From: Richard Fahey Newsgroups: misc.fitness,rec.sport.triathlon,rec.fitness Subject: Re: Info request re: DEADLIFTS Date: 17 Mar 1994 17:27:44 GMT In article <2ma29i$9na@panix2.panix.com> Paul Gatker, paul@panix.com writes: >perpindicular to the ground as I lift. Someone else said I should try >leaving the bar behind my feet, and lift it up this way. This seemed a bit >too advanced a maneuver for me at this point. (He called these hack lifts?) > Ken Leistner, who writes for Powerlifting USA, does not recommend doing hack lifts. While it is often possible to lift more weight this way than conventional deadlifts, they supposedly put a lot of stress on your knees. Deadlifting necessarily involves the back muscles a lot. There is also a variation, "Stiff-legged deadlifts", where the contribution of the legs to the lift is minimized (don't lock the legs out straight, though - keep the a little bent, but stiff). Most sources on deadlift form say not to round the back, nor hyperextend it (this often happens at the top of the lift). This might be the source of confusion on the style to use - keeping the back straight and keeping it upright are two different things. Keep the back straight, flexing at the hips to angle the back. Keep your head up and eyes looking forward. Breath out during the pull. Don't jerk the weight from the floor, or bounce it off the floor between reps. If you lift the weight standing on a small platform, the weight can be lowered to "floor level" without actually touching the floor. Form is everything in this lift, as a sloppy style can easily lead to back injuries. This is not a lift to do if you are at all prone to any kind of back problems. Richard From: krw@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (keith.r.smith) Subject: Re: Lats: A four-letter word. HELP! Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 21:44:03 GMT In article <9404061840.AA49074@hookup.net> joec@hookup.net (Joe Clark) writes: >Hiyez. This is a question about lats. > >Lats are the muscles I have no apparent evidence of being born with. >All right, I exaggerate. I spent a few years doing lat-pulls badly, >then a couple of years doing them properly, and had few gains. In the >course of diagnosing a shoulder injury, a physiotherapist more or less >told me I had nothin' back there (as did my family doctor when I was ~13). >A neurologist specializing in muscle disorders (ALS, muscular dystrophy, >and the like) examined me and determined that I had neither of those >conditions (or anything comparable) and that my small lats, rhomboids, >&c were Just the Way I Was. He also told me that there would be no harm >in doing back exercises and that there was no reason I could not improve. > >So... bearing in mind that I already go to the gym four times a week and >find it frustrating and tedious at times, WHAT EXERCISES DO I DO? >I love hearing the imaginative names some exercises have (flye, >good-morning, and my personal fave, sissy squats), but if you're >going to mention an exercise by name, please also give a one-sentence >explanation of how to do it! Hi Joe! First off, if your training is frustrating and tedious at times, then maybe you need a break. Take a week to 10 days off from anything that even _smells_ like training. Eat well, sleep well, and recharge your batteries. When you come back, spend at least 6 weeks doing nothing but light pump-n-burn work, 30-40 reps/set, twice weekly. Don't even _think_ about any "big iron" yet. After this refresher period, start doing deadlifts. Do these absolutely no more than once per week! Go heavy. If you are doing them right, then you will need at least a week to fully recover. I will describe the movement later in this message. Spend about four weeks of d/l workouts working up to your current 5-rep max, then reduce the weight by 10%. Plan on increasing your training poundage by 5 pounds, every other d/l session, and no more. Don't be in a hurry, as you will get plenty strong soon enough by doing this. After 6 months total, test your 5-rep-max again. Take a week off, then come back as before with the light stuff. When you get back to d/l time again, start out with only 80% of your last 5-rep-max and add weight every-other-session as before. The deadlift is pretty much of a "whole-body" strengthening exercise. As you will be using just about "every muscle you got" in this effort, you can expect to be moving some significant weight before too long. I am talking about weight measured in multiples of your own bodyweight. Performance of deadlift. Stand over the bar. Stoop down and grasp the bar with an over-n-under shoulder-width grip. Keep your chest out, your butt down, your head erect, and keep your heels firmly planted on the floor. Stand up. If your back curls up, then you are using too much weight (and you could hurt yourself...... badly). Don't be in a hurry to use the "macho" poundages.... you will get there soon enough :-). If you have access to a power rack, then use it. Set the "catcher-bars" to about 3/4 of knee height. Keith R From: rhb@csn.org (Richard Boyd) Subject: Re: I need help with Deadlifts Date: Sat, 3 Sep 1994 14:25:45 GMT Carey Cox (ccox@csc.mc.edu) wrote: : Can anyone tell me how to do deadlifts so that I won't bang up my : knees and shins? I have long legs and they really get in the way. Is : there another way of doing deadlifts for those of us with long legs--or am : I doing the exercise completely wrong? Thanks in advance. >From personal experience with deadlifts, I've found when this happens to me, it's because my form is getting sloppy. I'm 6 ft., and have long legs and arms. And when I start bumpimg my shins during the deadlift, it is because I'm starting the lift with my back, instead of my upper legs and butt. Starting the lift with the legs, naturally straightens them, and gets them out of the way as the bar comes up. Proper deadlift form is to start bent kneed, then begin the lift by flexing the upper leg area ( quads, leg biceps, glutes ). Continue through mid-lift with the primary mover being the glutes. And then about three quarters into it, bring in the lower back. Finish off with a nice flex of the upper back and traps to stand tall and proud. Some deadlift etiquette.... Be sure to let out a mighty yell at the end, so everybody in the gym will look over and marvel at your prodigous strength. Also don't drop the bar after your last rep, but make sure it makes a good hard thud and shakes the building a little. rhb @:-{)= From: miked30786@aol.com (MikeD30786) Newsgroups: misc.fitness Subject: Re: I need help with Deadlifts Date: 4 Sep 1994 11:37:02 -0400 More deadlift tips: 1. Squeeze your butt while you're doing them. You'll feel it more in that area -- and you'll feel it more the next morning, which means it's working. 2. To achieve proper form, try sticking out your butt a bit when you're doing the exercise. I've found that that puts more stress on the glutes and the hamstrings, and away from the lower back. I've never liked deadlifts for lower back strengthening (too much weight's involved for my taste; the potential to screw something up is too high) -- try hyperextensions instead. - Mike. From: drbw@mail.che.utexas.edu (David R. B. Walker) Newsgroups: misc.fitness Subject: Re: stiff-legged deadlifts Date: 12 Sep 1994 18:37:20 GMT In article <351vaf$fuv@news.cloud9.net>, asalo@cloud9.net (Anna Salo) wrote: > Whenever I do stiff-legged deadlifts, I feel fine while I'm doing them, > but a few minutes afterward my legs feel like jello for the rest of the > day. For the next few days my hamstrings feel unbelievably tight, no matter > how much I stretch them out before and after. No other exercises or > freeweights cause this reaction, I usually just get normal muscle fatigue. > > Any ideas on what might cause this? > > anna Anna: Are you doing your stiff-legged deadlifts with your legs locked at the knee? I found my ligaments and tendons around the knee get quite irritated when I did stiff legged deadlifts with my knees locked in a vertical position. Now I do stiffs with the knees bent, but the legs essentially steady. That is, although the knees are bent, the stay positioned at the same angle throughout the range of motion. As for the tightness, stiffs will stretch the hamstrings consdierably. The first time I did them, I got through the set fine, but was sore before I left the weight room. Do them slowly so you can feel the stretch. I have read and tried that the bar should only reach the level of the knees if you are keeps your back arched tight, rather than allowing you back to round to reach your toes. Do the stiffs slowly and carefully with the proper form. Otherwise, its easy to overdo it; moreso with stiffs than others I have found. -- David Walker Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UT-Austin drbw@mail.che.utexas.edu In article <1992Jan25.061007.13141@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, djbg8364@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (David J Beatty) writes: > vinlai@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (vincent.lai) writes: > >I'm not sure if my deadlift form is correct, mainly because the bar > >keeps hitting my knees coming up and down. I would rest my heels on a > >block of wood with limited success. Anybody else run into problems > >like this? > I've always tried to do deadlifts in such a way that the bar is in > contact with my legs throughout the lift. This prevents me from > leaning out from the waist and overstressing my lower back. So I > start the lift with the bar resting against my shins, and then drive > with my legs, keeping the bar close to my lower leg, knee and finally > the thigh. Now I'm not scraping hard on my legs, I just use them as a > guide to help me keep good form throughout the lift. I think > guide to help me keep good form throughout the lift. I think Hitting your knees with the bar during a deadlift indicates that you are lifting with your back and shoulders too early in during the movement. Not only does this hurt your knees, it may cause damage to your lower back, and will also limit your Max lift. The correct way to lift is: 1. Start with the bar against shins, back flat, and a slight stretch should be felt in the shoulders ( to stop you from pulling with your arms ). 2. Drive the hips upwards with legs ( as in a squat ) while the angle between shoulders, hips and spine stays the same as measured to the horizontal. 3. Once the bar has cleared the knees, then the hips drive forward, pushing chest up, shoulders back. > Hey, does anyone out there have a deadlift routine that's worked > particularly well for them? I've been doing mainly low reps, but I > recently have been doing a few sets of 10-12, and it seemed to cause a > lot more soreness the next day. What kinds of reps/sets do all you > deadlifters do? To increase Max strength in the deadlift, try this programme: Deadlift 3-4 times a week after warm ups. Use the same weight during the four weeks: Week 1 4 sets of 3 reps Use the same weight during the four weeks: Week 1 4 sets of 3 reps Week 2 3 sets of 4 reps Week 3 2 sets of 5 reps Week 4 1 set of 5 reps ( easy week ) Then repeat these four weeks with a heavier weight ( 5-10 kg ) increase. To increase muscle mass with the deadlift, do 3 sets of 5 reps in a pyramid ( 3rd set heaviest ), then 1 set of 10 reps. Do this 3 times a week and on the 1st and 3rd workout of the week do the set of 10 reps to FULL FAILURE, ie you could not lift the bar off the floor even if your life depended on it. Then eat a lots and grow! -Bertil on behalf of Craig Pickett Subject: Re: Deadlifts (was Re: What Are Good Mornings?) Date: 20 Aug 1993 10:57:53 -0500 glp@fig.citib.com (Greg Parkinson) writes: >In article <2507v2$aoc@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu>, sfjr@wam.umd.edu (Steve Russell ) writes: >|> Like I said, I agree. I had back problems that just vanished >|> when I did deadlifts carefully, but I think Good Mornings are >|> just a dangerous exercise. Its just to easy to overload and >|> it has excellent leverage for damaging a spine. >I've been doing hyperextensions for years, sometimes >with a 25-lb weight. I just started doing deadlifts >and I'm not sure of exactly how to do them - roll up >the back or straighten it and then lift from the lower >back? Same question for the way down. I also just started deadlifts and I'll give you the advice a friend of mine, who is a powerlifter, gave me. After you have your stance and grip, there are basically two ideas to follow. One, rather than lifting the weight up who is a powerlifter, gave me. After you have your stance and grip, there are basically two ideas to follow. One, rather than lifting the weight up think of it as shoving your feet through the floor. Two, don't bend at the waist, thrust out with the hips. These are "feel" ideas obviously, as you can not put your feet through the floor (hopefully your gym is stronger than that :-)) and some bending at the waist does occur. >What should I be careful to *avoid*? Not using your back to lower the weight, use your legs as much as possible. More injuries occur when lowering then weight than lifting it. So says my friend. Patrick From: krw@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (keith.r.smith) Subject: Re: Deadlifts Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1993 17:32:05 GMT In article <2bc01a$dq4@amhux3.amherst.edu> mbfeld@unix.amherst.edu (A waste of b andwidth originating) writes: >I want to do deadlifts, but the bar keeps bumping into my knees... >Why does it do that? Or rather, how could it possibly not do that? >I want to do deadlifts, but the bar keeps bumping into my knees... >Why does it do that? Or rather, how could it possibly not do that? > >Marlon > Hi Marlon! It could be the way that you are built, or it could be your form. Do you keep your butt down and your back flat? If this doesn't work, then you might try doing the movement in a power rack, or on some other device that will support the bar high enough from the floor so that you don't bump your knees, or use big enough plate to achieve the same effect. Keith R <<<< Mad Cross-Trainer and Cycling Zealot >>>> From: an25653@anon.penet.fi Reply-To: an25653@anon.penet.fi Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 19:06:19 UTC Subject: Re: ??'s about Dead Lifts >From garry Mon Nov 7 08:40:35 1994 Date: Mon, 7 Nov 94 08:40:34 PST From: garry (Garry Holmen) To: garry@mda.ca Subject: Re: ??'s about Dead Lifts Newsgroups: misc.fitness Organization: MacDonald Dettwiler, 13800 Commerce Parkway, Richmond, BC, Canada V6V 2J3 Cc: In article you write: >Hi - First, my apologies for the subject of this post. There have been >several posts regarding Dead Lifts recently, and my newsreader won't let me >see them, so I'm sorry for the repetition. I tried Dead Lifts yesterday, >but I only did 8 at around 120lbs., because I'd never tried them before. >Well I *loved* them - I felt muscles in my back and neck I didn't know I >had. BTW, I didn't hurt my back, this was definitely the muscles. Anyway, >my questions are these: 1. Am I supposed to do this exercise similar to >other types -- like, 3 sets of 8 - 12 reps? 2. I know this varies, but >what weight is appropriate...enough that I struggle for the last few reps, >or something less (I'm using wraps also)? Thanks for any help. You know >how it is when you find a new exercise. :-) Hi Linda, Aren't deadlifts great? They are the best back exercise that you can do (with a healthy back). Just to answer your questions: 1) Yes do them in the same manner as your other exercises and make sure you do a good warmup on your back before doing them. I perform 2 warmup sets before I even attempt my first set. Watch your back... keep that lumbar arch in there. 2) The weight varies depending on the type of deadlift you are doing. One can do heavier bent-legged deads than straight legged deads just because your legs are brought into play. My best piece of advice is to gradually increase the weight... start with a weight you feel comfortable with and work on the form and then slowly increase the weight. This will avoid the big problem with deads... people who go heavy with poor form. Using wraps will take the load off of your forearms and let you concentrate on your back more. I'm not a big wraps fan but if you have to worry more about your grip than feeling the exercise in your back I'ld suggest using them in 2 of your 3 sets. Just don't get dependent upon them. I see too many people relying on them for everything (from curls to chins and rows). Garry Holmen garry@mda.ca PS: I don't feel deadlifts in my neck... where were you feeling them? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To find out more about the anon service, send mail to help@anon.penet.fi. Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized, and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned. Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to admin@anon.penet.fi. From: Paul Bearer Subject: Re: Deadlifts and back rounding ? Originator: roland@skule.ecf Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 16:39:41 GMT In article , William A. Piche wrote: >Doing deadlifts for more than 10 reps is ludicrous in my opinion. I have >found too over the years that the more reps you do the more the tendency >to not use good form. I would not recommend deadlifting more than once >a week and highly recommend deadlifing once every 2 weeks. After 10 years >of deadlifing, switching to once every two weeks enabled me to add about >another 40 lbs to my best. > The voice of experience. Listen carefully aspiring powerlifters! As I said you will get different opinions on this, which is always the case. Bill's got over 15 years experience in powerlifting, and him not speak with forked tongue. What Bill said about using the deadlift infrequently makes alot of sense to me. It's a tough lift, that takes alot out of you in terms of recovery. >Side Note: Funny thing Paul, but I have been reading Leistner for 15 years >in PLUSA and I never remember him recommending 20 reps sets as the mainstay?? Hmmm, maybe this is a recent thing? Late 80s articles by Leistner seem to suggest this. Here's the rationale I have in an article: It has been suggested by Dr. Leistner and others that when squatting, leg pressing, or deadlifting use higher reps 15-20, or higher. Some critics of this will say that reps in this range are for endurance work, not strength work. However, most trainees will probably be working with at least 80% of their 1RM which is equal to or greater as the recommended threshold to stimulate strength by several authors. I *think* what Leistner is referring to, is that if you aren't a competitive lifter, higher reps should be used as the mainstay. And lower reps, must be used if your a competitor. Which seems to make sense to me. As far as rep speed goes, as far as I know, Leistner does *not* recommend the "2 up, 4 down" for high rep sets, or for any sets for that matter. He stresses smooth, controlled reps, 1-2 up, 1-2 down, but nothing slower than that. I think that answers another question someone had about doing "high rep" squats, like the 20 rep breathing squat. Of course this issue about "how slow" has caused the "holy war" between Leistner and Darden, who arrogantly said to a large group of people that Leistner trains his trainees with a rep speed "too fast". Off-topic, sorry. I just would never say that in front of Leistner if I wanted to see my next birthday. One of the things you gather here, I see, is that there is more than one way to skin a cat. What I mean is, doing high rep lower body work may work great for you, or it might not. As you can see from Bill's experience I think he is saying that this is in his opinion not the way to go. you have to decide for yourself, and experiment, IMHO. That's the only way your really going to find out "what works best for you". People can only give you general principles, and that's it. P. > >-- >Bill Piche (bapiche@pobox.cca.rockwell.com) From: bodysurf@netcom.com (Tim) Subject: Re: Questions about deadlifts. Date: Sat, 26 Nov 1994 23:24:39 GMT In article <3b829b$ld1@oac4.hsc.uth.tmc.edu>, sph1290@utsph.sph.uth.tmc.edu (NAME "Paul A. Fearn") wrote: > Does anyone have suggestions for adding deadlifts to my workout. I am not sure > about the correct form and the best strategy (sets/reps/weight/days per week). I would not recommend deadlifting more than once every two weeks. After warmups, I would keep reps between 5-8 and use very heavy weight with good form. > Should your palms be facing opposite directions when you grip the bar? Yes, and alternate positions each set. For example: Set #1 -- Left arm pronated grip, Right arm supinated grip; set #2 -- Left arm supinated grip, Right arm pronated grip. > Should feet be close, shoulder width, or farther apart? For "standard" deadlifts, a little narrower than shoulder width so that your grip is outside your stance. For "sumo" deadlifts, a wide stance with the toes pointed slightly out is proper. Most likely, you will be performing standard deadlifts. > How much should you bend your knees? As much as you are able to comfortably. You should initially lift off the bar using your leg strength primarily and then finish off with your back strength. > How safe is this exercise? Safe, provided you use good form and do not perform it often with heavy weights. If performed with improper form and with heavy weights, it is one of the most dangerous exercizes that one can perform. So do it right! Lates! ---------------------------------- Tim "Finger" for PGP v2.6.2 Public Key From: ronbo@arnold.ndhm.gtegsc.com (Ron Cecchini) Subject: Re: Powerlifting: sumo v. conventional deads Date: 23 Jan 1995 18:59:22 GMT In article <3ft9sq$89l@news.iastate.edu>, kulak@glacier.eai.com (Kevin Kulak) writes: > Does anyone out there have any opinions on 'sumo' style deadlifting > verses 'conventional' style deads? Well, Barry or Bill would know more about this than me. And I'm not sure what in particular you're asking for when you say "opinions". "sumo" style (which I also call "powerlifting style") deads are done with the feet placed relatively wide and the toes pointed out. The grip, then, is done with the arms placed inside the legs. While deads work just about everything, the major stress is placed on the inner thighs (adductors), hips and butt. Sure, the lower back is of course worked, but because of the wide stance and relatively short distance that the bar has to travel, the stress on the lower back is significantly lower with this stance than with the "bodybuilding style". My friend Bob uses a very wide stance (which he admits helps make the lift easier - but it's all legal!) His shins are lined up with the outside grooves on a standard Olympic bar. [ I mentioned he did 555x3 this way, right? ] I use what I call the "bodybuilding style". I guess that's what you mean by "conventional". In this stance, my feet are about 8-10 inches apart and my toes are pointing nearly straight ahead. My hands are placed just outside my thighs. I won't go into execution technique. Anyway, with this stance, alot of the stress is shifted to the lower back. It's not *all* lower back (otherwise you have bad technique!), but you use your lower back much more this way than with the sumo way. You also bang the hell out of your shins. Even with my good form [ thank you, thank you - Bob said I had clean form, so it must be true ], I still can't avoid ripping nice bloody gashes into my shins. I've just accepted it. [ and I'm looking at it as an investment for when I move into the world of martial arts films and they make me kick trees and stuff. yeah, ok Ron - wake up... ] My best pull so far, using this stance, is 435x5. -- Ron Cecchini - ronbo@arnold.ndhm.gtegsc.com Discipline - Desire - Determination - Dedication From: mikecoy@emcnext2.tamu.edu (Mike) Subject: Re: Powerlifting: sumo v. conventional deads Date: 24 Jan 1995 20:15:24 GMT In article <3ft9sq$89l@news.iastate.edu> kulak@glacier.eai.com (Kevin Kulak) writes: > Does anyone out there have any opinions on 'sumo' style deadlifting > verses 'conventional' style deads? I use the sumo style in competition because I'm stronger that way, i.e. I have strong hips, butt and legs, but I've found that incorporating conventional deadlifts into training helps my lift. The sumo DL uses less lower back because, if you're flexible, your back is already 98% upright when you start and more hips, butt and legs. The conventional style uses less legs (they are straighter at the start) and more back. So I train the DL using sumo style in a pyramid, and then go down the pyramid using the conventional style. My legs are already fried and now my back gets finished. I've found that if I don't do conventional DLs, my back will become the weak link and prevent me from finishing my lift. I will break from the floor, and stall just above the knees. I've had very good results training this way. Hope this helps. Mike From: desilets@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Mark Desilets) Subject: Re: Deadlifts & bloody shins (was Powerlifting) Date: 28 Jan 1995 00:17:03 GMT In article <3g4our$asa@nntp1.u.washington.edu>, griffin@u.washington.edu (Thomas Griffin) writes: |> In article <3g0uaa$f1f@number6.ndhm.gtegsc.com>, |> Ron Cecchini wrote: |> [snip]> |> > [deletia...] |> > |> >You also bang the hell out of your shins. Even with my good form |> >[ thank you, thank you - Bob said I had clean form, so it must be true ], |> >I still can't avoid ripping nice bloody gashes into my shins. I've just |> >accepted it. |> |> I used to bang up my shins but then read some misc.fitness |> "netwisdom" that this was bad form. So I've been trying |> to keep them blood-free, but it has been a struggle and |> feels awkward. Does anyone else want to weight in pro or con |> on the bloody shins issue? |> |> Oh yeah, has anyone ever done deadlifts with shin guards? |> I had severe problems with my shins whenever I got heavier than 300-325 range. I still have scarred shins from this. I tried hocky shin guards, but they aren't smooth enough as the bar gets caught on the lip of the guard. I tried wrapping with ace bandage, and wrapping with long pants overl top, but neither kept the seal integrity of my skin. Finally I decided to back off on my weight and work on form. I had been lifting 375-380 with dreams of that fourth plate dancing in my head. I droped back to 275 and really worked on getting more back into the lift earlier. Using smooth controlled form *and more back* I was able to work back to my present 335-340 with unbloodied shins. Will I make 405 without staining my pants? (the shins you pervert!) I dunno. But I am lifting heavier than I had been with good form and no bloody shins. When I teach deadlift form, I emphasize keeping a fairly vertical back and driving the legs through the floor. For me, however, this is a recipe for bloody shins. If I were competing (which from my numbers, you see I am not!) I would sacrifice a bit o' shin for the lift. As I am lifting for fitness, strength and personal satisfaction, I will work with my modified form. Mark From: dcapwell@bev.net (dcapwell) Subject: Re: Deadlifts & bloody shins (was Powerlifting) Date: 29 Jan 1995 00:55:51 GMT In article <3g4our$asa@nntp1.u.washington.edu>, griffin@u.washington.edu (Thomas Griffin) says: >Oh yeah, has anyone ever done deadlifts with shin guards? > If the bar doesn't rub against your shins somewhat, then you're pulling with the bar away from your body (and putting a great deal of stress on your back). Baby powder may reduce the friction of the bar rubbing on your shins. If you use conventional deadlift technique, you may want to position yourself so the knurled part of the bar is not touching your shins. Alot of really good power- lifters get their shins mangled, though. Dave From: c3po@ix.netcom.com (Richard Boyd) Subject: Re: Deadlifts & bloody shins (was Powerlifting) Date: 3 Feb 1995 15:14:35 GMT In <3gopvg$bhm@nntpd2.cxo.dec.com> kolbe@resolv.cxo.dec.com (The Goddess in Chains) writes: > > >OK, idiot question time. I'm doing low weight deadlifts with the curly bar. Is >that OK? I thought it would allow me to keep the bar close yet not bump my >shins. liesl > It's your form, not your equipment. The cambered curling bar ( curly bar? ) is for doing bicep curls, and other arm exercises, not deadlifts. I would imagine you look pretty stupid doing deadlifts with this bar. You are banging your shins because your form is incorrect. You are most likely starting the lift with you back, which will pull the bar into your shins before they have time to get out of the way. Correct deadlift form is to start with knees bent, hands gripping the "straight" bar ( one hand over, the other hand under so the bar doesn't roll out of your grip ). Begin the lift with your upper legs ( glutes, hams, quads ). This will cause your legs to naturally unbend and get out of the way. Then about half way through the lift bring the lower back, and abs into the lift. Finish off with upper back and traps, by standing straight and tall. Don't drop the weight, until the last rep, which you will also want to finish off with a loud bellow. This will shake the weight room and impress the geeks with your prodigous strength :-) . I've been doing deadlifts for thirty years now ( I'm 46 ). My current max is in the 400 lb. area, I've had 600 lb. lifts in the past ( when I was competing ). Not all that strong ( never did steroids, however ), but I do know a little bit about this lift. rhb