Deadlift etiquette...

Jimbo Mahoney

Jimbo Mahoney

Jimbo Mahoney

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(I've done a Google and a Forum search, but can't find anything definitive on lowering a deadlift).

In my normal gym, I deadlift for one set of 8 (i.e. this is not 1RM we're talking about). I do not lower the bar slowly, but nor do I drop it at any point. No one has ever commented on me being noisy / inconsiderate / using poor form. I'm of the opinion that dropping a DL from lockout could be viewed as inconsiderate / poor form / douchebag except in a serious gym with rubber floors and weights.

Recently, in both a silly hotel gym and also a pretty well equipped gym (I travel a lot), the PTs have told me to "be quiet" or "not to drop the bar". On both occasions, I had deliberately set up pads for the weights.

Luckily, I only do one working set, so by the time they tell me, I'm done anyway. :D

Thoughts / opinions on what is reasonable? (Obviously as the OP, I am adamant that I am 100% correct and reasonable and that anyone who disagrees that lowering the weight quickly is poor form is wrong...) ;)
 
The eccentric part of a mivement is excellent for strength and size so do not nisregard it... it also has the by product of making the lowing of the barbell slower and quieter. ;)
 
Drop it as hard as you can, growl, spit blood out and scream "lightweight baby!!!" They gotta know what's up! At my gym the lights blink after a heavy deadlift haha.. .
 
I quit my David Lloyd as they were telling me to lower the weights more slowly as I was disturbing a couple having a date in the cafe downstairs.

When I heard that my face literally went like this: :confused: :mad: :confused: :rolleyes:

I told them to either provide a proper lifting platform, or to try and lower 200+kg slowly without making any noise. They then sent a letter saying they were banning deadlifts as there are good alternatives that can be done using machines instead.

Needless to say twitter was inundated with rants, so much so that even the likes of Terry Hollands retweeted as well as other big names in the gym/fitness industry. I got my month's membership refunded and quit - it felt great.

Back onto the matter at hand, it does sound like you are controlling the eccentric movement as best you can which is good, but at the same time, the most important part of a deadlift is the explosive "lift" part of it, the rest is just secondary, beneficial, but secondary. I'd rather expend my energy lifting the bar up than lowering it.

That said, you should have the space/equipment to drop it if you need to. My current gym, guys are clean and jerking well over 100kg and dropping it from over 7ft high - lots of crashing and banging - but they have bumper plates and proper lifting platforms which are designed to take the shock/impact.

If you're using steel plates, and the gym is not equipped to deal with it, then you do need to be more conscious of the lowering phase - but it does sound like you are doing that. A bit of a "bang" isn't bad, even a big "bang" isn't bad, as long as you're not taking the mick which it doesn't sound like you are.

I, personally, would just ignore them and carry on but then I know more than most PTs. I would apologise for the noise but tell them I'm doing the exercise right and that deadlifts are inherently a noisy exercise.
 
Always makes me laugh when I'm in the changing room in my gym and I hear some big bangs from the weight section above me.
I think oh someone must be deadlifting, get up there and nope it's just some donkey throwing his 20kg dbs down from his shoulders.
 
Begbie said:
I was always under the belief it done very little for you.
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Try doing eccentric anything: it's the most "damaging" form of contraction and ironically serves as both a rehab and strength-building modailty/form.

Can't do chinups properly? Start with eccentric ones.
Want to get ;that pump'? Slow down the eccentric component of a lift.

It's not easy/fun with compound lifts/closed chain exercises and must be done with due consideration to potential consequences (i.e. don't do them with 1RM weights because injury will occur), but that doesn't mean they should not be done. :)
 
It also depends on whether mean drop as in let go of it, or drop as it let it pull you down without resisting against its downward pull (ie, no eccentric portion) but still holding on to it.
 
If the weight warrants being so heavy it needs to be dropped, its fine. But if someone is just doing it for effect, then they're a moron.

Sounds like the PT's are a little p***** with power.
 
SixTwoSix said:
Did they ever specify what these machines are? LOL!
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I had a guy ask me once upon a time if there wasn't a machine I could use to make the snatch safer...

ultimate_facepalm.jpg
 
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