Good article on Deadlifts (and why we push through our heels)

http://stronglifts.com/5-ways-to-avoid-lower-back-pain-from-deadlifts/


The prime movers during Deadlifts are your quadriceps, hamstrings & glutes. Your lower back, upper-back, traps & forearms perform isometric contractions: they stay contracted during the whole lift.


That’s how Deadlifts strengthen your lower back: you must keep your back rigid against a load. Unfortunately many don’t strengthen but hurt their back doing Deadlifts. Here are 5 ways to avoid lower back pain from Deadlifts.


1. Keep Your Lower Back Straight. Deadlifting with a bent back puts anterior stress on your lumbar vertebrae. This increases the risks of back injuries like hernia. You must Deadlift with a straight lower back.

Chest Up. Your back can’t round if you keep your chest up. Put your shoulder-blades back & down and keep your chest up at all times.

Bend Your Hips. Lower the weight to your knees by bending at your hips first. Unlock your knees once the bar reaches knee level.

Hip Flexibility. Tight hips will make your lower back round on Squats and when lowering the bar on Deadlifts. Do Leg Swings & Squat Stretch.



2. Use Your Glutes. The deadlift is a pull exercise. However pulling with your back increases the stress on your lower back. Pulling back is also inefficient as it means you’re not using your glutes properly.

Push Through Your Heels. Curl your toes up if needed. This makes it easier to engage your hamstrings & glutes.

Bring Your Hips Forward. Don’t pull back using your lower back. Bring your hips forward by squeezing your glutes as hard as you can.

Squeeze Your Glutes. If you have problems engaging your glutes, do glute activation exercises and check your posture for lordosis.


3. Don’t Hyper-extend Your Back. This is as bad as Deadlifting with a bent back. Hyper-extending your lower back puts posterior stress on your lumbar vertebrae, which also increases the risks of back injuries like hernia.

The Deadlift ends when your hips & knees are locked. No need to hyper-extend your lower back at the top. Lockout the weight by bringing your hips forward & squeezing your glutes hard.


4. Keep The Bar Close to You. The further the bar from your body, the greater the torque on your spine. You need to keep the bar close to you at all times.

Bar Against Shins. Start with the bar against your shins, shoulders in front of the bar & shoulder-blades directly over the bar.

Bar Against Thighs. Let the bar roll over your shins, past your knees. Bar stays in contact with your thighs at all times.

5. Use Your Legs. Deadlifts are not Stiff-legged Deadlifts. You can’t use your legs if you start with your hips too high or let your hips rise faster than your shoulders. Your lower back will be forced to do all the work.


Hip height depends on the length of your legs & torso. However the rules are the same for everyone. Bar against shins & shoulder-blades directly above the bar. Keep your chest up & push through the heels.