IMPACT PERFORMANCE TRAINING
Articles: The Deadlift: Teaching it and fixing it
By Dewey Nielsen, Performance Enhancement Specialist
One of my favorite quotes from Mike Boyle is “A bad program done well is better than a good program done poorly”. This holds so much truth. You can have the best program with the best exercises but they are close to worthless if the execution of the exercises are sloppy. As coaches we should dislike mediocrity and strive for our athletes to function properly in the gym so that they perform better in their sport. We need to learn when to be coaching intensive, when to shut up and what coaching cues are correct in the right moments.
To me, the deadlift is one of the most important patterns. Teaching the athlete to move through their hips while maintaining core stability is key. It can sometimes be one of the hardest patterns to learn and coach. My goal is to supply you with common errors in the deadlift and SIMPLE ways to fix them. Many of these are from Gray Cook’s bag of tricks in some way, shape or form. Gray has really opened my eyes on finding simple solutions to correct movement patterns. The corrections will be focused towards bilateral and unilateral deadlifting patterns.
Before we get started here are some general coaching cues:
Bilateral – Hips back, tight and tall, heavy heels, chest up
Unilateral – Tight and tall, back leg long and strong (free leg), chest up
Shortstop Position – setting the pattern
Cue the athlete to slide their hands down their thighs while pushing their butt out
Hips to wall – for the knee bender
The wall will provide feedback as to where the hips should go.
Dowel on back – for the unstable spine
The dowel will provide feedback for maintaining core stability
RNT (Reactive Neuromuscular Training) – for asymmetrical rotation
The band will push the athlete into the problem making it more apparent to them
RNT (Reactive Neuromuscular Training) – for valgus knee
Again, the band will pull the athletes’ knee in making the problem more apparent to them
Heel/Toe lift – for anterior/posterior weight shift
Sometimes the problem can simply be a weight shift problem. Choosing a heel or toe lift can help the athlete learn how to distribute their weight correctly. The same holds true in squatting.
Reaching – for the unstable spine
The reach can turn on the back and core musculature to provide stability for the unstable spine.
Leg lowering – for mobility and patterning
The athlete can get the mobility and general pattern for deadlifting.
Regressive assistance – For severe balance issues
Progressively move to a lighter band until they no longer need assistance (I have actually never used this with an athlete. I have used it numerous times with older clients and had great success)
Verbal cue – Another very common error during the unilateral pattern is the shifting of the athlete’s hips. In this case, first look at the foot of the free leg. Is it externally rotated? If it is, simply cue the athlete to point their toe inward. This will usually fix the hips since the external rotation is most likely coming from the hips.
These are some of the ways that I get my athletes to correct their deadlift. Some will lend themselves better to one on one session compared to group sessions. If you have an athlete in a group that is having trouble with the deadlift, spend a few minutes after the session and try some of these corrections. Sometimes a few minutes is all it takes to clean up a pattern.
« Return to: Main Articles Page «
Dewey Nielsen is a Performance Enhancement Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He is the founder/owner of Impact Performance Training and the co-founder/owner/coach of Impact Jiu-jitsu. Dewey is primarily located in Newberg, Oregon and can be reached at
www.impact-pt.com , www.impactjj.com or dewey@bjjnewberg.com.
If you are interested in these programs or for additional information, please call 503-550-3326 or Email Us »
 |
 |