Virtanen was just very talented and had good leverages.
one correct technique. They couldn’t be more wrong. He had many things on perfecting the technique. Once he
demonstrated the difference between relaxed and flexed shoulders. By dropping shoulders
STRAIGTH LEG DEADLIFTS. PARTIALS. and using sumo, the distance was 12 inches shorter than using conventional with flexed upper
These were done off floor or using a block body. He stressed the importance of being relaxed while deadlifting .
Hannu Saarelainen did partials on knee level,
under feet. There were two styles. Some just moving the bar from below to above the You should climb to tree from bottom. Most advised to learn to pull conventional first, then
pulled with a bent over style, rounding the knee. The bar traveled 8-10 inches in the area switch to sumo. Reijo Kiviranta, Kullervo Lampela and other conventional style greats stressed
lower back. Some, like Janne Toivanen, Ismo where the leverages were the poorest. He two key points. The is to push your knees over the bar in the start position. This brings the hips
Lappi and Ano Turtiainen, pulled in a romanian did high reps with rather light weight. He tried closer to bar and makes the leverages better. The other thing was to turn feet out. This helped
style with arched back and pushing glutes to get speed too to overcome the sticking the lockout and enabled specially the bigger lifters to use their hip muscles.
to rear. With a round back, most used only point as fast as possible. By concentrating on
40-50% for high reps like 10´s or so. For the weakness enabled Hannu to pull 765 in 242´s
romanian style, some go quite heavy. Janne with quite poor leverages for deadlift. Rack
Toivanen hauled up 4×661 from an 4 inch box pulls and pulls where the bar is on blocks
and Ano Turtiainen has done 5×727 off floor. are common, although they do not benefit as
many as you could imagine.
OLYMPIC PULLS.
HACK DEADLIFTS.
These were done many times as a warm-up
or speed work before the deadlifting. High Many long armed lifters were able to pull with
pulls, raw cleans, raw snatches were the most the bar behind their back. This form of deadlift
common. The old school did some pulls with developed the leg drive and helped to get the
straight legs like Russians. bar off floor.
4
TECHNIQUE
Veli Kumpuniemi stated that if his foot stance was half inch off, the bar stayed on floor. And Veli 5 BASIC STRENGTH AND GPP
was ranked rather a power puller than a technique expert which he was too. The conventional
Like mentioned in beginning, many early day deadlifters did physical labor which laid good
deadlift was always mostly back work. But the sumo pullers were sort of split in two categories.
background for training heavy and often. Olympic lifting was an aid too.
People like Raimo Välineva and Hannu Malinen, the 1988 IPF World champion, used the hips
alot. Raimo Välineva was the developer of the style maximized hip drive in sumo deadlift. Many of todays lifters don´t do any other physical work than train with weights. So the GPP has
Lifters with extreme tecnique had quite a difference between sumo and conventional deadlift. to come from somewhere else. Janne Toivanen did an extra workout six times a week, early
Ari Virtanen, the little brother of Jarmo had one of the best technique I have ever seen. Every in the morning. He did abs, side work and sometimes lower back work together with some
weight he got off floor he finished too. Ari´s best conventional was around 570-580 and he aerobic training and streching. His training program would kill most people, but he found a way
pulled 677 with sumo in `91 World’s. Pirjo Savola, the European Record holder in 123´s with 446 to back it up. Ismo Lappi does the same type of workouts too. It keeps the bodyfat low and
said she has a best conventional of 360-370 range. aids recovery.

7 JARMO VIRTANEN´S DEADLIFT SECRETS
Jarmo Virtanen, who many consider the best powerlifter ever in Europe, was great in the
deadlift. He was an excellent squatter too. Here’s some things behind his success.
In his youth he trained both power lifting and weightlifting at the same time. He also trained
other sports like football and has always done some sort of physical labor. His GPP has always
At the moment five or six our strongmen pull 800 pounds or more. They have long competitive been high. A lot of different squats and deadlifts insured a high SPP level. A nine time IPF World
season when their weight training is mostly for conditioning and recovery. Their training is Champ did lifts like high bar, front and squats with different stances. He deadlifted with both
one form of conjugate method. They carry, drag, lift stones and flip tires and cars using the conventional and sumo, he estimated that he may have done little more conventional work
same muscles that are important in deadlifting. Jukka Laine did 804 in September ´98 and had than sumo. Sometimes he used the snatch grip too. One of his deadlift variations was sumo off
deadlifted twice during the summer. All he did was the event training and many meets. Jouko an 1 inch blocks. He sometimes went quite high on these, 694 was his best.
Aholas deadlift stayed in the same range with no deadlift training at all. He used a short cycle
to peak and succeeded with 853 in meet. Janne Virtanen and Juha Räsänen both pull over He pulled conventional sets where he stopped the bar before it hit the floor to develop static
800 too, 837 is their best in training but either of them haven’t attended in any meets so far. strength and tightness in the start position. When using sumo, he always did every rep as the first
one. Jarmo said that bouncing the bar off is a waste specially in the sumo style. He developed
speed by high pulls. He did not extend his hips in the weightlifting style. He continued the pull
with upper back and traps to the navel level.
6 ASSISTANCE WORK
He had a picture perfect technique, specially in the ´80s when he hasn’t hurt hips thigh. He
Most supplemented their training with wide variety of assistance exercises. Two key muscle developed that by squatting with an ultra wide stance, sometimes he used a Smith-machine
groups were upper back and lats and the abs. to be able to squat as upright as possible. He practiced technique with no weights in front
of mirror. It was his routine every day for six months. As far as assistance go, he did a lot of
As you noticed, I ranked Mr Deadlift, Veli Kumpuniemi as a strenght puller. Here’s why. What ab work but has never done good mornings. He felt they make you too stiff. He stressed the
do think about chins with up to 200 pounds for 5-6 reps, bent over rows using 400+ pounds importance of being relaxed, specially in the upper body area and felt it was crucial for getting
or doing one arm rows with 185 pound dumbbell for 8-10 reps ? It was usual stuff for him and it better leverages in the deadlift and squat too.
was assistance work, not something he shot for.
Jarmo never really maxed out in the gym and usually stayed under 300 kilos in training. He was
Weighted chins are quite common still but the variety is wide. Ano Turtiainen likes to do lat pulls great competitor. In 1988, in our national record breakers in the biggest ice hockey venue at
with different handles, and low pulley rows. He does chest supported and bent over rows too. the time, he hauled up 358 kilos twice but dropped it just before down signal. With torn hand,
Many do shrugs every now and then. he came back and pulled it again just to loose the grip again before the ”down” command.
The lifters in the early 80`s or late 70`s trained abs with flat or incline sit-ups using weight many Year before, when lifting in 75 kilo class he was on a roll. In the World’s in Norway he opened
times. Side work was done using a short bar or dumbbell. One other thing they did was one with 677 and went to WR 333 and pulled it nicely. Then he attacked twice to 340,5 kilos ( 750
arm deadlifts. They stressed the stabilizing muscles a lot too. Today a variety of leg raises, pull pounds ) but the grip was his nemesis. Before he got the grip problem fixed, he hurt his outer
down abs in lat machine and abs done in a ab machine add the number of exercises alot. One thigh. There was, and still is, some scar tissue that is pressing to nerves. With the grip he had in
thing that has become popular last years is the ab wheel. Most lifters do it on their knees using `90s and the better technique and flexibility of `80s he would have gone a lot more. Many times
plate on their back, it targets the abs more instead of hip flexors. I have wondered why his squat went up 20 kilos but the deadlift stayed the same. Believe it
or not, he never got the best out of him in the deadlift. A 815-826 deadlift and 900 kilo ( 1984
As you see, the low back was trained pretty much with the main exercises, squats and pulls. pound ) total where something he capable of but never achieved.
The older school did also good mornings, mostly after squatting for 5-10 rep sets. Then they
became a forgotten exercise until last years. Ano Turtiainen went way over 700 pounds using We have had lots of great pullers and power lifters and we had Jarmo Virtanen. He is one of
bands and two sets of chains as an extra resistance during his preparation for WPO semi´s. The a kind. One sign of his true sportsmanship was this interview. He has always willing to help
other thing many did and still do is back extensions. These are usually done with a bar on back. anyone whether it is training, coaching or giving seminars.
Rauno Rinne used these regularly and pulled 799 in 220´s.

Being a no class deadlifter myself, I have given
this a lot of thought. Reijo Kiviranta, the 1981
World Champ in 242´s put it together nicely
by saying that the one who lifts the most has
trained the most. After reading this article, you
can get a picture what he meant. There is no
secrets at all, just pure hard work. It’s the cold
hard truth. If you want to finish on top you have
to be a good deadllifter. So it’s time for some
deadlift labor, good luck!

1. STARTING WITH (The first reason is very simple: glutes out, and keep the knees
THE HIPS TOO LOW the bar is too heavy!) slightly bent. Lower the bar by
pushing your body weight back
This is the king of all mistakes I You need to find that perfect
onto your heals while pushing
see. Too many times lifters try to spot—where your hips are close
your glutes out. Try to lower the
squat the weight up rather than to the bar, your shoulders are
barbell to a position just past the
pull the weight. Think back to behind the bar, your lower back
knees. At this point, you should
the number of times that you’ve is arched, your upper back is
feel a tremendous stretch in the
seen a big deadlift and thought rounded, your belly is full of air,
glutes and hamstrings.
to yourself how much more the and you can pull toward your
lifter could’ve pulled if he didn’t body. Nobody ever said it was Raise the bar back up by
damn near stiff-leg it? I see it all going to be easy, but then again, contracting your glutes first.
the time. Someone will say, “Did what is? Definitely not training in At the top of the movement,
you see his deadlift?” Then the a commercial health club… contract the glutes as hard as
other guy will comment, “Yeah, possible. Perform the exercise
and he stiff-legged the thing.” 2. WHERE TO LOOK in a ballistic fashion. You want to
drop to the mid- point position
Am I telling you to stiff-leg your WHEN YOU PULL and explode back to the starting
deadlifts? No, not at all.
Your body will always follow your position. This is best trained with
All I want you to do is look at your head. If you’re looking down, moderate weight for sets of 15-
hip position at the start of the lift then the bar is going to want to 20 reps.
when you pull, and watch how travel forward. At the same time,
much your hips move up before TRAINING MISTAKES
you don’t want to look at the
the weight begins to break the ceiling. Focus on an area that Going too low. Make sure to keep
floor. This is wasted movement keeps your head in a straight, up the tension on the hamstrings.
and does nothing except wear and back position with the eyes
you out before the pull. The Not pushing the hips and glutes
focusing on an upper area of the
closer you can keep your hips back. This is also to keep the
wall.
to the bar when you pull, the stress on the hamstrings.
better the leverages are going
to be. Once again, next time 3. DIMEL DEADLIFTS Rounding the back. Keep your
back arched to help keep the
you see a great deadlifter, stand This exercise helped Matt Dimel stress on the hamstrings.
off to the side and watch how increase his squat from the mid-
close his or her hips stay to the 800s to over 1000 pounds in a Using a slow tempo. This
bar throughout the pull. If you’re two-year period. To perform this movement is designed to be
PART VII
putting your ass to the floor exercise, grab a barbell with trained fast. You’ll begin  with
before you pull, your hips are an overhand grip, hands about a slow tempo and build the
about a mile from the bar. You’re shoulder-width apart. Pull the speed up with each additional
setting yourself up for disaster bar up to a standing position. repetition.
14 DEADLIFT
when the lever arm is this long.
Consequently, this is the second At this point, arch your back and APPLICATIONS
most common reason why lifters get your abs tight. Keep your back
CKS
One of the best ways I’ve seen
TIPS AND TRI can’t get the bar off the floor. as arched as possible, push the this implemented is when it is

used as a finisher movement 5. BINDER CLIPS with anyone who didn’t scare
(using two sets of 15-20 reps). him in one way or another. This
Do this at the end of three to One easy thing that will help is some of the best advice I’ve
four workouts during the week your grip for pulling is to use ever heard. I’m not saying that
for three to four weeks. binder clips. These are the big you should be a dick, but there’s
paper clips that have a black a HUGE difference between
The most popular way to end on them (and other colors). “training” and “working out.”
implement this is to just toss Use these like you would use
them in once a week on your grippers, but only use your
squat or dead. thumb and little finger. You can 8. MULTIPLE-REP
work all fingers, but the little guy DEADLIFTS
4. DUMBBELL HOLDS is the first to go.
Next time you see someone
Ed Coan told me this one a doing multiple reps on the
There are very few things that
few years ago at the SWIS deadlift, take note of the form
I’ve found to work when it comes
conference. of each rep. You’ll notice that
to helping with dropped deadlifts
the later reps look nothing like
due to grip. Dumbbell holds,
the first. In competition, you only
however, are one movement 6. GET STRONG(ER) have to pull once, so you need
that’s shown great results.
If you drop your pulls, one to learn how to develop what’s
Grab the top of a hex dumbbell, solution is very simple—get known as starting strength for
making sure that you don’t touch stronger! Let’s say you always the deadlift. This is the strength
the numbers. Grab, stand, and drop 700 pounds, but you can that is needed to get the bar off
hold for as long as you can. If pull 650 pounds easy and the floor without an eccentric
you can go over 20 seconds, pulling 700 pounds with straps (negative) action before the start.
then up the weight. is no problem. Well, get strong
In other words, you don’t lower
enough to pull 750 pounds with
the bar first and then lift the
straps. Then, 700 pounds will
weight as you do with the squat
feel like 650 pounds.
and bench press. When you
train with multiple reps, you’re
7. GET YOUR HEAD beginning to develop reversal
RIGHT strength, which isn’t needed with
the deadlift. These two reasons
Get your head right. Training are enough to keep the deadlift
isn’t easy and won’t always be training to singles. If you’re using
a walk-in-the-park. There’s more multiple reps with the deadlift,
to getting strong than just lifting then stand up in between each
the weights. You have to get an rep and restart the lift. This way Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000
attitude with the weights and you’ll be teaching yourself the videos, 800 exercises, The Strength Cast, Iron
bust your ass. Louie once told proper form and developing the Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
me that he would NEVER train right kind of strength.
NO REGISTRATION, SUBSCRIPTION OR
MEMBERSHIP FEE REQUIRED.

9. NOT PULLING look at them from the side, they still have their So when you reach the point where you begin 13. PULLING YOUR SHOULDER
THE BAR BACK shoulders behind the bar when they pull. This to really have to fight with the weight, let out BLADES TOGETHER WHEN
is just not possible to achieve with a thicker small bursts of air. Don’t let all of it out at one
The deadlift is all about leverage and lifter. time or you’ll lose torso tightness and that will
YOU DEADLIFT
positioning. Visualize a teeter-totter. What cause the bar to drop down. By letting out This is a mistake I made for years. Stand in a
happens when the weight on one end is If a thicker lifter with a large amount of body
small bursts, you can keep your tightness, deadlift stance and pull your shoulder blades
coming down? The other end goes up. So if mass—be it muscle or fat—were to line the bar
continue to pull, and lock out the weight. together. Take a look at where your fingertips
your body is falling backward, what happens up with his shins, you’d see he would have an
are. Now if you let your shoulders relax and
to the bar? It goes up! If your weight is falling impossible time getting the shoulders behind
the bar. Remember, you need to pull the bar 12. ROUNDING THE LOWER even round forward a little, you’ll see your
forward, the bar will want to stay down. So if fingertips are much lower. This is why we
you weigh 250 pounds and you can get your back toward you, not out and away from BACK WHEN DEADLIFTING
teach a rounding of the upper back. First, the
body weight to work for you, it would be much you. So what I believe happens is that many
lifters look to those who have great deadlifts This is another mistake I see all the time, and bar has to travel a shorter distance. Second,
like taking 250 pounds off the bar. For many most lifters know better. It happens most of the there’s less stress on the shoulder region. It’ll
natural deadlifters, this is a very instinctive to see how they pull, then try to do the same
themselves. However, what they really need time because of a weak lower back or a bad also help keep your shoulder blades behind
action. For others, it has to be trained. starting position. Even though your shoulders the bar.
to do is look to those who have great deadlifts
Proper positioning is important here. If you’re and who have similar builds as them and should be rounded, you must keep your lower
standing too close to the bar, it’ll have to come follow their lead. back arched. This will keep the shin straight 14. PULL THE SLACK OUT OF
and the shoulders behind the bar, allowing
over the knee before you can pull back—thus,
your body to be in the proper position to pull
THE BAR
going forward before it goes backward. If your
11. PULLING WITH BIG AIR big while keeping the back under minimal Even if you are not using a texas deadlift bar,
shoulders are in front of the bar at the start of
the pull, then the bar will want to go forward, As with most exercises, you must learn how stress. you still want to make an effort to pull the slack
not backward. If your back isn’t arched, the bar to breathe. Stand in front of a mirror and take out of the bar before accelerating the bar to
If you pull with a rounded back, the bar is
will also want to drift forward. For some lifters, a deep breath. Do your shoulders rise? If so, lockout. What this basically means is to begin
going to drift forward away from the legs—
not being able to pull back can be a muscular then you need to learn how to breathe. Learn pulling until you feel the bar get tight against
putting your back in a very difficult position
thing. If you’re like myself, I tend to end up with to pull your air into your diaphragm. In other the plates and begin to bend. Once you reach
from which to recover. When the bar drifts
the weight on the front of my feet instead of words, use your belly! Pull as much air into that point—where you feel the bar bending—
forward, the weight of it will begin to work
my heels. This is a function of my quads trying your belly as possible, then when you think THEN begin the pull off the floor, thinking of
against your leverages and cause you to have
to overpower the glutes and hamstrings, or you have all you can get, pull more. The accelerating the speed more and more with
a sticking point just below the knees or mid-
the glutes and hamstrings not being able to deadlift isn’t started by driving your feet into every inch the bar moves.
shin level. When you pull, you can either arch
finish the weight and shifting to the quads to the floor; it’s started by driving your belly into your back in the beginning standing position
complete the lift. What will happen many times your belt and hips flexors. before you crouch down to pull or once you
is that you’ll begin shaking or miss the weight. grab the bar. Either way, it’s important to keep
To fix this problem, you need to add in more One note on holding air while you pull: You do the lower back arched and tight.
glute ham raises, pull-throughs, and reverse need to try and hold your air as long as possible,
hypers. but this can only last for a few seconds while There are many ways to strengthen the lower
under strain because you will pass out. So for back for this. Good mornings, reverse hypers,
a long pull, you’re going to have to breathe and arched back good mornings are a few.
10. SHIN PLACEMENT or you’ll hit the floor… and people will stare. You can also use a band around your traps
I’m not too sure where this started, but I have a While there are several people out there who and feet for simulated good mornings. With
pretty good idea. Many times the taller, thinner may think this is a cool thing, I disagree. It’s this technique, you only use the bands and
lifters are the best pullers, and they do start much cooler to make the lift! train for higher reps (in the 20 to 30 rep range)
with the bar very close to their shins. But if you for local muscular endurance.

Until recently, the deadlift was the bastard child selection, meaning because of their beaks,
of the strength and conditioning community! they could eat food that the shorter beaked
Many lifters have shied away from deadlifts finches could not. This is the survival of the
due to their immense difficulty, only to walk fittest! This is my training micro evolutionary
away with suboptimal strength gains and training philosophy in a nutshell. I’m excited to
back development. Lately a contingent of the share a technique with you that has survived
game’s top trainers have covered the deadlift, training natural selection and helped propel
seemingly from every angle, in attempts of some of my lifters’ deadlifts to new heights;
resurrecting it as the cornerstone lift in one’s the exercise is the lightning deadlift!
program.
With all of this new interest in deadlifting, one EXPLODE THROUGH DEADLIFT
would think a casual YouTube search would PLATEAUS
net beneficial technique cues for your deadlift.
The deadlift epitomizes an assessment of limit
However, further examination reveals that
strength, but if you can lift a weight fast enough,
many of these techniques look like they were
sticking points are systematically by passed!
designed by Barnum & Bailey and would be
Explosive power is crucial to deadlifting big.
of more benefit to a Coney Island side show
than your deadlift! Louie Simmons bluntly puts it, “It is essential
that explosive strength play a large role in
THE EVOLUTION OF THE training, as it is not only a means of developing
DEADLIFT absolute strength, but also a method of raising
physical fitness that is directed towards
Picking up a heavy object from the ground solving a sport-specific task.” In layman’s
is a plain and simple primordial instinct. The terms, becoming more explosive means lifting
deadlift is the most basic lift there is. Over the more weight.
years, my deadlift philosophy has evolved,
as everyone’s philosophy should. The key It’s widely known that if you want to develop
PART VIII
is the right kind of evolution! In biology, more explosive power in the deadlifts, you’d turn
macro evolution involves major evolutionary to a combination of plyometrics, accentuated
TS
changes at, or above, the level of species.
ING DEADLIF
LIGHTN
Unfortunately, in many gyms throughout
the country, the deadlift has morphed into a
rendition of Cirque de la Soul with a barbell
– its form butchered as it’s executed without
rength and much purpose by misguided trainees. It
as th e ba st ar d child of the st
e deadlift w lifts
Until recently, th rs ha ve sh ie d away from dead is contrasted with microevolution, which
te
munity! Many lif ay with suboptim
al is mainly concerned with the small-scale
conditioning com on ly to w al k aw
ense difficulty, tely a contingent
of the patterns of evolution within a species or
due to their imm ve lo pm en t. La
and back de om every population. An example in biology would be
strength gains re d th e de ad lift, seemingly fr
rs have co ve e’s
game’s top traine it as th e co rn erstone lift in on Darwin’s finches; the finches with the longest
s of resurrecting beaks would survive because of natural
angle, in attempt
program.

medicine ball throws, compensatory DEVELOP FORCE PRODUCTION PROGRAMMING
acceleration deadlifts and of course, speed WITH THE LIGHTNING CONSIDERATIONS
deadlifts against accommodated resistance.
These methods are tried and true, but one
DEADLIFT Lightning Deadlifts are performed for doubles.
technique is missing from the list. Every athletic endeavor will be enhanced by The first rep is performed with a chain on the
an increased rate of force development! bar, generally for speed. These are done with
40-50 percent of one’s maximum deadlift and
TRY THIS OUT RFD is more important for the deadlift than the chains are an additional 10-20 percent
Go ahead and try to deadlift 50 percent of the bench press or squat. Here is why added on the bar. The first rep is performed
your 1 rep max (RM) slowly, then attempt it both the squat and the bench press have a with the chains on the bar. Immediately when
with maximum velocity. The maximum velocity true eccentric phase and true concentric the bar touches the ground, have the two
deadlift will feel much lighter. Besides the phase. Even with a one second pause at the people on the sides pull the chains off the
obvious physiological benefits of deadlifting amortization phase, approximately half of the bar. Then, pull the weight as explosively as SOME GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER WITH
explosively, it yields a wonderful psychological original stored elastic energy is available to possible to lockout without chains. This will LIGHTNING DEADLIFTS
benefit. Weight that feels light is light! aid in the concentric portion of the lift. The be the most explosive deadlift you have ever
deadlift, at best, has a pseudo-eccentric pulled – you will literally feel like you are • Have two component helpers
phase you can choose to create. Some going to fall over backward. Why? Simple,
ENTER THE LIGHTNING studies show eccentric contractions are able • Do not pull the second rep until you hear
because you have intensified the effect of
DEADLIFT to handle as much as 160 percent the amount elastic energy that aids you in the lift. You
“go” from the designated helper
of weight as their concentric counterparts. have created an eccentric portion to a lift that • Pull each rep as explosively as possible
The lightning deadlift was inspired by the
Truly your limiting factor in completing a lift does not have one. Lightning deadlifts will
late Bob Peoples of Tennessee, the first man • Do 3-6 sets
is your level of concentric strength. Studies teach you new meaning to pull explosively –
to deadlift over 700 pounds. Bob would lift
show that the force produced at the beginning it will train your CNS to learn and adapt to that
a weight out of a jack at lockout height. Bob • Do doubles – any more or any less will
of a concentric contraction that followed explosive motor pattern, resulting in bigger
would then lower the weight to the floor and eliminate the benefits
an eccentric contraction, is much greater pulls and if you’re a powerlifter – bigger totals!
lift it back up, taking advantage of the stretch
than force at the beginning of a concentric
reflex. I’m not sure if Bob knew why it worked,
contraction that was not preceded by an
but he knew it did! I wanted to acknowledge
eccentric contraction.
Bob for inspiring food for thought!
Let’s take a look at what a lightning deadlifts is.
I have recently implemented this method with
some of my lifters. I am not claiming to have
invented this technique, but I have never seen
anyone else use this lift. A lightning deadlift
is very similar to using a weight releaser
in the bench press or squat. Because of
the increased weight on the eccentric, the
concentric is effectively sped up. I thought
there was no true eccentric in the deadlift?
With lightning deadlifts, you can circumvent
this obstacle and use the stretch-shortening
cycle to develop maximum explosive power.

The deadlift is the one exercise that allows What we do want is to lower the bar with
you to relax your muscles in between each control, and we want to attempt to touch it
rep—unlike the bench press and the squat lightly or set it down while keeping constant
when you’re doing them for reps. Most believe tension on the bar. This can be beneficial
that it’s best to let the weight down fast and for building strength and for helping one’s
concentrate more on the positive upward balance and control, whether you pull
motion of the lift. And I agree with the fast, sumo or conventional. I also found this to
positive upward motion; however, you can be effective in building up the hamstrings.
also train the negative downward movement In turn, it is important to note that riding the
to be stronger overall, and this will improve bar hard to the floor is not good on your
speed off the floor and help with a strong elbows and joints. This can cause elbow
PART IX
lockout. tendinitis, which can affect your squat and
bench.
In the squat and bench, we perform a negative
:
movement at some time or another. Some of us The only time I recommend letting the bar
STEVE GOG GIN S attempt to use speed in the negative motion,

yet even then we never release the tension
down hard is in competition, and even then
it has to be under control and done without
TR AIN ING TIPS on the bar. We remain tight and controlled. releasing the bar until it is back on the floor.
DEADLIFT
I, myself, have a bad habit of dropping the
Back to the deadlift…I see some lifters attempt last rep in training. However, I have never
to do what they consider a “touch and go.” dropped a bar in competition unless I lost
However, it’s more like a “bounce lift” as they my grip.
es in
at al lo w s yo u to relax your muscl bang the weights on the floor and spring up.
e one exercise th d the squat whe
n you’re That’s not what we want at all. One needs A good practice to help with this would be
The deadlift is th be nc h pr es s an
p—unlike the eight down to be very disciplined when performing the to lower all of your last reps (in training)
between each re be lie ve th at it’s best to let the w lift.
ps. Most d motion of the negative movement of the deadlift. You’re slower and under control. Not only will this
doing them for re e po si tiv e up w ar
trate more on th ion; however, yo
u can only cheating yourself if you bounce it off the keep you in good practice for meets, but
fast and concen e up w ar d m ot
the fast, positiv t to be stronger
overall, floor. you will also reap all of the benefits in terms
And I agree with ar d m ov em en
gative downw ng lockout. of your technique. This principle can and
also train the ne off th e flo or an d help with a stro
ove speed should also be used when performing rack
and this will impr
pulls, block pulls, and stiff leg deads.

So, as you can see, I recommend keeping the Please take notice on the 750-pound set. As I
bar loaded until you are finished with the set. pull the weight up on the first rep, I control the
It is my belief that a loaded bar under constant weight back to the floor and lightly touch, while Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000
tension builds more power and muscle. This at the same time keeping constant tension on videos, 800 exercises, The Strength Cast, Iron
also will keep you in the game a lot longer. bar. On the second rep, I set the weight all the Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
NO JERKING! BOUNCING! DROPPING AND way down while keeping constant tension on
RESETTING! the bar.

PINS VS BOXES them work off pins to make it harder to pull
through. If it’s for hypertrophy, high reps or
My program called for pin-pulls, but technical work, I’d have them pull off blocks.
considering I’m doing these for hypertrophy
instead of pure strength, I went with pulls The chains made this even better because
off blocks instead. There’s a BIG difference it took much of the stress off the lower back,
between pin pulls and pulls off blocks in how but pounded my upper back at the top. This is
the bar and movement acts. For example: exactly what I was looking for.
1. When pulling off blocks, the bar will flex

exactly the same as if you were pulling off of ELITEFTS™ PULLING STANDS
the floor. The first point of contact when pulling Deadlift Mats
on the bar is the plate.
Deadlift Rubber Blocks
2. When pulling off pins, the first point of
contact is the pin you’re pulling off, so there Multi-Purpose Jump Box
will be less flex in the bar. The flex will not be
Pulling Stands
the same as if pulling from the floor and the
bar flex is extended to the plate instead of the My personal favorite out of all of these, is the
pins. Multi-Purpose Jump Box. The boxes work
great for pulling stands, box squat risers, step-
3. Pulling off blocks makes it easier to get the
ups and numerous other movements.
bar where you want it to be when you pull.
The bar rolls the same as if it was on the floor.
4. If pulling off pins, you have to make sure

your body is positioned correctly because the
bar doesn’t roll well on the pins (it slides). This
PART X
usually means you need to step back off the
bar some.
VID EO :
5. Pulling off blocks is also easier on your bar,
REAL TR AIN IN G than being slammed against pins.
K N OW
There are advantages and disadvantages to
N EE D TO
WHAT YOU
each based on what you’re trying to build,
where your sticking point is and what you have
S O FF
to work with. I have the option of both, and the
ABOUT D E A D LIF T safer alternative for me is to pull off blocks and

allow the bar to have a more natural flex when
S
pulling – especially when pulling for reps.
PINS A ND BL O C K If I was working with a lifter who was dealing

with a specific sticking point, I’d rather have

If you want to hit a deadlift PR, you need to
build your training around it. The program
I’ve written here is a ten-week cycle for an
intermediate lifter who fails just below the knee.
On most deadlift training days in this cycle,
you will pull from the floor for triples, doubles,
and eventually singles. After deadlifting from
the floor, you will pull from six or four-inch
blocks. The percentages will increase each
week, except for deload weeks.
There are three deload weeks in this cycle.

The first two (week three and week six), you
will still deadlift but will stay at 60% and focus
on speed and form. The final deload (week
nine) will give you the opportunity to recover
before the peak day on week ten. This week
is extremely important if you want to hit a PR.
If you push too hard on week nine, you will not
be prepared to pull heavy on meet day.
PERCENTAGES
PART XI
It should be stressed that the prescribed
percentages are meant for an intermediate
lifter. If the lifter is more advanced, he should
TE RM EDIATE start at a lower percentage because he will
10-WEEK IN
need more time to acclimate to the really heavy
loads. I find that intermediate guys (if they’ve
OG RA M
been following a good off-season program)
DEAD LIFT PR can jump right to higher percentages because

the weights aren’t as heavy and don’t beat
them up so badly. The heaviest movements
nd (90 percent range) are all reduced range of
u ne ed to bu ild your training arou motion.
t a deadlift PR, yo k cycle for an inte
rmediate
If you want to hi re is a te n- w ee
e written he days in
it. The program I’v kn ee . O n m os t deadlift training When determining your numbers, base them
e ly
lifter who fails ju
st below th
fo r tr ip le s, do ub les, and eventual off either your best lift in a meet or your best
pull from the floor pull from six or
four-
this cycle, you will e flo or , yo u w ill clean lift in the gym. Do not use the weight
adlifting from th each week, exce
pt for from a shitty grinder that you barely got and
singles. After de s w ill in cr ea se
e percentage that would have been redlighted for three
inch blocks. Th
deload weeks. different reasons.
WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 85
If you follow this outline and choose the right
SETUP accessory exercises, you should hit a big
If you’re a sumo deadlifter, remember that PR on week ten. Send videos to the Q&A if
setup is everything. You can see in my log you want technique advice or have other
here the difference between a correct setup questions, and let us know in the comments
and a lazy approach to the bar. If you’re out of how this training cycle works for you.
place before starting the pull, you will never
finish the lift the way you want to. It works this
way with conventional deadlifting as well, but
some lifters can grind out bad positioning
to get back into their groove. Proper setup
makes the difference between a miss and an
easy triple.
Setup matters just as much for the light pulls

on weeks three and six. When you’re working
at a lighter weight, you need to focus on your
speed and form the same as if it’s a heavy pull.
This will help build your technique for max
attempts.
ACCESSORY EXERCISES
Choose accessories based on your
weaknesses. For my deadlift, I need to build
my upper back, so I have been doing a lot of
rows and dumbbell shrugs. If your weakness
is in your hamstrings and glutes, it won’t do
you any good to program rows and dumbbell
shrugs. You need to pick accessory exercises
that will help your deadlift. If your weakness is
in your hamstrings and glutes, do glute ham
raises. If your weakness is in your abs, do
planks to the front and to both sides.
Train your traps to build a strong starting

position. I also like to throw in reverse
dumbbell curls from time to time to help the
forearms and biceps tendons. These need to
be strong to remain injury free when pulling
heavy.

Long story short, I had a high school wrestler While we also wanted to bring up his squat
who began training with me last fall, six weeks and get him accustomed to the strongman
before the season started. Once wrestling events, my main goal was to bring up his
began, he was unable to make it in to train with deadlift and rehab his shoulder to allow him
me. During the season he injured his shoulder to press pain-free. Not knowing how the squat
and required surgery. Once he healed up from would affect his shoulder, the deadlift became
surgery, he gave me a call to get back into the the main focus. Adjustments to this setup
gym. Finally, we resumed training together on would be based on his feedback.
May 29th. This time around, his goals were a He is only able to train with me once a week
bit different. For example, instead of training for so I set his program up as follows:
wrestling, he wanted to get as big and strong
as possible. Training with our strongman crew, MONDAY: Full Body (train alone)
he also decided he’d like to compete.
WEDNESDAY: Full Body (train with me)
He’s a natural, athletic kid who has pretty good
SATURDAY: Strongman Event Day (train with
genetics. The first session back in, I worked
the strongman crew)
him up to a 1RM on his deadlift. Because he’s
been lifting consistently for a few years, has I’m only going to show the programming for
great body awareness and natural athleticism, his lower body, as the deadlift was our main
I wasn’t worried about working him up to a focus.
1RM. This gave me a baseline of where he
was. We worked him up to 315 pounds for a On Monday’s when he trained alone, I limited
solid, but difficult rep. After one more jump up his reps to five on the squat and deadlift,
PART XII
in weight, he missed 335. (Note: I don’t always and used a simple 5×5 progression. He was
test a 1RM with clients. Sometimes I’ll use a instructed to perform each rep as explosively
3RM or 5RM. There are special situations as possible and work on perfecting technique.
DS
The first few weeks are pretty light, but
POUN
where I won’t even test them for a long time.
ADD 100 Instead, we will just progress from session to progress overtime. This is by design.
session. This really does vary from individual
TO YOUR PULL
to individual.)
tups
c. I’v e us ed th is and similar se
ogram is basi ess—it works. Th
is exact
The following pr ha d gr ea t su cc
myself, and 315 to 415
with clients and ta ke a cl ie nt ’s max deadlift from t,
program has been
used to
tio na ry ab ou t th is. It’s just a smar
e’s nothing revolu nally well for begi
nner
in 24 weeks. Ther w or ks exce pt io
that works. This
simple program
lifters.
and intermediate

He squatted and deadlifted every week. When working him up to his training 5, 3 or 1RMs, we
avoided missing reps. He was instructed to always leave at least one rep in the tank. Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000
videos, 800 exercises, The Strength Cast, Iron
Accessory work: I’m not going to get into what he did because everyone has different Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
weaknesses. Just do what YOU suck at. Train YOUR weak points.
I won’t be detailing the event days below, but typically it looked like: MEMBERSHIP FEE REQUIRED.
WEEK A: WEEK B:
• Log Clean & Press • Log Clean & Press
• Farmers Carry • Yoke Walk
• Atlas Stones • Carry or Medley
For those who don’t train strongman events, organize the template slightly different. I’d like
to see another day or two of rest between squat/deadlift days, with the strongman events
removed from the program:
EXAMPLE #1: EXAMPLE #2: EXAMPLE #3:

MONDAY: Full Body (Squat/ MONDAY: Lower (Squat/ MONDAY: Lower Body (Squat/
Deadlift) Deadlift) Deadlift)
WEDNESDAY: Full Body (Single TUESDAY: Upper Body TUESDAY: Upper Body
leg work)
THURSDAY: Lower Body (Squat/ THURSDAY: Full Body (Squat/
FRIDAY: Full Body (Squat/ Deadlift) Deadlift)
Deadlift)
FRIDAY: Upper Body
90 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL 91

PART XIII
24 WEEK
PHASE ONE
DEADLIFT
His Deadlift: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was 85% of his
ar e ba se d on a training max.
rcentages belo w true 1RM.
DEADLIFT: All pe M.
85% of his true 1R
training max was ax. His Squat: All percentages below are based on a training max. His training max was based on 85%
w ar e ba se d on a training m
entages belo t of his estimated 1RM. Since his squat technique wasn’t as proficient as his deadlift, I worked him
SQUAT: All perc s es tim at ed 1R M. Since his squa
hi
based on 85% of worked him to a
5RM to a 5RM instead of a 1RM. This was used to establish his estimated 1RM.
training max was hi s de ad lif t, I
t as proficient as ated 1RM.
technique wasn’ as us ed to es tablish his estim The training max or everyday max is a very important part of this program. Using a true max for
. This w
instead of a 1RM this this program will not work properly.
m ax is a ve ry important part of
or everyday will not work prop
erly.
The training max r th is pr og ra m
a true max fo
program. Using
WEDNESDAY: ALTERNATE WEEK A AND WEEK B FOR 6 WEEKS
WEEK A – Deadlift
WEEK B – Squat
Week 1: Deadlift: 5 reps @ 60%, 5 reps @ 65%, 5 reps @ 75%, 5 reps @ 85% (Continue
making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met.)
Week 2: Squat: 5 reps @ 55%, 5 reps @ 65%, 5 reps @ 75%, 5 reps @ 85% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met.)
MONDAY- ALTERNATE A AND B FOR 6 WEEKS Week 3: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
WEEK A – Squat working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met.)
WEEK B – Deadlift Week 4: Squat: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% (Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met.)
Week 1: Squat: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5, 65%x5
Week 5: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (Continue
Week 2: Deadlift: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5, 65%x5 working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. This is a training 1 rep max. Not a true 1
rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached aggressively.)
Week 3: Squat: 70%x5, 80%x5, 90%x5, 80%x5, 70%x5
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (Continue
Week 4: Deadlift: 70%x5, 80%x5, 90%x5, 80%x5, 70%x5
working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Not a true 1 rep max. There is some left
Week 5: Squat: 75%x5, 85%x5, 95%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5 in the tank, but the bar is approached aggressively.)

MONDAY- ALTERNATE A AND B FOR 6 WEEKS
WEEK A – Squat
WEEK B – Deadlift
Week 1: Squat: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5, 65%x5
Week 3: Squat: 70%x5, 80%x5, 90%x5, 80%x5, 70%x5
Week 5: Squat: 75%x5, 85%x5, 95%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5

WEEK A – Deadlift
WEEK B – Squat
making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met. Go for a 5 rep PR here.)
working up making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met. Go for a 5 rep PR here.)
PHASE TWO
Week 5: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a training 1 rep
max. Not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached
aggressively. Continue working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for a heavier
Deadlift– All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 pounds single than phase 1.)
to his deadlift training max.
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a
Squat– All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 pounds to training 1 rep max. Not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is
his squat training max. approached aggressively. Continue working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go
for a heavier single than phase 1.)

WEEK A – Squat
WEEK B – Deadlift
Week 1: Squat: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5, 65%x5
Week 3: Squat: 70%x5, 80%x5, 90%x5, 80%x5, 70%x5
Week 4: Deadlift: 70%x5, , 80%x5, 90%x5, 80%x5, 70%x5
Week 5: Squat: 75%x5, 85%x5, 95%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5

WEEK A – Deadlift
WEEK B – Squat
making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met. Go for a 5 rep PR here.) Back off sets: 3 sets of 5-8
@ 65%
working up making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met. Go for a 5 rep PR here.) Back off sets: 3
sets of 5-8 @ 65%
Week 3: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 60%, 3 reps @ 70%, 3 reps @ 80%, 3 reps @ 90% Continue
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here. Back off sets: 3
PHASE THREE sets of 5-8 @ 70%
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.) Back off sets: 3
sets of 5-8 @ 70%
Back off sets are added after hitting RM for the day. All back off sets are done beltless. Week 5: Deadlift: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a training
1 rep max, not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached
Deadlift– All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more aggressively. Continue working up, making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for a heavier
pounds to his deadlift training max. single than phase 2.) Back-off sets: 3 sets of 3-5 @ 75%
Squat– All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65%, 3 reps @ 75%, 3 reps @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (This is a training
pounds to his squat training max. 1 rep max, not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the bar is approached
aggressively. Continue working up making 5% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for a heavier
single than phase 2.) Back-off sets: 3 sets of 3-5 @ 75%

WEEK A – Squat
WEEK B – Deadlift
Week 1: Squat: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5, 65%x5
Week 3: Squat: 70%x5, 80%x5, 90%x5, 80%x5, 70%x5
Week 5: Squat: Omit– Deadlift Testing Week
Week 6: Deadlift: 75%x5,85%x5, 95%x5, 85%x5, 75%x5

WEEK A – Deadlift
WEEK B – Squat
making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met. Go for a 5 rep PR here.) Back-off sets: 3 sets of
5-8 @ 65%
working up making 5% jumps until a 5RM is met. Go for a 5 rep PR here.) Back-off sets:
3 sets of 5-8 @ 65%
PHASE FOUR working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.) Back-off sets:
3 sets of 5-8 @ 70%
working up making 5% jumps until a 3RM is met. Go for a 3 rep PR here.) Back-off sets:
3 sets of 5-8 @ 70%
Back off sets are added after hitting RM for the day. All back off sets are done beltless.
Week 5: TEST Deadlift: 1 rep @ 65%, 1 rep @ 75%, 1 rep @ 85%, 1 rep @ 95% (Continue
Deadlift – All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more working up making 5-10% jumps until a 1RM is met. Go for an all time PR here.)
pounds to his deadlift training max.
Week 6: Squat: 3 reps @ 65% TM, 3 reps @ 75% TM, 3 reps @ 85% TM, 1 rep @ 95% TM
Squat – All percentages below are based on a training max. We have now added 10 more (This is a training 1 rep max, not a true 1 rep max. There is some left in the tank, but the
pounds to his squat training max. bar is approached aggressively. Continue working up, making 5% jumps until a 1RM is
met. Go for a heavier single than phase 3.)
He finished this phase with a PR pull of 415 pounds, a full 100 pounds heavier than his pull just
24 weeks before. And he had some left in the tank. Even on this testing day, I didn’t allow him
to miss a lift.
So what will we do now?
He will continue to follow these 6-week phases above, slowly increasing his training max,
setting 5 and 3 rep PRs, hitting a heavier training single than the phase before, and progressing
on this as long as he can. A lot of people like changing programs, switching things up, etc., but
I firmly believe if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. This is working for him, so there’s no need to change
a thing. When the weights start becoming too heavy to finish without missing reps or missing
weights, we will reset his training max. I’d simply subtract 20 pounds from the current training
max and progress from there. Eventually he will have milked it for all it’s worth. Then, the
Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000
changes will come. The only changes we will make before this happens will be his accessory videos, 800 exercises, The Strength Cast, Iron
work. This will be determined by how his heaviest single of the previous phase looks like and Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.
what his weak point is at that moment.

The death lift—the one true test of strength ED COAN
and the one lift that is still relatively untouched
by the advancements of powerlifting gear. The deadlift isn’t a tricky lift. It’s pretty easy. You
Nowadays, people can put a lot of time into bend over and pick up the weight. Now, how
mastering their supportive gear and get you get the most out of it can be tricky. I think
hundreds of pounds of carryover, especially the misconception with deadlifting is heavy,
in the squat and bench. But the deadlift stands heavy, heavy way too much. You can also go
way too light on speed work. The weight has
alone as a lift that you either have or you don’t.
to be enough that there is a carryover—too
Only one man has pulled a 1,000-pound light and it won’t work and too heavy and you
deadlift in a sanctioned meet and that’s Andy overtrain.
Bolton, who did it twice. However, Benedict
Magnusson has successfully pulled an
amazing 1,015 pounds in a non-sanctioned
meet and raw! Heading down the list of
amazing deadlifters, we find that only thirteen
men in history have ever pulled 900 lbs or
more. I wanted to know what makes an elite
deadlifter. Is it mental, physical, genetics, a
solid training program? What?
I had the great honor and privilege of taking

some time to communicate with three of the
PART XIV
best deadlifters of all time—the legend Ed
Coan and Vince Urbank, who have successfully
pulled over 900 pounds in a sanctioned meet,
!
and Steve Goggins of elitefts™ who has pulled
THE DEATH LIFT 900 pounds hook grip in training.
I wanted to know what the difference was

between an 800-pound deadlifter and a
900-pound deadlifter. I asked the three of
lift that is
te st of st re ng th and the one .
them the same two questions—what are
The death lift—th
e one true
va nc em en ts of powerlifting gear some misconceptions about building a huge
ad
touched by the ring their suppor
tive
still relatively un tim e in to m as te deadlift (that you’ve personally found), and
le can put a lot of r, especially in th
e squat
Nowadays, peop ds of ca rr yo ve can you tell us what has contributed the most I usually changed it up after a contest and did
ndreds of poun a lift that you eith
er have
gear and get hu st an ds al on e as to your amazing pull (physical, mental, or a variation of the deadlift for a whole cycle. I
e deadlift
and bench. But th spiritual aspects or training method)? Below is usually picked a deadlift variation that worked
or you don’t. an uncut response from each of them about my weakest spot. For me, I liked to do a stiff
the subject. Enjoy! legged deadlift cycle. It lasted nine weeks
while standing on a three-inch block. Then I

did three weeks of eight, three weeks of six, competition style and training to become Both involve the same muscle groups variation. Reps will obviously go down as the
and three weeks of four. I also paused them powerful through that exact range of motion (although in differing proportions). So by meet gets closer, but you shouldn’t go more
on the bottom. and from that position. Don’t be lazy and say increasing strength in the back, hamstrings, than five reps on the squat and two to three
that rack pulls are good enough because glutes, and quads and increasing nervous reps on the deadlift per set. If you do, try to
The mental approach is easy! If you set up you’re tired from squatting, and don’t do band system efficiency and output, how could they keep it limited to one big set (especially in
a good program that is very “doable,” your pulls and tell yourself that they’re as good not both increase at the same time? Don’t the eight to ten weeks pre-contest). If you get
confidence builds during the whole cycle. or better than pulling weight from the floor blame lack of deadlift gains on your squat weaker from one session to the next, you’re
By the end, you’re as strong as shit mentally. powerlifting style. gains or vice versa. Once again, be honest overtraining and need to rest more.
People forget that it’s a long process to be with yourself and reevaluate your training.
good at any lift. Your expectations have to be Speed work is great for increasing power but
reasonable. Don’t think that you can go up I feel that following a clean, whole food diet, doing it on a constant scheduled basis (i.e.
30–40 pounds every cycle. Take your time and not eating any junk food or processed food, every week) is a waste of time and available
you’ll get there. I really did have great training and doing a lot of manual labor and exercise recovery. You won’t continually get faster
partners along the way. They knew me and all from a very young age have contributed to my indefinitely, at least not to any significant
my little hang ups and let me be me. pull the most physically. Through my teenage measurable degree. So save the speed
years and before I ever started lifting weights work for when you need an extended break
VINCE URBANK at age sixteen or seventeen, I had already between heavy sessions and your lifts have
been doing calisthenics, sprints, and jumps been slowing down. You get substantial
Some common misconceptions I’ve found for years. I feel that many years of exercise “speed” training on your heavy days if you’re
are that lifters assume their lifting should be have helped my muscular development and being as fast and explosive as possible on
tied to a particular frequency (i.e. “I have to helped me learn what food and training my your warm ups.
squat every week” or “I have to deadlift every body needs to reach my next goal.
week”). A lifter’s recovery depends on age,
Mentally/spiritually, I think the biggest factor STEVE GOGGINS
body weight, sex, lifting experience, current
strength level, training style leading up to that to achieving big lifts isn’t believing that others Most elite lifters say that you shouldn’t use
point, and other factors. So if your recovery is are better than you but truly believing that you straps when deadlifting. For me, I find this to
constantly changing, why would you always can do anything that anyone else has ever be untrue. I was able to build a tremendous
rest the same amount? done and more if you have a smart enough amount of strength in my back by using straps.
plan and are willing to do whatever it takes
Beginner/weaker lifters need to train more to reach that goal. I also believe that it’s very
often while experienced/very strong lifters important to have a constant positive attitude
need more rest. Be honest with yourself. If about yourself and whatever your current
you’ve been powerlifting for ten years and situation is. Don’t waste any time or energy
you deadlift 500 lbs at a body weight of 308 Straps can be good to help keep the grip responding to or engaging negative people.
lbs, you aren’t an experienced lifter limited by from becoming overtrained, but don’t rely on Surround yourself with positive people who
your genetics. You don’t need more rest. You them and don’t max with them unless you’re respect you for having a huge goal and
haven’t trained and recovered properly and a Strongman and your upcoming show allows encourage you for who you are and what
now you’re paying the price for your mistakes. it. Too many lifters build a huge deadlift while you’re determined to work toward.
You’ve essentially kept yourself at a beginner using straps as a crutch so heavily in training
level despite training for a considerable that their strapless max ends up being far As far as training method, train heavy and basic.
amount of time. below their max with straps. Your heavy training on the primary movements
should be primarily with the contest version
Assistance exercises can help, but there isn’t The squat and deadlift are both heavy, lower of the movement or sometimes a very close
any replacement for doing the movement body exercises that tax the nervous system.
However, you still have to work your deadlift
without straps as well.
Another misconception is that you should stop in

between each rep. It’s OK to touch and go as long
as you don’t bounce the weight off the floor. I also
think many people believe that once you pull a
deadlift, you have to let it down hard and fast. In
my training experience, I always let the bar down
slowly in a negative type fashion in between each
rep. When you’re deadlifting in a meet, it’s OK to
let the bar down fast just as long as you’re under
control.
Some people think that you need to train your

deadlift more than once a week. In my experience,
I haven’t found this to be of any benefit. Another
misconception is that one should pull 90 percent
or more one week before a meet. You can, but
your results won’t be what you expect or what they
should be. I would always stop 14-21 days out for
my last heavy pull.
Beginners think that when you start to pull heavy,

you should use more arms and upper body to
pull the weight off the floor. Using your upper
body does nothing more than cause you to lean
way forward and use more lower back. Keep your
arms as straight as possible and your shoulders as
relaxed as possible to get the best benefit(s).
His name was Master Chai, a multi-degree
black belt who came to the United States from final warm-up, I tore my right bicep. Nearly
the mountains of Korea. Thinking back, I don’t a total detachment. Following a successful
recall the year, day, or date, but I remember surgery, the surgeon told me that there was
watching the event unfold right in front of this little eight percent of the tendon keeping
me when I was a teenager, just like it was the other 92 percent from rolling up, window
yesterday. Master Chai had all of his Tae Kwon shade style. Therefore, pulling with that arm
Do students, myself included, in the parking supinated was a no-go. I will spare the details
lot after one of the students broke his hand of the rehab and such for another article (as
trying to break a brick. they might be helpful for someone else who
has had this injury recently), but I will tell
I remember watching Master Chai slowly
PART XV
you that I was concerned about my deadlift
and deliberately tighten up his fist and then
because as a good deadlifter. (I was, and still
lay on the pavement, his fist tight and his
am, a horrid bencher on the other hand). I
YM :
arm laying straight on the ground. I then
AG E G
talked to Ernie Frantz as I sat there with ice
MONSTER G A R
remember watching as one of the other black
on my bicep, and he suggested swapping the
belts got in his Jeep and drove over Master
pronated hand for a supinated hand and vice
’S A
Chai’s closed fist. He slowly drove the Jeep
0 1 … IT
versa. Since I am not indestructible like Ernie,
HOOK GRIP 1
up, on, over, and then off of Chai’s closed fist.
I started talking to other guys who had blown
We all watched in total shock as we tried to
their biceps and then swapped grip. However,
I O N SH IP
figure out why Master Chai not only wanted
LOVE-HATE R EL AT
nearly 75 percent of them had eventually
to purposely crush his own hand under the
blown the other bicep. Ernie has ropes for
weight of the Jeep, but also why he wanted us
biceps tendons, I don’t, and I wanted no part
to witness this. Once Master Chai got up from
of another rupture. Enter, the hook grip…
the pavement, he proceeded to brush the grit
came to from the tire and the pavement off of his fist. If you are not familiar with the hook grip, it is
a m ul ti- de gr ee black belt who And slowly, little by little, he unfurled his hand, a way to grip the bar that is best known in the
aster Chai, t
His name was M of Ko re a. Th in king back, I don’
ns
from the mountai ing the event un
fold eventually displaying a perfectly functional Olympic lifting community. The easiest way to
the United States m em be r w at ch
y, or date, but I re st like it was yest
erday. hand, little finger and all. It is a memory that describe the hook grip (versus the traditional
recall the year, da a te en ag er , ju has stuck with me to this day. overhand and underhand grip) is to say that
e when I was ents, myself incl
uded, in
right in front of m e Kw on D o st ud k you are basically using your own thumb and
all of his Ta nd trying to brea
Master Chai had en ts br ok e hi s ha Now on to your question—what does this
ter one of the stud fingers to create a wrist-strap around the bar.
the parking lot af have to do with powerlifting? Well, for the
a brick. sake of this article, only everything when With a hook grip, both hands are in the
it comes to the hook grip. Almost a decade pronated position, meaning your palms are
ago I was prepping for the WPC World’s, facing in when you are holding the deadlift
and during an all too routine 605-pound bar. Here are the steps:

3. Grip the barbell with your pinky and ring finger
while your index finger and your “hey, you just
cut me off in traffic!” finger are wrapped around
your thumb as tightly as you can. (Remember, the
thumb is wrapped around the bar, and it is kind of
1. Open your hands as wide as possible and pointed toward your own pinky finger). To be clear,
try to push the barbell deep into the pocket of the index and middle finger are gripping so tightly
your palms. and squeezing the thumb into the barbell that the
thumb is essentially trapped by those two fingers.
*Try this on something thinner than a barbell, such as the handle of a wooden spoon or
something of that likeness, so you can see what it is like to engulf that implement into your
hand and use this hook grip.
The key to the hook grip is the lesson of Master Chai. The reason his hand did not break is
because he tightened his fist so much that there was no room for the carpels in his hand to
move. Thus, there were no moving parts to break, just one big non-breakable mass. The hook
grip is like that. If there is no space between your thumb and the bar, you can pull tremendous
weight and not really feel the hook grip much.
The hook will “feel” fine for lighter weight that you can still hold with a double pronated grip,
even if you are doing it incorrectly and not gripping it as tightly as you should. However, when
the weight is greater than what your double pronated grip can hold, you have to grip that bar
as if someone is trying to steal your paycheck in order for the hook to work properly. And with
a tight—and I mean TIGHT—hook grip, you are smashing your own thumb to the deadlift bar. If
you grab the bar with less than your tightest grip, the bar will smash your thumb as the bar is
lifted, so now you have gravity, the barbell, and 700 pounds smashing your thumb. The tighter
the grip of your hook, the less pain to your thumbs. Now, when I say “less” pain to the thumb,
that is a relative term. The hook grip is not a pleasant grip. When I say that, I don’t mean a
2. Wrap your thumbs around the bar as far as “going to the dentist” kind of unpleasant. I mean it is significantly unpleasant. You are going to
you can, as if you were going to completely
encircle the bar with your thumb.
have to mentally commit to this grip in order THAT SAID, HERE ARE SOME
to do it. It is not like lifting sumo for a training CONS I HAVE FOUND WITH
cycle and then doing another training cycle
with a conventional stance. This is like getting
THE GRIP:
tattooed—you kind of just get through it. • Hook grip is a big hands grip. If you have
one of the elitefts™ deadlift bars and you
IN MY EXPERIENCE, HERE ARE have smaller hands, you should be okay
since they are something like 27-28mm.
SOME PROS TO THE HOOK
But the hook can be a challenge for
GRIP: smaller hands.
• Your body won’t twist or windmill as it can • Reps are tough. You have to re-grip with
with a pronated and supinated grip. each rep, so this might mean using straps
• Your supinated bicep is not actively on your lighter sets.
engaged, so it is not exposed to rupture. • If you have shorter arms, your fingers can
• You have symmetry between your left and get caught on your suit bottom. Powder it
right hands. up.
• The distance is a little less to pull (every bit • The hook takes months to get used to.
counts). There is a callous to build up, and it just
plain old takes some practice.
• You won’t drop the bar because you
really can’t drop the bar if you are doing • You can’t half-ass a hook grip deadlift like
the hook correctly. You will run out of air you can with a traditional grip. You have
pulling before you would lose your grip to commit 100 percent. Even if you don’t
with the hook. have to pull hard to get the weight up, you
will have to grip hard to make it tolerable.
• You are far less likely to have a chunk of
your hand rip away, which can happen • Plain old unpleasant.
when gnarled bar meets lose callouses. The hook grip is merely one tool in your
powerlifting tool box, but it is a specialty tool
and well worth experimenting with, regardless
if you pull sumo or conventional. Ultimately,
the hook grip is a love-hate relationship. You
will love the pulling power you get with it;
however, you will hate how unpleasant it is at
the same time.
Over 350,500 Q&As, 4,000 articles, 14,000
videos, 800 exercises, The Strength Cast, Iron
Subculture Podcast, and 40 pro training logs.

PART XVI
SO YOU THINK
AN D EADLIFT
YOU C
Welcome to the long-awaited follow-up to Matt Wenning’s popular “SYTYCS” series. This time,
Matt targets the pull in the same expert fashion that he did with the squat. We brought in loyal
elitefts™ customer and amateur strongman competitor Ryan Minney as our training subject and
his form is broken down, analyzed and a thorough plan to improve his deadlift is laid-out.
pular
llo w -u p to M att Wenning’s po
Welcome to the
long-awaited fo
et s th e pull in the sam
e expert WENNING COVERS: 6) collecting data to determine weakness
M at t ta rg
This time, yal elitefts™
“SYTYCS” series. th e sq ua t. W e brought in lo our 1) the importance of the deadlift 7) basic set-up
did with yan Minney as
fashion that he co m pe tit or R
ateur strongman analyzed and a th
orough
customer and am br ok en do w n, 2) why we focus on the conventional DL 8) avoiding a break in upper back position
d his form is
training subject an -out.
his deadlift is laid 3) body position/mechanics 9) transferability of pin-pulls to deadlifting
plan to improve
4) spinal arch 10) make your back a solid piece of iron
5) static muscle strength 11) leg strength vs. back strength in the pull
He starts Ryan at 135, progresses to 225, 315, 365 and around 405. Bar speed is important.
Make every one of your reps (including warm-ups) “fast, violent and perfect!”

The information and images in this book
are the copyright property of Elitefts.com Inc.
Neither this book nor any information or
images contained herein may be copied or
used in whole or in part without the express
written permission of Elitefts.com Inc
©elitefts all rights reserved.
WWW.ELITEFTS.COM

Elitefts Deadlift Manual PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Elitefts Deadlift Manual PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ELITEFTS

The information contained on the EliteFTS.

The information contained on the EliteFTS.com website, Training

The views and comments of Article Authors, Team EliteFTS, Q/A

2 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 3

PART I: WHY By Zane Geeting Through out the years, the

PART II: BIOMECHANICAL PART VII: 14 DEADLIFT

PART III: DECONSTRUCTING PART VIII: LIGHTNING DEADLIFTS

PART IV: SUMO DEADLIFT: PART IX: STEVE GOGGINS:

PART XV: MONSTER GARAGE GYM: HOOK GRIP

PART XIII: 24 WEEK DEADLIFT p.116

– Dave Tate founder Elitefts.com Inc

8 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 9

ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 11

THAT ONE DAY WHY

12 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 13

• For any style-deadlift, flex

• The hook grip is an excellent

14 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 15

NO REGISTRATION, SUBSCRIPTION OR MEMBERSHIP FEE REQUIRED.

18 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 19

20 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 21

• Have a training partner flatten

IC AL ANALYSIS OF excellent exercise to use in the development

BIOM analysis, the objective was to compare and

ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 25

26 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 27

28 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL

DECO N simple. It certainly won’t cut it if you’re stuck

Most mental issues in the deadlift pertain

32 ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 33

34 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 35

36 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 37

38 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 39

40 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 41

• medicine ball throws

• hanging leg raises

• sit-ups on the glute ham raise

For your hips, I think people need to try these exercises:

44 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 45

46 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 47

48 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 49

• feet raised on platform, 70 percent

• sumo, 90 percent before beginning circa max

50 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 51

52 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 53

NO REGISTRATION, SUBSCRIPTION OR MEMBERSHIP FEE REQUIRED.

CONVENT IONA L P pulling into my training. After just a few months,

FOR THE SUM O The sumo deadlift is a funny thing—it’s as hard

Now, I’ll be the first to tell you

Let me know how it goes!

58 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 59

2 SQUATTING FOR THE DEADLIFT

62 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 63

64 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 65

66 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 67

ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 69

70 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL

72 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 73

ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 75

76 WWW.ELITEFTS.COM ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 77

STEVE GOG GIN S attempt to use speed in the negative motion,

ELITEFTS DEADLIFT MANUAL WWW.ELITEFTS.COM 79