Common Deadlift Errors CrossFit

The deadlift is a common movement we see in CrossFit. We do them in all rep ranges from Low Rep/High Weight to High Rep/Low Weight. The thing is that the form, technique, and set up should not vary from rep to rep regardless of load. Common Deadlift Errors First set your grip. A narrower grip will reduce the ROM, but may lock you up during the lockout. A wider grip is usually easier to lockout, but more difficult off the floor. Crush the bar. It is not a row, so keep your arms engaged but straight; they are simply a hook to grab the bar. The arms should do no pulling during the deadlift. Once the grip is set, pull your hips down into a good starting position. Back should be neutral (arched to slightly flat), shoulder blades locked down, neck neutral, and weight on the heels. Right before you begin the pull if you were to let go of the bar you should go flying backwards. Common Mistakes: •Don’t rush the set up. You should not compromise your ideal grip or starting position in order to yank the bar off the ground faster. • Don’t put too much weight forward. The deadlift will turn ugly quickly if you have a lot of weight on the toes. You should almost fall backwards. You are leveraging your bodyweight against the bar. Once you are setup into a tight position and are ready to lift, begin by pulling all the slack out of your body and the bar. • There is not enough leg drive. Don’t let the hips shoot up and cause your back to round. • Don’t forget to fire your hips! Most of us live in a world where we sit all day. As a result, our glutes are underdeveloped. Find exercises and warm ups that wake your glutes up because you will need to use them properly to finish the lift. Initiate the lift by using as much leg drive as possible.  Try to fight the urge to let your hips rise and turn it into a stiff legged deadlift. Drive the bar off the ground with your legs. Once the bar is above your knees, fire your glutes, drive your hips through, and finish the lift.]]>