How to Pull 1000lbs Easy
By Andy Bolton and Elliot Newman
The Deadlift: The Ultimate test of Strength
The Deadlift is regarded by many strength coaches and athletes alike as the best overall test of absolute strength. A pretty bold statement. Now you could be forgiven for thinking that this is the biased view of the world’s best deadlifter. To dispel that myth let’s look at what muscles and types of strength the deadlift tests.
The exercise is a massive test of all the muscles of the posterior chain. This means that to pull a big deadlift an athlete, powerlifter or bodybuilder must possess huge strength in his or her Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back, Lats and Upper Back. In addition to this, a vice like grip is required to squeeze the bar as hard as possible. After all, you can only pull what you can hold onto.
Furthermore, the deadlift is a movement that requires an athlete to overcome a static object with dynamic movement. This is a type of strength that is often untrained in the weight room. Most exercises (the squat being an obvious example) have a great stretch reflex that is built on the eccentric portion of the movement and is then used to the athlete’s advantage on the concentric motion. In contrast, the deadlift requires an athlete to be able to generate massive force without much help from the eccentric motion at all. (This is why some powerlifters find that box squats have an awesome carry over to their deadlift. Like the deadlift, the box squat teaches static overcome by dynamic strength, due to the pause on the box).
In this article you will find the key points that Andy has focused on with reference to his Deadlift technique. These are points that he has worked on for over 20 years to build the strongest Deadlift the world has ever seen. We will also talk about Sumo Deadlift technique, highlighting the similarities and differences between this variation and conventional deadlifting.
A little bit of history:
On 4th November 2006 at the WPO (World Powerlifting Organization) semi – finals, Andy Bolton became the only man ever to pull over 1000lbs. On his third Deadlift attempt Andy pulled 1003lbs. On 5th April 2009 Andy further improved his Deadlift record, lifting 1008lbs in the BPC South East Powerlfiting Championships.
To put these feats of strength into perspective, the record books show that only 13 men in history have ever pulled over 900lbs. Andy has thirty-two 900lb + competition deadlifts and two 1000lb + competition deadlift to his credit (as of April 2009). Aside from Andy, only one man, (Benedict Magnusson), has pulled over 950lbs in competition. The gap between Andy and the rest of the pack is large; think in terms of Usain Bolt in the 100m sprint.
So, when Andy talks about technique and how to improve your deadlift I suggest that you sit back, read carefully and prepare to pull big
ANDY BOLTON
With reference to any technique in sport, it is of paramount importance to start at the beginning. This sounds so obvious, but many athletes and coaches ignore this simple fact. You would not see a golf coach trying to teach a golfer the perfect downswing if his back swing is useless. Using this simple methodology to talk about the deadlift you will now see how we address the issue of mastering deadlift technique.
What to wear?
Before even setting up to the bar, the issue of what to wear must be addressed. For all Powerlifters and Athletes, flat soled shoes (such as Converse) or deadlift slippers should be worn. If you don’t have either of those two items, train the lift barefoot, (if your gym owner allows it. If he doesn’t, change gyms).
I have always worn a belt from about 400lbs/182.5kg upwards. Bear in mind this is only about 40% of my best. I recommend that all powerlifters learn to use a belt, as it should add pounds to the bar and help prevent back injury. The issue of belts for athletes is slightly more complex as there are a couple of different view points. Some coaches feel that athletes have no aids (such as a belt) when competing in their sport, so they should train in the weight room the same way. Others feel that precautions should be taken in the weight room and the belt should be worn. I have given you the guidelines I use for my own training; it is up to you to establish your own. What I would say is that all athletes and bodybuilders should wear a belt if going over 80% of their 1RM.
I believe in using chalk on my heaviest weights, (over 80%). The exception to this is on really hot days, where my hands are slippery and I may use chalk on all sets. The reason for generally not using chalk until my top weights is because I think it builds better grip strength. This is important for powerlifters and many other athletes. Believe it or not, in my early days whilst training with strongman Jamie Reeves, I often trained deadlifts with a bar that had no knurling and still did not use chalk. This made my grip very strong!
Setting up to the bar
The set up is the most important part of the lift. If you get this wrong, no amount of correction during the lift can fully compensate, so pay attention. (Remember what I said earlier about learning things in the right order?).
Your feet should be set shoulder width apart at the widest, with the bar very nearly touching your shins. Your feet can be pointing straight ahead or up to 45 degrees outwards. To pull the biggest weights you are capable of, you will need to take a mixed grip (one hand pronated, the other supinated). Your hands should be just outside your legs. Do not turn this into a snatch grip deadlift by having your hands miles away from your shins. This will greatly reduce the amount of weight you can deadlift. Your arms should hang straight down from your shoulders, with no bend at the elbow. Flex those triceps hard! In the deadlift your arms act as hooks connecting the bar to your torso.
At the start position your lower back should be arched and your upper back should be relaxed. This provides a safe position for the lumbar spine, whilst minimizing the distance of your pull. To understand the importance of this think about how many average gym rats you have seen injure their lower back whilst deadlifting 225lbs. I am willing to bet that the number is quite high! I have never had a lower back injury despite handling weights over four times this weight. The difference is that I understand how to keep my lumber spine in an arched position. A lot of people let their lumbar spine round. This is dangerous and biomechanically weak. Simply put, with a rounded lumbar spine you are more likely to injure yourself and you will pull less weight. Arch that lower back!
Head position is neutral. For me, this means I’m looking about 6 feet in front of me at the start of my deadlift.
Getting the bar moving: from the floor to lockout
To initiate the movement with maximum efficiency and to minimize injury risk, the flex must be pulled out of the bar. To take the flex out of the bar think of trying to make the bar bow whilst it is still static. So you are applying some force to the bar, then a whole lot more to actually get the bar moving. It is not a sudden movement or jerk. Think of keeping your arms locked out and generating total body tension and you will be well on your way to mastering this.
The bar leaves the floor with huge leg drive. Think of driving your heels into the floor.
Once the bar is moving it must be kept close to your body. All good deadlifters have marks on their shins. If the bar drifts out in front of you it will put a lot of stress on the lower back and with maximum weights it will likely cause the weight to stall or miss. With sub-maximal weights the speed of the lift will be greatly reduced. Remember, the shortest distance from one point to another is a straight line.
As the bar gets to knee height the hips push through to finish the lift. Again, the bar must stay close to the body and will touch the thighs all the way to lockout. The bar must be squeezed as tight as possible throughout the entire lift. Some powerlifters think that once the bar gets to knee height the lift is done, so they relax their grip slightly. This is a huge mistake, as it often leads to missed lifts and reiterates the fact that you must squeeze that bar as hard as possible throughout the deadlift.
To transition from knee height to lockout, really focus on driving the glutes forwards and trying to get your shoulders behind the bar. The lockout position requires the legs to be straight and the shoulders back. This does not mean hyper extending the lower back as many people do.
At this point you have completed your deadlift. If you are pulling a single rep, simply take a gulp of air into your belly and drop with the bar to the floor. If you are pulling reps you will need to lower the bar more slowly so that the start position for your next rep is the same as the one before.
Summary: The Conventional Deadlift in 8 steps:
1. Wear flat soled shoes and a belt (for your heavy sets at least)
2. Shins an inch from the bar and take a mixed grip
3. Arch your lower back, relax your upper back and keep your arms straight
4. Take the flex out of the bar
5. Initiate the pull by driving your heels into the floor
6. As the bar comes past the knees drive the glutes forwards
7. Try to pull your shoulders behind the bar all the way to lockout
8. Squeeze the bar hard throughout
Elliot Newman and Andy Bolton:
The Sumo Deadlift:
In comparison to the conventional deadlift, the sumo deadlift is an interesting beast. The movement shortens the distance that the bar must travel from start to lockout. It is also a more technical lift and will take many athletes longer to learn. Most powerlifters have a strong preference towards one method or the other, but some, like the incredible Ed Coan, pulled all time powerlifting world records at different weight classes, using both styles.
In general, athletes with stronger backs tend to favor the conventional deadlift and athletes with stronger hips the sumo. Either way or whatever your body structure, we feel it is good to learn both styles. If you are very good at one style and not the other it shows that you have weaknesses. Training the style you are poor at will help eradicate those weaknesses. This is good news for powerlifters, bodybuilders and athletes alike.
Setting up to the bar:
Finding the optimum set up position for the sumo deadlift is a matter of some trial and error. Some powerlifters, like Ed Coan, use what is sometimes called a semi-sumo stance. The hands are still inside the thighs, but the stance is not massively wide. In general, these lifters often lock out their legs a long time before the end of the lift and use a lot of lower back strength to finish the movement. The head position is usually neutral (about 6 to 8 feet in front of the bar) or looking straight ahead.
In contrast, more flexible athletes and those with greater hip strength compared to their back strength, often set up much wider. Some lifters, the Japanese in particular, often have their feet nearly touching the plates. Be careful not to crush your toes when lowering the bar, if you choose to use this style! Jarmo Virtanen, the great Finnish Powerlifter is a good example of this style of sumo deadlifting.
Whichever style you use it is extremely important to make sure that your knees track your toes throughout the deadlift. If you set up too wide for your body structure and flexibility, your knees will buckle inwards during the lift and you will lose power.
As far as toe position goes, you must have your feet pointed outwards. How much is dependant on your body type and flexibility.
Key point: Find a stance width and toe position that allows your knees to track your toes throughout the execution of the sumo deadlift.
As with the conventional deadlift, the set up for the Sumo requires that your lower back is arched, upper back relaxed and arms locked straight.
It is important to fill your belly with air before the bar leaves the ground. Some lifters take a big breath whilst they are stood up and hold it. Others set up to the bar and take the breath just before the bar leaves the ground. This is personal preference. Try both and see which works for you.
Getting the bar moving and locking it out:
Take the flex out of the bar the same way you would with the conventional deadlift. But this time, instead of feeling like you are driving your heels into the floor, feel like you are spreading the floor, or pushing your feet out. This will feel very much like the weight is on the outside of your shoes. This movement will keep the knees out and tracking your toes. On the contrary, if you feel like you are pushing your heels into the floor your knees will come in and you will lose some of the biomechanical advantage you set up for yourself at the start of the lift.
Aside from that the same points apply to the sumo as to the conventional deadlift:
As the bar gets to knee height focus on driving the glutes forwards and get the feeling of trying to get your shoulders behind the bar. The lockout position requires legs straight and shoulder back. Lower back is not hyper extended at lockout.Summary: The Sumo Deadlift in 8 steps:
1 Wear flat soled shoes and a belt (for your heavy sets at least)
2 Stance width and toe angle allow knees to track toes throughout the lift
3. Arch your lower back, relax your upper back and keep your arms straight
4 Take the flex out of the bar
5 Initiate the pull by forcing you feet out
6 As the bar comes past the knees drive the glutes forwards
7. Try to pull your shoulders behind the bar all the way to lockout
8. Squeeze the bar hard throughout
Conclusion
The deadlift is a primal test of strength. Improving yours will help your total if you’re a powerlifter. If you’re an athlete, getting stronger on the movement may help your performance in your chosen sport. And as a bodybuilder, there are few better exercises for adding slabs of muscle onto your frame.
Whatever your reason for deadlifting, become a deadlift connoisseur. Look at those who do it well and focus on improving your technique. With great technique, you are laying the foundations for great strength AND injury prevention.
In part 2 we will discuss how powerlifters, athletes and bodybuilders can train the deadlift to maximize the particular gains those individuals require for their chosen sport.
About the authors:
Elliot Newman is a powerlifter from England, currently training for the WPC World Championships, taking place in Bournemouth, England from November 17th to 22nd 2009.
Andy Bolton is one of the world’s most well recognized powerlifters and a specialist on all things strength. His accomplishments in his chosen sport are huge, including WPO world titles, WPC world titles, national titles and of course, the biggest deadlift ever.
You can contact Andy at
andybolton8@hotmail.co.uk
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or via his website: andyboltonstrength.com
Elliot can be contacted at
elliot.n@hotmail.co.uk
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