Deadlifts- for those with experience

I have begun doing regular deadlifts. I have been a fan of Stuart McRoberts (Hardgainer) for years, and so have exclusively done straight leg or Romanian deads. Regular deads feel awkward.

I try them with hands/grip inside the knees and outside the knees. One feels good one time then bad the next. When I do a grip with arms positioned inside the knees I use a wider stance, when I position outside the knees I do a more narrow stance. I have troubles lowering the weight in the same manner I lift it. I lift it more like doing a squat but lower it more like a straight leg dead. I am having a hard time finding the amount of weight and number of reps to use - I use 365 LBS currently for 7 or so reps with straight legs.

So grip inside or outside the legs. Wide stance or more narrow? Kinematics in lowering and raising the weight? Weight and reps? What is your advice.

[edgecrusher]

Sounds good to me so far. The only change i would make, is when lowering the bar, I let it ride down my legs, So it is in a good position for my second pull.

[Sculpted Granite]

Regular deads with an outside of the knee grip is the most effective for myself and the most comfortable.Doing these hard and heavy for years is the only reason my back is what it is today.

As for rep range,good question.I feel there's benefit in both low and high reps from deadlifts.What I do myself is two heavy DL workouts in a row using 4-8 reps for 2 sets.Then every third DL workout I use a rep range of 20-25 reps for two sets,simpily brutal lol.After this I'll take a break from DL's on my fourth consecutive back workout then repeat.

Using this rotating heavy/heavy/light/rest method I seem to constanlty get stronger and larger without fail.

Thanks guys.

Sculpted granite...I like the heavy/heavy/light/break routine. I have severe degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (age 41 next month) and a few years ago I could hardly just straighten up after bending over. When I started following McRoberts plans I had to alter it for my own limits - I would do squats one week and deadlifts the next because I was unable to do them both in one week and still walk. I am so happy how far I have progressed - it really was very hard to do a deadlift pull from the pins with 135 LBS when I started back a few year ago.

I am so grateful I found an MD a few years back that would jack me up on steroids as well as McRoberts approach of simply increasing the poundage each session no matter how little the increase is, only doing basic lifts, and keeping the sets to a minimum. A few years of that have really helped change my life.

I am going to use your heavy X2, light, break idea for doing deadlifts. I think that will be a good way to make progress, allow recuperation time and avoid injuries.

[backlash79]

just in terms of your question on stance and grip a tradition DL is usually with your legs shoulder width and your hands on the outside of them.

There is another type of DL called the Sumo DL which is a wide stance and your hands are less than shoulder width grip. (not sure if that was what you were refferring to).

Personally I've found there is less lower back involvment with Sumos than with traditional DL.

Also on your question with the letting it down. I've found with myself and friends liek the person above me said, use yours legs as a guide. So when your at the top then bend back at your knees lowering the bar along your thighs to knees down yours shins to the floor.

[archive_1911]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Got wood?:"...only doing basic lifts,..."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm headed there myself due to age & injury. I'll toss-in some instinctive "foo foo" movements for bi's, tris and delts on occasion but my future is deads, rows and and incline DB presses.

FWIW - I posted this elsewhere recently re: deads but this has already been covered above.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I had to experience a lot of different adjustments, a tweak here and there with grip, weight, stance, etc., before I hit the feel I liked/wanted. You have to commit a little more time and pay attention for a month or so (take notes even) but if do, you'll get it. What I settled on was mostly found by adjusting my stance. I had to narrow it significantly from what I thought was right. I work in the 9-15 rep range, go low in weight and focus on form and rep-count. Those slow-count, drawn out, last few reps of a 4th or 5th set at a weight that stresses me is f***** orgasmic.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Later,

[archive_Killer]

Consider yourself lucky if your gym has the old, round plates. The gyms around here have those iron grip plates. Everytime I lower the weight, the plate hits on one of its edges and goes flying 2-3 inches, often smacking me in the shin. Then I have to quickly shimmy into position, or at least try to, to prepare for the next pull.