The deadlift is one of the most powerful compound lifts that you can do when you’re at the gym. It is one of the “big 3” alongside squats and bench presses. However, the deadlift is unique in that tends to cause the most concern. Most people don’t have a problem learning how to bench correctly. Some do, but most don’t. Likewise with the squat. The squat is another lift that has some issues (namely when you don’t squat low enough) but the big problem lift is always the dead lift. Why? Because if you lift wrong you can hurt your back. The lift is powerful, but it can cause tightness in your spinae erector muscle.
Make Sure It’s Your Muscles And Not Spine or Disc Issues
Before you move ahead and start treating a sore muscle, make sure it is a muscle. You don’t want to assume that you have a problem with your muscles if it’s actually the early signs of a slipped disc. If you have bad form (i.e., you round your lower back) you are putting yourself at risk for disc injury. So, make sure that you form check your lift once you are back in the gym. Get a personal trainer to come over look at your form to make sure you have a correct lifting form.
Rounded Back: Lower Rounding and Upper Rounding
Lower back rounding is dangerous, this is where you can damage your discs and cause problems. If you have a rounded lower back, you need to fix your form and not lift heavy again until it’s corrected. Upper back rounding is a bit of a different story. Some lifters (including power lifters) will have a rounded upper back. It is not considered as problematic a problem. That said, the ideal deadlift will have a non-rounded back. Here’s a quirk video that goes over how to correct it.
Deadlift Variations For Tall People or People With Tight Hamstrings
Another problem that can arrive is that you might just have a really difficult time getting down low enough. This might be due to a height issue, or maybe you just are really tight. You can do a variation of a standard deadift, or even do a rack pull. If you lift at a gym with a rack, then a rack pull might be just the ticket. However, there are other optons including sumo deadlifts which might be better for tall people, or even dumbbell one arm deadlifts for people.
Here is a link to some Variations on the deadlift
If you have tightness in your hamstrings, then it’s another problem to look at. You need to be able to get and bend over without bending your back, which does require some hamstring flexibility. Not like a gymnsy, but enogugh that a person who never stretched will have an issue.
If you’re looking to get the form of the deadlift down pat, you should check out these two books. The first is by two powerlifters who go through the philosophy and mechanics of the lift. You can get it on Kindle, or in paperback.
The next book is famous in weightlifting circles. People who are serious about the big lifts should get a copy and read up on what the author (Mark Riptoe) says. Here’s a video of the main demonstrating his expertise with the deadlift.
Roll It Out: Stretching and Foam Rolling For Erector Spinae Pain and Tightness
Once you’ve gotten your lifting form down pat, the next step is to treat the tight areas. You do this by stretching and making sure your muscles are loose and not knotted up. You can go to a massage therapist, but you can also handle this at home using a foam roller.
Here are two suggestions. They are both compact, and come endorsed by thousand of positive reviews on Amazon. They are even small enough to bring to the gym and use if you like.
