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Hi guys - another fun meet.  Didn't make anything but my opener, but I appreciate the work of the judges and especially Kris - this must require massive effort, and I certainly look forward to the day when you're rewarded financially and otherwise for it!
Was a bit surprised by my lifts, but I'll give you some background: had 520 in March, and 510 2 weeks ago after backing away for awhile.  Since opening our 2nd gym, though, my focus has been on Crossfit stuff (it's a Crossfit facility) and I've dropped a bit of weight.
Though my hips and HS were strong for the meet, my lower back has obviously lost some strength (in both failed lifts, my legs fully extend but my back can't hold my torso in the correct position and I bail.)  Simple to fix before my next meets - virtual and live - in December.
One thing I noticed throughout: lifters stay at the 'bottom' position for a looong time.  Not here to criticize, coach, or judge; just mentioning it because it was so common.  Competing as a taller guy, I've had to learn everything I can about lifts before I compete, and one thing that's really helped me is this: take advantage of the stretch reflex in the hamstrings.  That means get down, get the bar, and go up.  Staying in the hole for a long time diminishes the stretch reflex, compresses the abdominal cavity and restricts the diaphragm's ability to create abdominal pressure.  If you're inhaling and exhaling in the hole, it's pretty tough to get your abs out hard enough to create good stability.
Watching Brian and Yuri, especially, I was thinking: man, these guys are going to crush me a year from now!  Wait, forget everything I just said!  I take it all back!  Haha.


[ MODERATOR'S NOTE: This topic was split from the September 5-7th, 2008 deadlift meet discussion (http://virtualmeet.net/community/forum/meet-talk/232/0/).

Yes, thanks to everyone involved for making this meet possible and a success.


As someone who practically had a cup of coffee and a biscuit while hanging in the hole, I appreciate this good information.  ;)

Will try this for sure !

Thanks for the encouragement and advice Chris. I have a live meet this weekend and will definately keep the advice in mind. I usually don't like to try new things during a meet but my form on both the squat and deadlift do need some attention. Like all lifters I am always looking for areas to improve and any advice is greatly appreciated.
By the way the judging on this meet was super quick, major props to the judges.
Looking forward to the full meet in December, Thanks for the great website to all who contribute.

If anyone wants tips on increasing your Deadlifts let me know. Ron Villani

I'm always interested to hear tips and tricks from advanced lifters. I pull sumo though.

I very much agree with Chris's tip.  Grip and rip!  I thought some of you were never going to do the damn lift. 

Hi Marc, I'm sorry but I do not use the sumo style when I compete. I do use it in my training for the conventional deadlift. What I like to do in my off competiton training is cycle in four workouts of sumos for every eight workouts of conventionals. I find it really compliments my conventionals. I'll warm up to a heavy triple and do it for one to two sets and add weight each workout. My lower back gets a well deserved rest and my legs and hips get a better workout. I'm still pulling heavy enough to stimulate my nueral-muscular system, but as you know, Its coming from different angle. I've been doing that for years and it really helped preserve my tender lower back. In your case, I would throw in couple of cycles of conventionals in the off competition training cycle. Its worth a shot, good luck and train hard. Ron Villani

Well, I am and was training mostly conventionnal, but realised along the way that I am stronger pulling sumo. My weakness is off the floor and my lever are stronger in sumo stance.

I'm currently doing deficit deadlift to work on this weakness, conventionnal on a bumper plate. Warmups and 4 sets of heavy triples. We'll see if I can break the 400 barrier for the next meet. I'm doing 2 weeks heavy, one week backoff, and pulling sumo once in a while.

Hi Marc,
if you do conventional on plates, I suggest maybe to also try sumo on plates. Just an idea but I found it helpful for some time. I used 50kg plates because all the other ones started to move during the lift.
In the Sheiko based programs there is a deadlift to knees. I found that this is quite hard because you stop the lift in the middle of things. On the other hand this lets you focus on the start phase.
Another thing that I think is important to keep the back arched as long as possible. Not the least to avoid extending the legs to fast and doing a Sumo SDL. Strech reflex is important but a healthy back as well.
Just some thoughts.
Also check out this link: http://www.crainsmuscleworld.com/advanced_powerlifting_techiques.html
I found this very helpful as well.

A knockout combo to build a faster sumo deadlift off the floor and it'll even work your conventional deadlift.  On a heavy day, use conventional deadlifts while standing off of a 2-3" block: one week could be a 5RM, week 2 could be a 3RM, week 3 a 1RM.  On a different day, instead of doing a speed day with box squats, do a rep day instead (5x5, 3x15, 4x12, 7x4, etc.) and set the box so that you are a little below parallel.  Come week 4, the sumo will fly and the weight will feel lighter.  And the deficit deads won't let your conventional deadlift suffer.

Speaking of the deadlift, any suggestions for learning not to jerk the weight off the ground? I've tried applying even pressure with the result that the weight feels much heavier. I like dropping down and jerking it off the ground, but I understand this is counterproductive as it will cause some slack... plus it's probably not the most back friendly way to do it either. I lift sumo as that is the only thing my back let's me get away with.

On a slightly off-topic note: great to hear from you Alberto! Still in some deserty part of the world...?

I'm still here in Djibouti, Kris.   Barring my two 2-week leaves home, I'll be here until December 2009.

I know what you mean by jerking the bar in the deadlift, as I used to do it myself for psych.  It's not good for the biceps either.  Tighten everything up as you grab the bar, especially your upper back, and only tighten up the arms enough to tighten your grip (kind of like taking the slack out without the jerk).  Don't lose that tightness as you pull.  The trick is pulling the pull very fast without being ballistic.  Takes practice.

The best way I learned to be tight was snatch grip deadlifts, because without it the lift won't go and you can't jerk the arms as much with so wide a grip.  If you do these, Kris, start light.  Submaximal, in fact, until you have the form down.  Then add weight.

Hey Alberto, many thanks for the advice! I'm going to try some snatch grip deadlifts and see how it goes.

To keep this thread topical, I'm going to ask you what kind of opportunities you have for deadlifting in Djibouti? ;)

Djibouti has a small gym here, Camp Lemonier.  Most of the bars are, unfortunately, bench press bars (not too much knurling or not far enough along the bar) because whoever stocks the gym doesn't know that there are different bars for different purposes.  They should have at least made every bar a Texas Power Bar.  This makes doing heavy snatch grip deadlifting impossible without straps. 

Right now, my workouts are mostly squats.  I don't have a speed day; it's now a repetition days, using box squats on a Smith machine with a different rep scheme each time (5x5, 3x15, 2x25, 5x6, etc.).  My ME movements are free front squat and deadlifts while standing on a two inch block.   I'm doing a lot of chinup, rowing, bicep work, ab and shoulder work.  Mainly, I've been trying to get leaner: I'm down 32 pounds to 206.  But the combo I have is not only improving my conventional pull, but add in the box squat work and my sumo is climbing, too.  I have more pop out of the bottom, and a stronger top end. 

Seems like a world trend, he he.
Almost everywhere they either have grater-knurled undersized "junior" bars or the slippery 40 pounders!
BTW, what's the point in a smooth bar? Spares ones "hump" when squatting or "saltcellars" when Oly-lifting, or "meethooks" when grip training? As for me, I like them as rough as possible and half-inch thick in chalk powder. When everyone around works out in mittens...