Deadlift

The Deadlift is foundational to the Sumo Deadlift High Pull and the Clean.

Teaching the Movement
SETUP: • Stance = between hip width and shoulder width • Weight in heels • Back arched/lumbar curve locked in • Shoulders slightly in front of the bar • Bar in contact with the shins • Arms locked straight • Symmetrical grip outside the knees, just wide enough to not interfere with knees EXECUTION: • Drive through the heels • Extend legs while hips and shoulders rise at the same rate • Once the bar passes the knees, the hip opens all the way up • Bar maintains contact with the legs the entire time • Head neutral • On return to the floor, push hips back and shoulders forward slightly; delay the knee bend • Once bar descends below the knees and the torso angle is set, return the bar down to the setup position

Seeing the Movement
PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE: • Lumbar curve maintained • Weight on heels • Shoulders slightly in front of bar on setup • Hips and shoulders rise at same rate • Bar stays in contact with legs throughout the movement • At the top the hip is completely open and knees are straight

Correcting the Movement
FAULT – LOSS OF LUMBAR CURVE • Fix – Cue to pull hips back and lift the chest • Fix – Touch person at lumbar curve and say, “Arch!” Do not relent. • Fix – Abort and decrease the load to where the lumbar arch can be maintained. FAULT – WEIGHT ON OR SHIFTING TO TOES. • Fix – Have athlete settle into the heels and pull hips back, maintaining tension in the hamstrings at start of movement, and focus on driving through heels. • Fix – Check that the bar stays in contact with legs throughout the movement. FAULT – SHOULDERS BEHIND BAR ON SETUP. • Fix – Raise hips to move shoulder over or slightly in front of the bar. FAULT – HIPS RISE BEFORE THE CHEST (STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFT). • Fix – Allow the shoulders and chest to rise sooner. Cue “Lift your chest more aggressively” or “Lift the chest and hips at the same rate until the bar passes your knees.” FAULT – SHOULDERS RISE WITHOUT THE HIPS. BAR TRAVELS AROUND THE KNEES INSTEAD OF STRAIGHT UP. • Fix – Be sure athlete is set up correctly: weight in heels and with shoulders in front of the bar. Cue “Push knees back as your chest rises.” • Fix – Block the knees’ travel with your hand. • Fix – Stick trick: Lock the person in between two sticks on either side of the bar and have them execute the move without hitting the sticks. FAULT – BAR COLLIDES WITH KNEES ON THE DESCENT. • Fix – Initiate the return by pushing the hips back and delay the knee bend. FAULT – BAR LOSES CONTACT WITH LEGS. • Fix – Cue “Pull the bar in to your legs the whole time.” • Fix – Tactile cue: Touch the athlete’s leg where the bar should touch from thigh to shin.