[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by MikeM

But, is it just me or did a lot of these guys just rely on sick lower back strength?

How many really got their ass down and jacked up in reasonable form? Not many, in my opinion.

Of course, then again, they lift orders of magnitude beyond what I can do, so there you go.

Still, I wonder.

The deadlift is primarily about leverage. If you sink too low you lose leverage. Too high and you lose leverage. You have to find that correct zone and most of these guys are in it. Anytime you sit back or down you are not in a position of maximum leverage.

And yes, lower back strength is extremely important on conventional deads. A little less important for sumos.

When I watch their form I look for certain things that are commonly done wrong by beginners...head positioning, bent arms (jerking), hip positioning, feet under the bar, standing up (instead of trying to pull or squat the bar off the ground) etc.

Most of them have extremely solid form with regards to these cues.