I know John mentioned at the beginning of the video that this is more for intermediate or advanced lifter, but I am a beginner (1.85 mts, long torso) and I used to experience a lot of lower back pain next day after deadlifts which would last for days. I was indeed following the conventional advice of making all my back rigid and retracting my scapula which I surmise was not good considering my long torso. Anyways, I was barely capable of deadlifting my bodyweight but by applying this simple cue yesterday, for the first time in months, I was able to deadlift my bodyweight +35%, best of all is that next day my lower back is not in pain. I am sore, yes, but on my upper back (middle part, spinal erector I guess?), hamstring and glutes. Thank you!
Great tip! Just subbed! You are completely right, retracted scapula (and pushed out chest) make it basically impossible to break the weight off the ground when going near my 1RM. I used to do that too until I learned not to do it from Richard Hawthorn. When I started out, I was told to push my chest out in order to create a tight upper back, which is impossible to do when I'm nearing my max. Now I focus way more on a very tight core and let my arms free hang. Now thinking about it, I do exactly what you demonstrate in this video, but I just never thought about it in terms of "Thoracic flexion" or "upper back rounding".
I tried the long arms cue with a bit of Thoracic flexion and combined that with the rolling the bar video you did for another channel. Literally immediate 65 lb jump in my gym competition DL PR. So JP huge thank you. Also for me no problem locking out at all so no real downside.
ironically when i was taught deadlift i leant it by rounding my upper back .i've greatly perfected the technique now .also it will help immensely if the knees are kept bent(this is different from hitching ) before the lockout ,so with a rounded upper back you drag the bar up your thighs and lockout .
Yoooo!! this guy is dropping some good ass information. people dont understand how hard is for short arm guys to have a heavy deadlift. Look at Ant man that guy has a huge deadlift but his lockout is 4 inches above his knees which basically makes almost like 20%deadlift 80%rack pull.
Great video.. Some suggestions: -Warm up routine for lower and upper days. -que for keeping upper back tight in squat -que to increase leg drive on the bench (i'm quite talll and find it very hard to get leg drive aka knee below the hip) -video on programming -video on peaking -personal recovery techniques -technique to engage glutes in sumo Keep up the content man.
Holy $#!T. Been struggling with my conventional deadlift for years, and this one video literally solved all my problems. Also suffer from T-Rex arms and was always doing the retraction with my scapula, which made the initiation of the lift so much harder. "artificially" lengthening my arms with thoracic rounding is a gamechanger if you're a short armed deadlifter. Great tip & subscribed. Thanks!
Now i understand Liz's IG comment about "JP and the long arms cue". Totally get it. I definitely fall into the "Tight thought retraction" basket. Keen to give this a shot, especially as Im ages out from another competition, so I can play around with technique a little. Thankyou, I always get a lot from your videos.
Bryce K from Calgary Barbell sent me here and you sir rock big time....been enjoying your previous vids keep up the great work, regards from a powerlifter in Canada :))
Hi! So I really love this cue actually. But when I go for heavier loads my back always caves and I can't achieve upper back rounding. Just lower back rounding. Any tips? After rewatching this I definitely feel like I need to engage my lats more and will try that drill
Hip mobility comes from ability to externally rotate and abduct. I'd stretch out the muscles that prevent this movement. I like lying on my back, feet against a wall in a squat/sumo stance and just letting gravity pull my knees out. Feelsgoodman.jpg. As a cheat, use the tips in this video. If you reach down with your upper body more, that's less ROM your lowerbody has to go through and can substantially save your hips! Hope that helps!
II hope this helps you. I start bending at my hips, and before taking my grip, I try to push my sternum down like I'm trying to touch my belly button with it, this rounds your upper back without rounding your lower back. Practice this, stand up straigt in front of a mirror, brace your core and try to touch your belly button with your sternum. Put one hand on your upper back and other in your lower back, you should feel your thoracic flexors being stretched but your lumbar flexors stay in the same position or with a minimum change.
Hi JP. Solid info. Question though. When I do these cues, does that mean my knee shouldn't go over the bar when i bend to my starting position? I'm still trying to figure out bar placement during the start of the deadlift should be midfoot or closer to the shins. Thanks!
This is great JP! I'm having doubts about my lockout. I like staying close to the center line and not really push hips through so much. Mainly because I feel that it irritates my hip flexors-- I may be totally wrong. Yet, I see a lot of lifters sort of thrusting the hips at the lockout position. What are your thoughts?
think this might be my issue, my deadlift has felt very awkward off the floor lately and doing deficit deadlifts feels easier and more comfortable, think I might have been shrugging in my setup
Do you think a lats in the front pocket cue would help in lats engagement with the Long arms tip? Think I saw Jeremy Hamilton talk about using that particular cue to engage his own lats
lats in the front pocket sounds interesting. I guess it could work. The thing about "cueing" is that it's just a special group of words designed to achieve a certain movement outcome. If some words work and other words don't in different people, then so be it. Sometimes a coach has to say 5 or 10 different things at a lifter until they figure out what the hell they're supposed to do. As long as the cue achieves the movement outcome, then I'm happy with it.
Hey jp. super awesome video. i've always stuggled with my lat engagement on deads especially with my underhand, it always leads to the bar drifiting away from me. but im going to try think of this "long arms" cue tomorrow. also although this isnt a related topic would it be possible for you to make a video for new coaches? im currently studying to be a pt and i want to start it off right. ive tried to learn all that i can from both my coach, his friends and mentors and from reading. ive read just both of greg nuckols books to start. so i guess just any books and just advice you have for new coaches. thanks a tonne jp
My best advice would be to read as much as you can, watch as many vdeos as you can, spend as much time under a bar, lifting and training as you can, and coach as many people who are willing to take your instruction as you can. Best of luck man!
Really helpful tip, I started incorporating it and it's allowed me to hit the same weights at lower RPE's. It doesn't seem to affect my lockout. My question is regarding grip. I've had a problem lately with the bar slipping out of my hands during heavier singles. Lifting the weight isn't the problem, and I'm able to lockout, however the bar slips out of my hands. I use a over-under hand grip. My hypothesis is that it may be because I initially hold on the bar in the curls of my fingers. Any suggestions on that?
JP help please. i started to use open grip squats. it's much improved my squat. but after a week i started to fill so much pain in muscles under the biceps. i think it's brachialis. did you hear about problem like that? any solutions? grip is pretty wide. squat is very very stabile, but pain is unbearable... i hope you have some adviсes for that
Depends how the bar sits against your wrists. See a therapist and see what treatment/solutions they can offer. In the mean time, take anti-inflammatories before every squat session, use deep heat around the elbow/biceps and wear elbow sleeves when squatting :)
Hmm I'm hesitant to do something on mobility because a) I'm not an expert on mobility and b) mobility drills can be so easily misused! I'll consider it though!
I'd say the chances of injuring the upperback are quite small. If you're TOO loose, too much of the load will rest passively along ligamentus structures (I'm thinking posterior longitudinal ligament and interspinous ligament). But even then I doubt that would be a source of injury
John Paul Cauchi Do you think if beginners or early intermediates start rounding their upper back it can lead to lost tightness in the core and thus make it easy to round lower back in heavier weights?
so do you think someone like Kevin Booey has perfected that technique? Watching him Deadlift often leaves me wondering if it's just great lifting shortening the ROM as much as possible or too much overall rounding that will sooner or later lead to snap city. The Question would be: How much rounding is too much? Thanks for the great content like always, greetings from germany.
I think Booey has a pretty BAD technique his whole back is rounding, lower back rounding is what you wanna avoid. If you wanna see great upper back rounding watch Konstantin Konstantinov or even Ed Coan
Actually, i mentioned Booey on purpose, one cuz he's quite successful with that Form and two because he's more of a lanky guy (like myself). I always feel like the rounding looks way less bad on smaller guys with a shorter upper body like Coan or KK in taller, lankier guys it seems more severe. But sure Booey is quite extreme.
I wear my belt very low compared to most lifters to brace my lumbar spine. The belt is so tight when braced, there is no way any significant flexion will occur while I'm lifting. I would not recommend pulling with this form if you're new to deadlifting. I've only been able to get away with this form injury free by conditioning myself over a number of years.
I'd say there is a line between good amounts of rounding and too much. Kevin is just on the fringe. Clearly what he does works well, but who's to say that he might pull more or less with less rounding? Tough to say, but he's a fine example of how beneficial rounding/lengthening your arms can be
Rounding the upper back can be seen from a lot of advanced/pro powerlifters. But, always try not to round your lumbar spine..;you don't want your lumbar to star t doing the lifting work for you.
