Page 55 - Muscle & Fitness (December 2019)
P. 55
By Kevin Gray
long and tight, reaching down
H O W T O
far for the bar.
“It’s basic physics,” he says. D E A D L I F T C O R R E C T LY
“If you go chest up, it increases
the length you have to pull the STAND WITH YOUR HINGE YOUR HIPS
bar, and you’re forced to drop 1 shins a half-inch away 3 until your wrists are
your butt lower. This takes from the bar. When you pick at your knees. Then squat
away that pure hip hinge, and up the bar, it should come down. That puts you in
the hinge is what allows for straight up. If it drifts toward perfect position.
better mechanics through you or away from you, you’re
the movement.” too far from it or too close. KEEP YOUR LOWER
Holdsworth says that few 4 back flat, not arched.
people made this mistake 15 REACH YOUR ARMS
years ago. Then more people 2 down as far as you can, FINISH WITH YOUR
began visiting physical thera- staying long and tight through 5 glutes, not your back, until
pists, and PTs even started to your lats until you grip the bar. your hips are locked out.
have online presences where
they could speak to mass
audiences. “A lot these says Holdsworth. As the sports and came from smart people,
guys were really great of powerlifting, CrossFit, and so I switched the way I dead-
at rehab and super strongman became increas- lifted,” he says.
well-intentioned ingly more popular over the Then during a 2010 workout
but inexperienced years, compound lifts became with powerlifting icons Steve
when it came to more prevalent, even among Goggins and Brian Carroll, he
lifting heavy,” beginners. “The demand for was put in his place.
doing these lifts exceeded the “They looked at me like I was
supply of qualified teachers,” crazy and told me I was doing
Holdsworth adds. it wrong,” he says. “I think I’m
This even impacted Holds- a smart guy, and I still fell for
worth. After herniating a disk [the improper technique] be-
in his back in 2004, he enlisted cause it sounded good.” Once
The deadlift is a physical therapist, who gave his form was perfected, every-
a hip hinge, not
a squat, so you him those same instructions— thing fell into place—he was
should be bend- shoulder blades together, able to deadlift more weight
ing at the hips
while lifting. chest high. “It sounded good more comfortably.
AC C E S S O R I Z E
3 MOVES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR DEADLIFT
Once you’re deadlifting like a champion powerlifter, you can still hit a wall. That’s why Holdsworth
recommends the below accessory work to help drive your strength gains.
GLUTE PULL-THROUGH SUMO BOX SQUAT ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
1 Face away from a pulley 2 With a loaded barbell on 3 “The top part of a deadlift
machine and grab a low your back, widen your feet so is an RDL. Most of the benefit
cable through your legs. they’re outside shoulder width. here comes from the eccentric
Make sure that you’re using a Brace your core and squat work, which will help build
moderate to heavy amount of down to a box that’s about your deadlift,” Holdsworth
weight. Hinge back and lean 18 inches high. Pause for a says. To do it, grab a loaded
S H U T T E R S T O C K squeeze your hips through then explode up. “Really sit grip, deadlift up, and then, with
barbell with a shoulder-width
minute, keeping torso straight,
forward, then stand up and
a slight bend in your knees,
back to nail that posterior
to reinforce the proper
lower it to midshin level.
chain,” adds Holdsworth.
deadlift lockout.
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S 5 3
