I was breaking down my deadlift bar yesterday, yes, I actually pulled from the floor, and I was talking to Candace.
The conversation went something like this:
- Me: The Deadlift sucks.
- Candace: I thought you loved it.
- Me: I said it sucks and here’s 5 reasons why
At which point I went into a rant about how it sucks, and she said that’s a good article, so here you go:
5 Reasons Why the I Hate the Deadlift
1. You have to bend all the way over to the floor to load the bar.
As a career fat guy, and now a semi reformed bad hip guy, bending over and loading a bar on the floor is harder than a Max Effort Squat. And gear does not help here.
2. You have to bend all the way over to pick the bar up.
Why does this suck?
See #1.
3. You have to pick the bar up off the floor.
The bar was not bothering anyone just sitting on the floor.
Why do we have to disturb it?
4. You have to lower it under control all the way to the floor.
This refers back to #1, bending.
NOTE: You do not want to be “That Guy” (or girl) who throws the bar on the floor after each rep. Lower it the right way.
5. You have to bend all the way over to break the bar down when you are done.
See #1.
All of this is worse if you are not training yourself, but coaching others and helping with set up/breakdown.
Gawd, it seems like it is 100 times worse when you aren’t warmed up.
And if you lift in gear, forget it. 1000 times worse.
OK.
Seriously, I love the Deadlift.
And I actually pulled and squatted yesterday.
I’ve been having a lot of success with RPR and my other tools getting my hip working, so I figured I’d try squatting.
Three weeks ago, I did box squats to foam and did a bunch of singles up to 315.
I also used Metal briefs to keep my hip in check.
I was pretty surprised that I had no increase in pain or decrease in mobility afterwards, so….
I squatted again last week and did sets of 3 using the same set up.
15 ½” box + 6’ of foam.
The box height is what I would use training for a meet, and the foam put me about 2” above my comp depth, which was right where I wanted to be; in the pain free zone.
With no negative effects from this training session, yesterday I decided to use the Bandbell bar and the same box set up with the briefs.
3 plates for a few triples.
This was a little less volume than the weeks before, and I had a plan:
- Add the deadlift.
- I wanted to try pulling and see how it went.
- I kept the briefs on and did my planned 3 sets.
- 135 x 1, 225 x 1 x 2.
It went pretty well.
Today, I feel pretty good and the hip is as good as it has been, so it seems like I can keep these in and actually start training for real again.
Let’s hope that I keep it smart and healthy.
And:
The next time you Deadlift, refer back to my 5 Reasons Why the I Hate the Deadlift and see what you think.
Did you catch my last Coaching Log?
One last thing, on June 12, 2018, Andrey Malanichev will be back at TPS for a Bench and Deadlift seminar.
You can see all the details and register on my site, or on our Facebook page under Events.
Find me on Google-search for Total Performance Sports Malden, Mass. The Best Gym in Boston, Facebook too.
Oh, yeah, follow us on Instagram too. TPSMalden
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Vincere vel mori
By: C.J. Murphy
May 24, 2018