Deadlifts

[Fenderuser93]

I'm going to do some dead lifts and cleans tomorrow at my school gym.

before I attempt does anyone have any advice on what weight I should start with and finer points in technique?
And is this truly the best exercise for lower back?

[Dave.cyco]

Do the deads first. Grab a weight you can do 10 reps of and do it for 5 sets of 5. Start easy with them. Deads are powerful, but you must be careful!

Keep your head up. This will help keep good form in your back. Lift with your hamstrings, not with your back. Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back but don't lean your torso back.

Best for lower back??? Not just that, highly effective for upper back (lats, traps), grip. Arguably the best exercise EVER!

Here you go (http://www.precisionnutrition.com/deadlifting_with_cressey.html)

[Danootje]

Start with just the bar, to get the technique right. Then add some kg's, still all just for technique. Do this up to the point Dave.Cyco mentioned.

- Don't round your back
- Head up idd.
- Ass back
- Let the bar almost shave off the hair on your shins!
- Shoulders back
- Chest out


This is a good article regarding proper deadlift form: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-deadlift-with-proper-technique/
And THIS is good form: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-O_MT72rck

[omfg]

Go on. Stand up. Now Push your ass back as far as you can. Are your hams stretching? You feel it? Then you're doing the right thing. Notice your back is straight and tense too. That's the feeling you need to have when you're deadlifting. You're using your hams and ass, your back is just stabilizing.

[silentassassin]

If you want a better exercise for your back you can try the straight legged deadlift variation

[mindsurgence]

If you're just starting, you should keep your reps in the 8-12 range for about 8 weeks, then you can raise the weight if your technique is spot on. This is to make sure you have the tendon strength to support heavy weight later.

To start off, i would begin with the bar and a 20kg (45lb) plate on each side. The reason you should start here is because of the height you pick up the bar....but don't worry, if you can't pull that much for at least 8 reps, start off lighter. When you can do 12 reps in a single set, raise the weight by 5kgs. 4-5 sets is a good place to start, and try not to go to failure on any of them, always leave about 2 reps in the tank.

After 8 weeks, moving to a 5x5 protocol is a pretty good bet.

[Fenderuser93]

Thanks for all the replies guys.
apparently at the gym for deadlifts they have a saying "feel the steel"
I didn't get to try them yet, because schools been very hectic.