I'm thinking that no matter how long you have been training powerlifting, or weightlifting, or just lifting really heavy weights, it never hurts to take an honest look at your technique, and check if you are (still) doing it right.
Since I have been focusing on squatting the last six months, my deadlift training has gone into maintenance mode. I must admit, I have even skipped some deadlift workouts!
But, although it is not that much fun to deadlift "light weights" if you can talk about deadlifting "light", it can be a good opportunity to check your technique, and perhaps adjust it so you can deadlift even heavier
and better after that maintenance period is over.
Youtube is a great and seamingly endless source if powerlifting technique videos. Some videos are better than others.
Today I stumbled upon one of the better sumo deadlift videos, so I thought I'll share, and build it in here so I can remember to check my technique again from time to time.
My biggest challenge in the deadlift, sumo or conventional, is that my setup is getting lost during those really heavy lifts, that is, around my trainig 1RM.
My upper back is not really that upright, and when you'd look at family pictures with family members from my father's side gathered around the dinner table, you would see what I mean - the people are hunched over quite a bit, shoulders rounded forward.
So - that is my biggest challenge - although both my brother and me happily got away with not that heavily rounded upper back (my brother has an athletic lean build, and wide shoulders), for me it kind of feels natural to go let my upper back go round when lifting really heavy, since it just feels natural and stable.
But I assume that something that feels "natural" could as easily mean "normal" "being used to" and not necessarily optimal or right (or safe).
So, I some more technique tweaks to consider in my next deadlift session, whenever that will be!
Have a nice sunday!
And lift heavy and happily! 😊
