5 Ways to Improve your Deadlift

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Deficit deadlifts

If you’re slow at the bottom of the deadlift try deficit deadlifts standing on mats or blocks to make the start even harder.

Block pulls

If you struggle midway to lockout try block pulls putting the plates on blocks/mats or other plates.

Stiff leg deadlifts

This will build the start of the deadlift because the bar will start farther away from you and force you to brace much harder than you will with your normal deadlift.

Posterior chain work

There are several great workouts/tips for this category. This deadlift requires a strong posterior chain not only for progress but to keep the back healthy. So make sure you’re doing a lot of hamstring work where it ties to the knee and where it ties to the hip.

  • Direct glute work, yes even guys would benefit from pull-throughs, hip thrust, etc.
  • Low back work like good mornings, reverse hypers, back, etc.
  • Don’t forget the upper back if you cannot keep your shoulders back it’s probably because your traps/rear delts are weak/lack mobility or both.
  • Lastly, it is huge for all lifts to make sure you train your lats for size and strength. You cannot activate the muscle that isn’t there. So if you have no lat spread, it’s probably a good idea to improve on that. If you cannot lock your arms back and keep the bar against your shins, your lats are probably in need of strengthening.

Switch styles

If you mostly pull conventional, try going through a cycle or two primarily pulling sumo and vice versa. The conventional requires more quad and low back while the sumo requires more hamstring and glutes. So you can see why training the other, which will address probably a weakness you can hide in the other lift, improves the lift you favor and use in competition.

Kalil Sherrod
CPT – WSBB SPECIAL STRENGTHS

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