A good way to improve your deadlift lockout…tear your calluses…and old skool video footage to prove it!!!
Today, from the vault I share with you deadlifting against bands. Staring myself, and two of my old training partners, with musical contributions by the great Earl Simmons aka DMX, the most prominent members of all the Ruff Ryders.
Applications for, and what I like about, pulling against bands:
-Great for improving lockout, or “crushing the walnut” as we say at SAPT. In retrospect, I’d program these in more of a speed, or dynamic, fashion as opposed to max effort (as seen in the video). I feel training the speed in which the hip extension occurs will ultimately have a greater carryover.
-You can really overload lockout without having to perform the movement in a shortened ROM (i.e. rack pull). Additionally, the overload at the top absolutely slams your grip, and promotes the adaptations necessary to handle your 9th max effort attempt of the day (in the case of a powerlifting competition which we were training for at the time).
-They are a great way to rip the calluses right-off your hand! You’ll notice at the 1:12 mark I do a dainty little skip at the end of my set; ya, that’s where I partially tear the callus, and then at the 1:45 mark is where I finish it off. Great, thanks for sharing, Chris.
***Note, a great way to keep your calluses at bay is while in the shower gently shave over them with your standard razor. This removes most of the dead skin while not removing the callus all together. Thanks, Todd Hamer!***
What I don’t like about pulling against bands:
-Kind-of a pain to set-up.
-They put the bar in a fixed plane which may be detrimental for some trying to find their groove.
-From a programming standpoint I feel that they are more of an advanced progression and therefore aren't appliciable to most.
-They’ll rip the calluses right-off your hand!
Yes, it should be noted that the lifting form exhibited in the video, by one individual in particular (crappy, fragmented footage used to protect the innocent), should not be used as reference for a “how to” deadlift manual. Might I suggest you focus on the swarthy young-man in the green t-shirt…
Good times…hard to believe it’s been three years…
Chris AKA Romo