deadlifts...losing grip

If I don't have a measurable goal for non-sports based fitness, I will stop doing it.

The strength aspect is easy enough to measure. That said, I've taken it to heart that one should never, ever miss a lift (unless you're going for a world record). A number of my personal bests were done easily and I could have added 10-15% to the lift, but I always left it for another day. As you noted, when you are at the very edge of your strength, bad things can happen.

(And for the record, those easy PR's I mentioned above, I'm sure I looked like I was passing my first shit in five days but everything was under control).

not to hijack, but a question for you deadlifters. i get the reason to do deadlifts, the health and strength benefits, etc. here is what i don't get- watched a guy in awe yesterday at the gym. medium size guy ripped clearly very strong. but not a real thick guy. heavy heavy deadlifting. multiple sets. then he loads up to 450 got the belt on, straps everything. quivering with the strain looked like he was going to shear off clean at the waist. i'm thinking of calling 911 in advance. couldn't get it off the floor more than a couple inches. took off a 10 from each side to giver again. gets one rep. looks like he's going to cry with the effort. i wonder if he can walk today.

given the risks of this kind of technical lift and what's at stake with your back, what would be the point of pushing so hard? it looks ridiculous and bloody dangerous.

If you warm up properly and work at weights where you can maintain your form then there is minimal risk. Add more weight when you feel good and accept that your form will degrade a bit when you're trying for new maxes.

Sounds like the guy you described will likely die from stupid sooner or later.

I'm not working on becoming Mr Universe but I find I can get a pretty efficient workout done with a set of clean and jerk (with a full squat thrusting into the jerk). I then follow this up with a set of deadlifts (leave the deadlifts for when I'm tired). Each deadlift rep ends in a shoulder shrug (or series of shrugs). I can turn in an explosive, intense full-body workout (arms, legs, core, shoulders, lats/upper and lower back) in a relatively short amount of time. It seems to help with the core/upper-body strength and power for days in the bike park.

What's the consensus, Romanian or Stiff/Straight-legged deadlifts? I generally do Romanian because of my focus tends to be on oly lifting, but find that the occasional switch to Stiff-legged seems to help my back health.

What's the consensus, Romanian or Stiff/Straight-legged deadlifts? I generally do Romanian because of my focus tends to be on oly lifting, but find that the occasional switch to Stiff-legged seems to help my back health.

I prefer Romanian … I feel its a more natural/protective (against things like hernia or groin pull, for example) movement to engage your legs to help you lift heavier weights using your back.

What's the consensus, Romanian or Stiff/Straight-legged deadlifts? I generally do Romanian because of my focus tends to be on oly lifting, but find that the occasional switch to Stiff-legged seems to help my back health.

Romanian and stiff legged are pretty much the same thing and focus more directly on hamstrings.

Deadlifts start and end on the floor. Regret and start the next up and down.

Deadlifts engage more muscles.

I prefer Romanian … I feel its a more natural/protective (against things like hernia or groin pull, for example) movement to engage your legs to help you lift heavier weights using your back.

Yeah that's why most of my deadlifts are Romanian style, but I do find that lighter weight straight-legged deadlifts once in a while seem to help with low back pain. Just curious to hear other opinions one way or the other.

IMO it's all about your goals.

My goals are strength. Picking something heavy off the floor will benefit me greater than SDL's.

That said, once I work up to my working sets (75%-100+% max), I'll often drop down to 20-40% of that weight, grab the bar as wide as possible and with a flat back pick the fucker up as much as I can. With a flat back and that wide of grip, you can't stand fully erect. Really works the ass and hamstrings. I look fucking retarded though.

My goal in the DL is an increase in weight - I just want to be able to do a proper DL as my work set that is heavier than 100 kg - and go on from there.
Work, our garden, fatherhood and all the other fun stuff that is sometimes not really any fun at all let me train sometimes just twice a week, and not really dedicate any proper time as in "Three days a week for one straight hour".

thanks, i'm going to do that. i read your thread about your experience with strength training a little awhile ago. i really only do deadlifts, squats, benchpress, bent-over back rows. i'll read up on all this stuff hopefully figure out some sort of plan

Colin, at our stage you should try yoga or pilates… seriously. It will build strength and more importantly flexibility… I haven't done deadlifts since my 20s…

Colin, at our stage you should try yoga or pilates… seriously. It will build strength and more importantly flexibility… I haven't done deadlifts since my 20s…

most yoga's ok for relaxtion purposes, but is really limited in terms of fitness unless you're doing ashtanga. from a fitness perspective, pilates is a much better choice.

Colin, at our stage you should try yoga or pilates… seriously. It will build strength and more importantly flexibility… I haven't done deadlifts since my 20s…

they had awesome classes at the rec centre in castlegar (yoga-lates with janice ferraro) and it was fricken hard, but yeah i haven't done lately.

but i like deadlifts, squats, etc…feel stronger for just daily stuff with the kids, it might help with the bike i assume too. i dunno, i like it for now.

they had awesome classes at the rec centre in castlegar (yoga-lates with janice ferraro) and it was fricken hard, but yeah i haven't done lately.

but i like deadlifts, squats, etc…feel stronger for just daily stuff with the kids, it might help with the bike i assume too. i dunno, i like it for now.

i don,t do heavy weights but do a kettlebell deadlift and goblet squats and i find they help me , granted i do fairly high reps ( up to 30reps x 4sets ) and only rest 30seconds between sets , in return i climb stronger , recovery faster and ride further faster and am not totally spent at the end of the ride .

i don,t do heavy weights but do a kettlebell deadlift and goblet squats and i find they help me , granted i do fairly high reps ( up to 30reps x 4sets ) and only rest 30seconds between sets , in return i climb stronger , recovery faster and ride further faster and am not totally spent at the end of the ride .

Two years ago I observed something similar,just with kb snatches, as a preparation for a week of riding in the Alps. Was able to ride around 250 km in 6 days without being sore. The body is reacting differently to training of strength endurance - a heavy deadlift has nothing to do with endurance. Although I observe that the stronger I get, the better, longer and harder I am able to ride, which makes sense.