The BEST Deadlift Bracing Set-up I Use with HUNDREDS of Clients
Often times my blogs are a 2 part conjoined series with a public YouTube video. This blog is exactly that so please make sure you have watched the first video here: https://youtu.be/BZXTc0GWzNo
Why should you listen to me?
First off I am a big believer in evidence and authority (when done the correct way). If you are new here then I want to give you a rundown of who I am and what I have accomplished. My name is Brendan Tietz and I am going on a decade of coaching powerlifting, strength and body transformations. I have become known for the niche of “powerbuilding” which is just a corny way of saying I like to look aesthetically pleasing while getting strong as heck. I don’t just coach powerlifting on the side, I have done this as a FULL time career since I started coaching in 2014. I have taken lifters from complete beginners and sent them to USAPL nationals. I have had multiple IPF worlds competitors and have had many records broken under my coaching system. I am bragging because I am very proud of this. However most importantly I also coach completely average every day people who have no aspirations in competing. This to me is my biggest accomplishment. I am not some elitist coach who only works with high level athletes. I enjoy coaching my client Asheta who is the Divisional Vice President of Marketing Operations at REI. She’s 47 and never done a powerlifting meet in her life. But she can deadlift 2x bodyweight for reps and kicks major butt with a busy career. You can rest assured that not only do I have the background of training high level athletes (check on youtube) but I also train every day men and women who don’t compete in strength sports or athletics at all.
Where did this myth come from?
Rounded back deadlifts are the most contentious topic in the fitness industry still to this day. This issue stems from a lack of expertise within the field and a low barrier of entry into the established authority of the fitness subculture. Put simply, people who just mimic one another with very little real world experience perpetuated this myth. Now it is very true that if your spine specifically in the lumbar region rounds AS you pull (meaning unstable spinal flexion happening during the ascension of the deadlift) this is probably dangerous for your back. There actually isn’t that much scientific evidence within the community contributing to this notion but what we know about the spine and biomechanics can easily help us deduce this to be true. Therein lies the problem, it’s simply a half truth that spinal flexion in the deadlift is dangerous.
Back ROUNDING (meaning the active component of spinal flexion in the deadlift) is dangerous.
A ROUNDED (past tense implying the action of rounding before the lift starts and maintaining this position) is not dangerous.
Again I explain both with my own experience as well as scientific evidence why this is true in the first video available on my channel (linked here again for ease): https://youtu.be/BZXTc0GWzNo
A Quick Breakdown of Who This Form is Best For
EVERYONE can do a rounded back deadlift but there is a large difference between UNDERSTANDING how (knowledge) and KNOWING how (skill). That really is the problem when teaching something so advanced. A straight back deadlift is simple, just PUSH your stomach towards your thighs and your back will extend straight. Now maintaining that position as you pull is HARD. That’s why most end up seeing back bleeding with any attempt that is above average difficulty and strain (for you powerlifters anything above rpe 8 or so). The round back set up is hard because you have to differentiate between the upper and low back. When you get advanced with this you can even round the low back which I personally do however I recommend starting with the upper back as you learn this! This skill will take time but do precisely what I show in this video and you will eventually nail it. Often times it feels awkward for individuals who aren’t used to it however quickly it will normalize. The key is learning how much and how to stay tight. I really recommend pairing it with a slack pull technique which I teach here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Ff_mNNEq4&t=2s
Now honestly if you aren’t looking to PUSH your strength to crazy levels and just care to get in shape sticking with a straight back deadlift is totally fine. But if you have the strength bug and get a kick out of PRing I really don’t see another way. You don’t see many straight back deadlifts in powerlifting because it’s simply not effective for maximal strength.
The Programming
It is worth noting that when you transition to this technique style to ease into it. Your scapula, upper back and other muscles won’t be used to lifting your max with this position. Honestly most of the time you can PR right away if you get the form correct but generally I recommend staying below RPE 8 until you are a month into consistent smooth feeling round back pulls.
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