I started writing a post in response to Engie's comment, and HOO BOY there are a lot of thoughts in my head about living in this particular timeline. So! How about if I write an easy happy post instead, and keep chewing on the other one? Let's do that.
Today I deadlifted 175 pounds for the first time, and I am pleased about that. I don't think I deadlifted anything heavier than 145 pounds in all of 2024, so it feels good to be pushing myself again. This trend was largely inspired by reading an advance copy of Casey Johnston's memoir, about which more soon.
I suspect there will come a future time when I have taken a break from lifting, and am wondering about the best way to get back into it. This is a post for future me, and for anyone else who is deadlift-curious.
I have been using an idiosyncratic deadlift cue that I don't think I've seen anywhere else, and it is this: ALL FOUR CORNERS. I feeeeel my feet inside my shoes, all four corners of each foot. The littlest toe on my left foot doesn't always like to play the four corners game, but I'll keep at it. It's easier for me to press firmly into the floor with feet that are fully awake.
I find it helpful to activate my lats very deliberately, using the same cue I mentioned last year for activating pecs: SQUEEZE THE ORB. I also get more mileage out of my lower body if I am gripping the barbell very deliberately, which may or may not make sense. But in any case, I also tell myself to SQUEEZE THE BAR.
Joe recommended a cue to counteract my tendency to row the weight upward: ARMS LIKE CHAINS. In deadlifts your arms are transmitting force more than they're generating it. I feel like it's become pretty natural for me to maintain a flat back, but I used to have to think a lot more about that.
You can generate more oomph if you fill your thorax with air, but I have to remind myself of that every single time: DEEP BREATH IN.
Deadlifters also talk about taking the slack out of the bar, which I need to remind myself about as well: PULL THE SLACK.
Put it all together and it looks like this snippet from Sunday (except I am not taking the slack out of the bar -- it's less important with a lighter load):
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