Barbell Deadlift from Blocks

Description

How to do Barbell Deadlift from Blocks

1. 01
   Setup

   Position the barbell on blocks, typically 2-6 inches high, so the plates are elevated off the floor. Stand with your mid-foot directly under the barbell, feet hip-width apart, and toes pointing slightly outward.

2. 02
   Setup

   Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grip the barbell with a double overhand or mixed grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Ensure your shoulders are directly over or slightly in front of the bar, with a neutral spine.

3. 03

   Take a deep breath, brace your core, and initiate the lift by driving your feet into the floor, simultaneously extending your knees and hips. Keep the bar close to your body and maintain a neutral spine as you stand upright.

4. 04

   At the top, fully extend your hips and knees, squeezing your glutes, but avoid hyperextending your lower back. Control the descent by hinging at your hips first, then bending your knees to lower the bar back to the blocks with a neutral spine.

5. 05

   Allow the bar to settle completely on the blocks before beginning the next repetition, ensuring each rep starts from a dead stop. Exhale as you lower the weight or at the top of the movement.

Tips

• Focus on maintaining a tight core throughout the entire lift to protect your spine and transfer force efficiently from your legs to the bar.
• Keep the barbell as close to your shins and thighs as possible during both the ascent and descent to maximize leverage and reduce strain on your lower back.
• Use the blocks to your advantage by resetting your position and form for each repetition, ensuring consistent technique and maximal power output.
• Drive through your heels and the mid-foot, imagining pushing the floor away from you, rather than just pulling the bar up.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back during the lift puts excessive stress on the spine; fix this by actively engaging your lats and keeping your chest up and shoulders pulled back.
• Allowing the hips to rise too quickly before the bar leaves the blocks turns the deadlift into a stiff-legged deadlift, shifting load to the lower back; fix this by initiating the pull with both hip and knee extension simultaneously.
• Letting the bar drift too far away from the body increases leverage demands on the lower back; fix this by pulling the bar straight up and keeping it in constant contact with your legs.