Please explain deadlifts to me

[SRP]

Hi - deadlifts just don't seem to do me any good. I can feel them in my back, but not in my hamstrings or glutes. I've tried altering my position, practically until I'm arching my back going down, but I know that can't be correct. But the only time I actually feel anything in my legs is when I'm in a hyperextended position, with my shoulders way back, my back concave, and then instead of sliding the barbell down my legs, I hold it futher out in front of me.

I do NOT do deadlifts this way - I was only trying to experiment with my position to see if I could actually find one that made me feel something in my legs. No luck. My back, however, gets absolutely worn out.

What am I doing wrong? Any advice? Thank you!

 

[stayfit]

Hi, I am not Cathe but I have found this barbell deadlifts instructions. Hope this helps.



Instructions
Preparation

With feet flat beneath bar squat down and grasp bar with a shoulder width or slightly wider over hand or mixed grip.
Execution

Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension. Pull shoulders back at top of lift if rounded. Return and repeat.
Comments
Target muscle is exercised isometrically. Throughout lift keep hips low, shoulders high, arms and back straight. Keep bar close to body to improve mechanical leverage. Also see Deadlift under Gluteus Maximus





Mariángeles a spanish terminato and TAEBO junkie.

 

[SRP]

Thank you, Mariangeles! I appreciate your help. It sounds like what I'm doing, but I'm still not sure... practice, practice, I guess.

 

[saia11]

Shannon,
I sometimes experienced a similar feeling with deadlifts, that my back was doing a lot of the work, but I didn't get a burn the hamstrings and glutes. Here are a few changes that have helped me a lot.
First, using a heavier weight helped to fatigue my muscles faster.
Second, when you are about to pull up from the deadlift really concentrate on squeezing your buttocks together by pushing down into the floor and "pulling" your feet together. You don't actually move, but these are the "directions" that help me to feel the contraction in the glute area.
Third, and this was the biggest one for me, are the deadlifts off the step in Gym Style Legs. I don't know if you have this video, but this is the #1 that I really feel deadlifts burn in the belly of the hamstring. If you have it, try it out, if not I'll do my best to explain. You take the top off your highstep, have your feet near the front edge of the step, hold your barbell as you would for regular deadlifts, (but you my not be able to maintain complete shoulder retraction in the deep bend you are about to do so try and keep them back as much as you can and try not to overarch your back), then you lower the bars past your toes if you have the flexibility, but almost to the toes would be fine if you can't reach below them off the front of the step. Then when you lift up you only lift up to about knee level. In essence, it's like a low end for deadlifts and it really works these muscles hard for me.
Hope this helps,
Mattea

 

[kathryn]

Hi, Shannon!

Definitely do NOT do deadlifts with the bar held away from your body. The farther away it is, the more risk of injury. (I know you stated you don't do them this way, but I just couldn't help adding some extra caution!).

As for feeling the moves in your back more than in your hamstrings. There could be several reasons.

In some workouts, like PLB, I find I definitely need more time between sets for my back to recover. If I don't take the time (and use it to do some cat stretches and just walk around until my lower back feels up to doing another set), I feel the move a lot more in my lower back than in my hamstrings/glutes.

I also find that any count that includes a "1" (as in 3 down, 1 up or the opposite, or 1-1) is too fast for me on this exercise, so I usually stick with a 2-2 count (I think it's too easy to round the back with a 1-count, and with the extra time, I can really concentrate on feeling the moves in the right places. I find that I feel the move more in the hamstrings when I put my attention there.

Make sure as you go down to stick your butt out as far as you can and keep the weight on your heels. Then on the way up, push though the heels and concentrate on the hinge movement from the hips. Your upper body should be in the same position throughout the move, so going up and down is done only through hip movement. Don't worry about how far you go down, your form is more important than depth (I never do the low end deadlifts Cathe shows in GSL: I feel the risk of injury of those far outweighs any benefit, and they reduce the involvment of the glutes, which is not something I find to be beneficial to me!)

Your core may also be weaker than it needs to be to feel the move correctly. Make sure you "tighten your corset" (an image that helps me tighten my core muscles) throughout the move, especially right before you come up).

It also can be just a matter of practice. It seems to me that sometimes muscles don't want to kick in at first. Then after you get the move down better, you're better able to isolate the muscles and concentrate on where you should feel the move.

Good luck!

 

[SRP]

Ladies - this information is invaluable! I am printing it out for future reference, believe me.

Mattea - I don't have GS, but I may try those "off the bench" deadlifts on my own.

Kathryn - your advice makes it sound like I need to use my brain more than my butt! But I guess that's right, until I learn the correct form.

Thanks a bunch. I really appreciate it! Now, let's see if I can make it work....

 

[amyg]

I read this thread yesterday before PLB and it worked!!! My butt is so sore, LOL. But, bonus, my back couldn't care less.

I mentally shifted from my previous thought of "lift the weight up" to "squeeze the cheeks and stand up" and it made a BIG difference. I also kept the weights close to my body and lifted heavier than I think I did before.

I guess my butt thanks you!!! (Or curses you, LOL, I can't tell!)

 

[SRP]

Yes, it's working for me, too. I just keep thinking, push the butt out. It's amazing how much less strain I feel in my back now. I feel more in my legs, but I think I can work a little harder. Thanks again, everyone.