warriors

What's ur favorite way to DL. Mine is sumo style b/c for one it feels more natural for me b/c that's the way i started DL, and two i can pull up more weight.

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Sholiz

I do both, conventional I have better form but in Sumo I go considerably heavier and I can't keep my shoulders back and pinched. Looks like I'm arching my back but all I'm doing is drooping my shoulders.

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sfiximo

Conventional. More natural feeling and i can pull more weight here

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powerman2000

Any questions?

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DieselWeasel

My favorite way is conventional because I can pull more weight.

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datruodb

I am better at conventional...I pulled 500 at 190lbs and like 350 at 180 on sumo....Can you see the diff??? Just whatever works best for you player

ZackMurphy

Almost everyone pulls conv because that's what they learn and practice first. But if we all practiced each equally, almost all of us would be pulling sumo. I'll get flamed for that, but seriously. Go to a serious PL meet where the competitors know what they're doing. If you see a conv DL'er, get his autograph.

I do more sumo now, and it took very little time for my sumo DL to catch up to (and pass) my conv total.

johnsbod

You're probably right. I do conventional deads but I've never tried sumo deads.

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ZackMurphy

Try them for your warm-ups, next time you do some deads. They're fun.

Do them light just to get the feel. Instead of adding sumo deads to back day, try adding them on hamstring/leg day, separate from back. Then you can play with them at various weights to work your hams and posterior chain a little, without taking anything away from your major back moves.

Sumo style is addicting. The moment you get the feel for it, it's like "why wasn't I always doing it this way?"

geoffsherman

There was an article about this on elitefts a few weeks back, but I can't find it. I have always done conventional, but the sumo style probably has some good reasons behind it.

ZackMurphy

Mainly that your hams (and posterior chain, in general) will always exceed your quads in raw strength and leverage, so anything you can do to pull your quads out of the mix, and to raise the force applied by your hams and spinal erectors is a good thing. This all leads to the sumo style.

Those with especially long arms (or short legs, I guess) can negate some of the benefit of sumo since they can start the lift in a higher position and not require much leg extension (quads), but generally sumo will be the higher lift potential for most people.

geoffsherman

I believe that was how elitefts summed it up. I am not a competing PLer, but the author on elite said that he was DLing a lot more with the sumo style. I need more work on my quads, skinny bastards, so I will stick with conventional, in fact, I think it is time to start DLing off a 4" platform.

ZackMurphy

DL'ing off a platform is great, but don't think of it as quad work.

If you want to work the visible quads (vastus medialis, rectus femoris) more, think about squats with a fairly narrow foot placement. Roughly shoulder width. Or power squats (upright, in a sled) with a low and narrow foot placement on the platform. Front squats are a great choice, too. Maybe add some leg extensions to shift the peak contraction to the end point of the extension of the leg. The narrow stance squat is not the PL style, but it does shift the emphasis (slightly) from the hams/glutes to the quads.

But the deads and platform-deads - great moves, but you're really just getting great glute/ham/erector work. Not much quad help there. Some, but not much.

geoffsherman

No deads are definitely not what I am using to target my quads. I am just using a powerlifting template to design my program, but have adjusted it for my target areas. However, my hips are about racked after 3 weeks of heavy squats so I am not including them as my ME movement for lower body for this mini-cycle. Then myabe my hips will have a chance to heal a bit...

ZackMurphy

Gotcha. Understood.

I love PL programs - it's really what I love, but I take a mental and physical beating from them. The program I'm doing now is more BB style, and it's like a vacation. My intensity is still there 100%, but lifting for BB'ing just ain't the same grind as PL'ing is. Sounds like you're experiencing the same.

Which template are you using? (This is my favorite topic - PL'ing.)

Don't forget good mornings for hams/glutes. Much less pressure on the hips, in my experience.

geoffsherman

Oh yeah, I love me some GMs

I am using the Westside template with some modifications, a la Joe DeFranco. Yeah the beating from PL-ing is ridiculous, but the results are awesome. I like the fact that it gives you a template that changes every 2-3 weeks so it keeps things exciting, plus the workouts are only 30-45 minutes.

The only problem that I am having is trying to find a good stretch routine that doesn't require another person. My lower body is really tight and I think looseing it up a bit will really help me work through a greater ROM.

ZackMurphy

The 9-week beginner program? I like that one, for the most part. Did that program a couple times. Don't like GM squats or JM presses, but no matter. It's a good program. I think it needs more attention paid to lats, but it's a great starter program.

Then you're right on the money about DLs off a platform. Platform SLDLs, too. And pull throughs. Great for making ROM a factor in the actual exercise.

Don't forget your hip flexors when you stretch, though. I was reading a post earlier (somewhere) from some guy about hams usually being loose on guys, but nobody ever taking the time to stretch the other side of the hamstring, the flexors. He was 100% right. Balance your stretching routine so your loose hammies don't allow a forward tilt of the pelvis. I just started doing more ab work to fix this on me. My erectors are totally overpowering my abs, and my low back is tight most days. Need to loosen my hip flexros and strengthen my abs. Just keep it in mind.

Peaked_18

Convential, wide grip are my favorites.

Either way...