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2004/04/02, 11:30 AM
The straight-leg deadlift is my biggest problem. I simply don't know how to do it properly. I weigh 155lbs, and when I try to do a straight-leg deadlift routine, it fails miserably, because even as I increase the poundage and it becomes incredibly large, I *still* don't feel anything in my hamstrings, nor can I reach positive failure since after the 8th rep my hands are already tired and I have to drop the weight. The heaviest I've lifted is about 180lbs, and I didn't dare load the bar with more for fear I'd wreck my lower back. What am I doing wrong here? :( I am using the proper form: straight back, straight legs (but not locked), keeping bar close to body. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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2004/04/02, 07:01 PM
well if your hands are giving out before you complete your set, you may want to try lighter weight but do much more reps until you start feeling it. find out what it takes for you to feel it and in the mean time, work on your grip strength. i'm running into the same problem with regular deadlifts right now so i am going to be working my forearm and the such in order to increase my grip strength.
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Get your weight up, kid
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2004/04/02, 07:21 PM
what is your grip? Go alternate..the point of this exercise is not to work you forearms, if you are going alternate, use wrist wraps and work your grip seperately. You should try holding two ten pounds weights in one hand smooth sides out for as on as you can, for about 5 times each hand, then do some wrist curls and such, then put some weight on a belt and hang from an overhead bar for 20-30 sec., and never...ever be afraid to up weight IF you have good form, your problem may just be that you are used to what your doing. This is a great exercise it does wonders for your other lifts when i competively lifted i would do well over 3 plates for this lift, but you need to work your weakest link first. hope some of this helps.
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If hard work and persistence were the keys to success, most people would opt to pick the lock.~Dick
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2004/04/02, 09:55 PM
Does the leg curl work the exact part of the hamstrings like the dead lifts? I also didnt feel anything while doing the deadlifts so I gave up and started doing leg curls.
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2004/04/02, 11:06 PM
I got no problems with my grip. I can do pull-ups on 4 fingers, working on doing on only 2, and I can hang on one arm, using 4 fingers for 20-30 secs. The problem is that I'm a novice at weight lifting, so loading the bar with so much weight (well over my own bodyweight, which is 155lbs) simply seemed too much. I think I may have to do 200+lbs to be able to feel anything in my hamstrings... but is this a good idea?
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2004/04/02, 11:11 PM
Try pausing at the bottom of your lift and doing it more slowly. Also, stretch as far down as you can go, beyond your toes if possible. This will give you a better stretch and a better workout in your glutes and hamstrings.
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"I get up in the morning around six to run for about an hour. Later in the day, I lift with a partner. Following my lifting sessions, I usually do speed and agility drills. Later, I drill all my holds and moves."
'Isnt that lifestyle boring?'
"Yes, but the gold medal is very shiny."
Ichiguchi
Olympic Gold Medalist
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2004/04/03, 09:03 AM
Think about pulling your butt up away from your heels and pressing your hamstrings towards the wall behind you.
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2004/04/04, 08:26 AM
Actually, the form is not a problem for me - I do feel a great stretch in my hamstrings on bottom. What troubles me is that I cannot overload them - even when I use super-heavy weights, I still can do lots of reps and still not reach positive failure. I do get some DOMS in my hamstrings on the next day, but I need a set weight with which to work... I want to try something which is so heavy that it will enable me to do at most 8 reps (that's when my grip fatigues). I however don't think it's a good idea to lift like 200lbs, because I'm a beginner. Any suggestions? Should I try loading the bar with more?
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Quoting from asimmer:
Think about pulling your butt up away from your heels and pressing your hamstrings towards the wall behind you.
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2004/04/04, 09:14 AM
I think if you are feeling it in your legs and not in your back and you are sure of your form, then try upping the weight.
If you are experiencing DOMS, then you have accomplished some tear down, which is the aim. Failure isn't necessary all of the time.
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If you fall down seven times, get up eight.
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2004/04/04, 04:09 PM
This exercise screams out lower back injury. I find it quite hard to get the correct form, I think I'll fine a replacement exercise for this.
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2004/04/04, 05:59 PM
Hellscream - this exercise only screams out lower back injury when done incorrectly, but if you are uncomfortable with it, find a replacement by all means.
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If you fall down seven times, get up eight.
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2004/04/05, 10:20 AM
Ya I know assimer, but for beginners whos never done it b4, most likely their doing it wrong and harming their lower back. Also the exercise description doesnt even give any warnings about the lower back, I thought the pain in my lower back was normal ti'll I searched the exercise on fitbuddy where arnold warned about the lower back.
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2004/04/05, 11:47 AM
When the cheerleaders do these they don't feel it cause they are too flexable, so he has them stand on somthing high( a block or somthing) so the weight goes past the feet.
try realy concentrating on the hams, and keep your chest and abbs tight and up, mind muscle connection.
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.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!
......minds are not vessles to be filled, but fires to be enlightened
......Confucious once said ,DO NOT play leap frog with a unicorn
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2004/04/05, 12:12 PM
That is how I do deadlifts..standing on a wooden platform and then going as far down as I can. Ohh and do I feel the pain the next day! It defidently helps, and also if you concentrate on pushing your butt out as far as possible while going down and then squeezing when coming back up, that gets the glutes working too. However, I mostly feel the back of my hamstrings more than my butt. Infact, I barely feel any pain in the butt from deadlifts.I guess squats target the area better for me.
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2004/04/05, 03:09 PM
Diana, do you reach positive failure on the straight-leg deadlifts? That's the problem with me...
A good leg exercise for the butt is the lunge, with a very big step forward. That way it really emphasizes the glutes.
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Quoting from Diana123:
That is how I do deadlifts..standing on a wooden platform and then going as far down as I can. Ohh and do I feel the pain the next day! It defidently helps, and also if you concentrate on pushing your butt out as far as possible while going down and then squeezing when coming back up, that gets the glutes working too. However, I mostly feel the back of my hamstrings more than my butt. Infact, I barely feel any pain in the butt from deadlifts.I guess squats target the area better for me.
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2004/04/05, 04:32 PM
No I don't reach positive failure. I do the deadlifts with pretty light weights because I don't want to kill my back...usually 4 sets of 15-20 reps, first rep with only the rod and the rest with only 5 kilos added. But this is enough so far...I did them saturday morning and today (monday) I still cannot touch my toes, it hurts so bad! Should I be doing them to positive failure though?
My problem with lunges is that my knees can't stand them! I always make sure to not let them go past my ankles, but no matter how I do it, it hurts real bad. So I gave up doing lunges because I don't want to spend the rest of my life with a cane! Thanks though for the info!
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2004/04/06, 01:35 AM
I think I have to clarify: I'm doing a version of the SLDL, called Romanian Deadlift. When doing it, the back is very arched and the knees are almost locked, and so you cannot go down past your knees, and sometimes not even to your knees (in people with less hamstring flexibility.) It does enable one to handle more weight, though.
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Quoting from Hellscream:
Ya I know assimer, but for beginners whos never done it b4, most likely their doing it wrong and harming their lower back. Also the exercise description doesnt even give any warnings about the lower back, I thought the pain in my lower back was normal ti'll I searched the exercise on fitbuddy where arnold warned about the lower back.
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2004/04/06, 10:05 AM
well with romanian deadlift I don't think your soposed to arch your back. Theres no deadlift that I know of that your soposed to arch your back. Imagine pulling from the back of your knee
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.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!
......minds are not vessles to be filled, but fires to be enlightened
......Confucious once said ,DO NOT play leap frog with a unicorn
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2004/04/06, 10:14 AM
Actually bigandrew you are susposed to arch you lower back here is a good discription from Rev8ball:
Here are some pointers: The deadlift is actually quite a simple exercise: Bend over and pick up something from the floor. But there is a method to the madness. This time, we start from the bottom. For a traditional lift, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, with your shins touching the bar. Squat down and grasp the bar about 4-6 inches out from your footing; most people prefer the over/under positioning of the hands. Make sure that you keep your shins as close to 90 degrees to the floor as possible, thereby preventing you from leaning forward and adding stress to the lower back. Keeping your back straight/arched and tight, and your head always level, begin the big pull. It’s a little easier to understand the lift if you look at it this way: your upper body is pulling the weight off the floor, while your lower body is pushing your upper body to stand up. Focus on the correct firing order, like mentioned above, and the bar will move correctly. Always keep the bar as close to the body as possible (scraped up shins and thighs are part of heavy deadlifts). Also, upon the ascent, never let your butt rise first or above your shoulders. If you do this, you are basically turning this into a Good Morning lift, and putting waaaaaaaay too much strain on your lower back. Do not use your biceps to pull the weight; they are much smaller muscles that your back, etc., and you will easily tear them trying to turn this heavy lift into a curl. Finally, keep your abs tight, and never relax your chest and shoulder girdle. When you get to the top, there are three big no-nos that people who don’t know what they are doing always perform: do not lock out your knees; do not lean back once the lift is completed; and do not roll your shoulders back. All that these movements will do will be to knock you out of balance and place unnecessary stress (and possibly damage) smaller and more vulnerable muscle groups. Now, lower the weight in the reverse of what you just did, making sure to keep tight form and control, and not the letting the weight drop. :big_smile:
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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
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2004/04/06, 05:43 PM
if your wanting to isolate the hams though i was told to keep back straight head up, and pull fromt heback of the knee.
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.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!
......minds are not vessles to be filled, but fires to be enlightened
......Confucious once said ,DO NOT play leap frog with a unicorn
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2004/04/07, 07:43 AM
The upper back should be straight, but you still need a slight arch int he lower back on them.
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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
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2004/04/07, 08:57 AM
If you lie down on the floor, you should have about one inch of space under your low back, enough to slip a flat hand underneath. That is your natural curve. Strive to maintain this natural curve in all movements, even abdominals.
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If you fall down seven times, get up eight.
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2004/08/23, 07:22 PM
I have been trying the sldl and I kow I am doing something wrong. I feel it my my hams, but I feel it more in my lower back. What else can I try or maybe someone could give me a more detailed description of how to do it properly.
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2004/08/24, 03:39 PM
there's this really great hamstring sticky made by gatormade..look for that and red the whole thread. That's how I learned sldl's, it's one of the most detailed explanations and descriptions.
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There is no pain. There will BE no pain.
Now for the love of god...put the donut...DOWN!!!
-cupcake-
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2004/08/24, 03:40 PM
blah. read.
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2004/08/25, 03:27 PM
I did them for the first time yesterday, I came back and re-read this post and figured that I just needed to add weight. This morning after walking a few steps, I decided that I must have some something right because my hammies hurt like hell.
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