The Deadlift is NOT the First Half of a Clean

The Deadlift is NOT the First Half of a Clean
Written by Hunter Britt

Many people are taught to lift them the same way for both because when learning it is important to just lift safely and with good mechanics. That is perfectly fine and safe to pick everything up like you are in a clean position. However when getting to your maximal loads of what you can lift off of the ground this can turn into a hindrance in weight and start to move into the unsafe category if positions can not be maintained.

Deadlift Set-Up vs Clean Set-Up

Here’s why you need the two different set-ups for the two different lifts.

Safety

A huge fault of maxing out your deadlift with the clean set up is the bar getting out front. Naturally your body is going to want to raise the hips slightly so you are in a better position, but this means the bar will not be out front. As your hips rise, the shins pull back and the bar is left out in front too much. This puts strain on your lower back because the weight is now too far forward.

Posterior is Stronger

This may not be the case for you at the moment but your hamstrings, lower back and glutes are a much better team for lifting heavy things off of the ground than your quads. Get in a position where your posterior chain can be utilized.

It is What the Pros Do

Of course it is good to do what works for your body type, but why would we perform technique differently than what the best in the world do?

Deadlift Start Position

Do you struggle with the set-up of the deadlift? Perhaps you are someone who never feels your hamstrings engaged when you start to deadlift. Maybe you have trouble replicating the same strength in your pull off the ground every time? Or, perhaps you are someone who’s clean and deadlift set-up look exactly the same. If this is the case, then watch this video on how to properly set up for the deadlift.

So if you are making a checklist of what generally what you should look like right before you perform a deadlift.

Neutral head position
Shoulders nearly on top of (over) the bar
Flat back
Hips below shoulders
Shins nearly vertical
Balance in your mid-foot to heels

*These are guidelines for an athlete that has balanced proportions from legs, torso and arms.

For example, if you have long legs or torso compared to your arms then you may find your knees will go over the bar in your set up a bit. Realize these are guidelines and you need to still set up based on your body, but find the optimal position.

Deadlift Pull

Many wonder how to most efficiently pull in the deadlift. This video explains the three components to the pull – push, rock and pull. Put these three things into practice and watch your deadlift numbers increase.

Here’s the checklist…

Push
Rock
Pull

Invictus Deadlift Programs

Join up with the next Invictus Athlete or Competition program cycle and focus on building strength in lower body pulling by taking a posterior chain strengthening journey through deadlift progressions as well as specific accessory work to make your posterior as solid as possible.

The next Invictus Athlete and Competition program cycles start Monday, May 24th!