honestly bro, i kind of disregarded this video because u look so young but then i kind of still listened to it and i noticed it is actually an excellent tutorial. perfectly explained. i had troubles pulling slack because i always deadlifted without the slack pull but this video should be able to teach anyone. thanks mate
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystemsthank you! But when pulling Slack as soon I I do that my shins move back away from the bar. Wedge is just getting back to the original starting position after the slack is pulled ? Thank you
The most clear explanation I’ve ever heard. Plenty of videos out there, but your video is the first one I’ve heard that has had different explanations that are actually helpful. Thank you sir!
Fantasti video, this is a concept that I have really been struggling with. I will try to drill this into my deadlift to overall improve my form and lifts. Thank you for making this.
Thanks for your kind words bro. Just to throw a spanner into the works, this method of slack pulling and wedging can definitely be applied to the sumo deadlift. In my experience, I feel it is actually more effective on a sumo deadlift as the wider base of support and more upright torso allows for a better 'feel' of the slack being taken out.
My pleasure! Active lat engagement usually isn't needed if the barbell stays over the midfoot and positioning is maintained through the lift. However for lifters that are loose and we see the barbell drift forward, I will cue to keep the lats tight. This will be cued as they break the floor so after the slack pull.
Im an intermediate deadlifter, just hit 405 a couple weeks ago, but I still had no way to actually define what "pulling the slack" meant. Thanks for this video
Loved the explanation! My only question is, do you have a different analogy for wedging? You mention applying pressure into the ground, but this doesn't really compute in my mind. Could you try to explain it with a different idea? Great vid man
Thanks for your support and great question. When I talk about about applying pressure, I'm talking about pushing the floor away (almost doing a leg press and pushing the floor away) to generate pressure and leg torque.
You should've spent a little more time explaining wedging, but this is a very good video for beginner/intermediate lifters. For those of you who don't understand how you're supposed to wedge if it isn't focusing pressure on your hips forward, think of wedging your body between the floor and the bar. Try to wedge yourself between them with a ton of heel pressure.
Really appreciate the feedback mate. That’s a good cue, I like to think of wedging as applying force downwards to create a ground reaction force upwards. The subsequent result would cause the hips to travel forward towards the bar. Like you mentioned, it’s important however to note that shins forward shouldn’t be the active cue performed as this may push the barbell out of position but is rather a resulting movement.
fucking great video, I have been doing a lot of fixing in my hinge and pronation drills for my curvy feet but the slack and wedge part really clicked something in me, hit one of my most nice looking deadlifts today, still a long way to go tho. also the part where the barbell should stay in place helped me keep balance aswell, i noticed i pushed the bar alot with my shins when I deadlift which made me fall into my forefeet a lot. thanks dude
Really glad to hear that bro. Keep in mind that no technical adjustment is going to click perfectly over night. It takes consistent repetition to reshape our natural movement tendencies. Keep it up and it’ll click for you eventually!
Hey mate, glad that you've been enjoying my videos. I first want to break down what you mean by external rotation of the shoulders. I'm assuming that you're referring to the cue that people use such as "screwing in the armpit" in order to engage the latissimus muscle. Generally rotation of the shoulder is referred to when the arm is in a flexed position rather than fully locked out like with the deadlift. If the above action isn't what you're referring to, I apologise for the misunderstanding. Now in regards to that action, the main reason people perform "external rotation" at the shoulder is because they think it will turn on the latissimus muscle. However, the the muscle functions of the latissimus involve extension, adduction and internal rotation. Therefore the contraction you feel in the lats when performing the "external rotation" is usually extension and adduction of moving the arm in closer to your body to activate the lats rather than rotation. Additionally, in regards to the deadlift movement. The lats aren't a prime mover. This is because the muscle actions of extension are used to pull the bar into your torso, but this isn't needed if the hinge setup has been done correctly. The reason that people need to pull the barbell into them is because the barbell is drifting away (but often this problem is due to a setup issue rather than a lack of lat activation). Therefore, personally I don't cue "external rotation" of the shoulder as I don't find its needed. Hope this was helpful and please let me know if I misinterpreted your question :)
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystems Yeah that's what I meant. ua-cam.com/video/AcXvGvt9CfU/v-deo.html This helped keep my upper back from rounding, will try it with the wedge I saw in this vid.
@_jeven Thanks for linking me to that video. In my opinion, his reasoning is correct in that the cue will create lat activation. However like I mentioned above it's more so extension and adduction that's causing the lats to turn on rather than rotation. Finally, the lats aren't a dominant muscle group in the deadlift in creating tightness where the tightness there should come from other body parts and setups.
is this supposed to be in one quick movement? or am i supposed to divide it in two ? because i've seen people doing something similar where they lift their butt and then down before every rep
Great question. The movement can be performed either fast or slow as long as the end position and getting into that tight goal is achieved, the tempo doesn’t matter. Some people fight it advantageous to be slower and think about ramping the setup to build tension, others might like it faster for a feeling of explosiveness.
How are you dropping your hips? Do they drop as a result of shins touching the bar? Or do you pull your self back by leaning back on your ankles? Is it possible to practice this with a kettle bell?
Great questions mate My hips drop as a result of me wedging into the barbell. Think of the wedge as the movement of loading the quads and hamstrings to build tightness. Essentially I am trying to bring my hips closer to the barbell. I do this my applying downward force into the ground (leg press the floor away) and anterior force (shins through) through the barbell. After you slack pull, there will be a small space between your shins and the bar (if the setup was done correctly), so I like to think of the cue bringing the shins through as a reminder to wedge (as this drops my hips). 100% you can practice with a kettlebell. It’s a good progression onto barbell deadlifts. I hope this was helpful and explained it a bit better. If you would like some more information or need a more targeted explanation, feel free to DM me at @gymwithjeffrey on instagram :)
Very interesting thought and it would definitely apply in theory. However, personally, I think that there are other "easier" methods of priming the lower body than a whole machine. But if you find it works well for you, then by all means!
honestly bro, i kind of disregarded this video because u look so young but then i kind of still listened to it and i noticed it is actually an excellent tutorial. perfectly explained. i had troubles pulling slack because i always deadlifted without the slack pull but this video should be able to teach anyone. thanks mate
Hahah, I would disregard myself too. Appreciate your kind words man and I’m glad it was helpful for you :)
this is the best video about that topic i have ever seen
Thanks for your kind words! Glad it was helpful!
this was a game changer for me. i always felt only my lower back working and never my legs, but now it feels so much better
Glad it has been helpful for you!
This is so bloody brilliant man, mad respect king
Cheers for your support bro. Means so much
The best slack and wedge tutorial, big thanks man
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Hope your training is going well :)
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystemsthank you! But when pulling Slack as soon I I do that my shins move back away from the bar. Wedge is just getting back to the original starting position after the slack is pulled ? Thank you
Yep that’s exactly right
Exactly what I was looking for. Excellent description and video dude, thank you💪❤️
Thanks for taking the tine to leave your kind words bro. Glad it was helpful for you!
The most clear explanation I’ve ever heard. Plenty of videos out there, but your video is the first one I’ve heard that has had different explanations that are actually helpful. Thank you sir!
Thanks so much for your kind words. Really glad you found it helpful!
Tried This for my last sumo deadlift and man what a difference!
Thanks for the info brother💪
Appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment my bro. Onwards and upwards
Awesome video brother! Best one I’ve seen on taking slack out of the bar and wedging! 💪💪
Really appreciate the kind words bro. Stay strong
You’re welcome! Thanks bro! 💪
Great tutorial! I’ve been struggling this cue for a long time.
Glad it helped!
Thanks for the great video. Can’t wait to put this into practice
Appreciate you taking the time to comment bro. Hopefully you training is going well
Best explanation I've seen on UA-cam. Thanks bro!
Thank you my man, greatly appreciate the support
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystems can you do a similar video but for squat set up/execution?
For sure man, vids go up every 2 weeks
Best and easiest explanation yet
Glad you think so!
Excellent video! So informative but equally enjoyable. That deadlift was so buttery I actually gasped as it came up
Hahah glad to hear it man and thanks for your kind words. Hope training is going well for you :)
Bro this is so underrated! Great explenation!
Cheers for your support bro
Best wedge video ever
Thanks for your support mate
Very well explained video my bro! Answered everything i was unsure sbout as s begginer starting out deadlifts
Thanks for your support my bro. Excited to see what we can do!!
Great tutorial :) trying it out in my next deadlift session
Glad it was helpful. All the best!!
Very well explained and helped me a lot
Thanks for your feedback. Hope training is going well for you!
Thank you so much! i was stack at 180KG deadlift with lower back pain, right now i can do +200 with no pain.
That's amazing to hear! Good job and hopefully the momentum keeps going!
Fantasti video, this is a concept that I have really been struggling with. I will try to drill this into my deadlift to overall improve my form and lifts. Thank you for making this.
Thanks mate. Definitely, just going through the cues during your warm ups can act significantly to help the movement become second nature
Youre the best at explaining this!
Really appreciate your kind words my man
This video tutorial could win me from sumo back to conventional :P best video out there on taking out slack and wedging! subscribed!
Thanks for your kind words bro. Just to throw a spanner into the works, this method of slack pulling and wedging can definitely be applied to the sumo deadlift. In my experience, I feel it is actually more effective on a sumo deadlift as the wider base of support and more upright torso allows for a better 'feel' of the slack being taken out.
what an excellent video young man.
Thank you for your kind works and support :)
Great explanation brother
Thank you bro!
That was a really good video, man.
I appreciate it! Thank you!
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystems successfully implemented the rise slack pull to my training. Kind of easy. :)
Great vid came up on my suggest and I subbed. Very nice and simple explanation
Thanks for your support. Hopefully you find my videos helpful
Fantastic video, very well explained bro
Cheers for your support bro
Perfect explanation
Glad you think so!
Very informative video.
Glad you liked it
Explained perfectly, thanks!
Thank you so much for the support bro
Very well explained mate.🤝
Thanks for your support!
Sick deadlift video mate! Look forward to more content
Thanks for your support bro. Keen to build!
Great video man!
Appreciate it man!
Great video, thank you!
Glad it helped! Thanks for your feedback :)
Amazing video. Thanks!
Do you actively engage your lat when deadlifting? When do you do that? Before or after the slack pull?
My pleasure! Active lat engagement usually isn't needed if the barbell stays over the midfoot and positioning is maintained through the lift. However for lifters that are loose and we see the barbell drift forward, I will cue to keep the lats tight. This will be cued as they break the floor so after the slack pull.
Im an intermediate deadlifter, just hit 405 a couple weeks ago, but I still had no way to actually define what "pulling the slack" meant. Thanks for this video
Congrats on your pb! More to come!
Loved the explanation! My only question is, do you have a different analogy for wedging? You mention applying pressure into the ground, but this doesn't really compute in my mind. Could you try to explain it with a different idea? Great vid man
Thanks for your support and great question.
When I talk about about applying pressure, I'm talking about pushing the floor away (almost doing a leg press and pushing the floor away) to generate pressure and leg torque.
great explanation
Glad you think so!
You should've spent a little more time explaining wedging, but this is a very good video for beginner/intermediate lifters.
For those of you who don't understand how you're supposed to wedge if it isn't focusing pressure on your hips forward, think of wedging your body between the floor and the bar. Try to wedge yourself between them with a ton of heel pressure.
Really appreciate the feedback mate. That’s a good cue, I like to think of wedging as applying force downwards to create a ground reaction force upwards. The subsequent result would cause the hips to travel forward towards the bar. Like you mentioned, it’s important however to note that shins forward shouldn’t be the active cue performed as this may push the barbell out of position but is rather a resulting movement.
Very good.
Many many thanks
Really useful
Thanks for your support bro
Very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it helped!
Great explanation. You're very handsom too.
Thanks haha
fucking great video, I have been doing a lot of fixing in my hinge and pronation drills for my curvy feet but the slack and wedge part really clicked something in me, hit one of my most nice looking deadlifts today, still a long way to go tho. also the part where the barbell should stay in place helped me keep balance aswell, i noticed i pushed the bar alot with my shins when I deadlift which made me fall into my forefeet a lot. thanks dude
i still sometimes accidentally move the bar with my shins when i wedge in tho
Really glad to hear that bro. Keep in mind that no technical adjustment is going to click perfectly over night. It takes consistent repetition to reshape our natural movement tendencies. Keep it up and it’ll click for you eventually!
Excellent
Thank you for the support bro
Been binging ur vids, noticed u dont externally rotate ur shoulders on deadlift, is that on purpose? Great vids, cheers
Hey mate, glad that you've been enjoying my videos. I first want to break down what you mean by external rotation of the shoulders. I'm assuming that you're referring to the cue that people use such as "screwing in the armpit" in order to engage the latissimus muscle. Generally rotation of the shoulder is referred to when the arm is in a flexed position rather than fully locked out like with the deadlift. If the above action isn't what you're referring to, I apologise for the misunderstanding.
Now in regards to that action, the main reason people perform "external rotation" at the shoulder is because they think it will turn on the latissimus muscle. However, the the muscle functions of the latissimus involve extension, adduction and internal rotation. Therefore the contraction you feel in the lats when performing the "external rotation" is usually extension and adduction of moving the arm in closer to your body to activate the lats rather than rotation.
Additionally, in regards to the deadlift movement. The lats aren't a prime mover. This is because the muscle actions of extension are used to pull the bar into your torso, but this isn't needed if the hinge setup has been done correctly. The reason that people need to pull the barbell into them is because the barbell is drifting away (but often this problem is due to a setup issue rather than a lack of lat activation). Therefore, personally I don't cue "external rotation" of the shoulder as I don't find its needed. Hope this was helpful and please let me know if I misinterpreted your question :)
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystems Yeah that's what I meant. ua-cam.com/video/AcXvGvt9CfU/v-deo.html
This helped keep my upper back from rounding, will try it with the wedge I saw in this vid.
@_jeven Thanks for linking me to that video. In my opinion, his reasoning is correct in that the cue will create lat activation. However like I mentioned above it's more so extension and adduction that's causing the lats to turn on rather than rotation. Finally, the lats aren't a dominant muscle group in the deadlift in creating tightness where the tightness there should come from other body parts and setups.
Is the breath at the moment of the pull or before?
Personally, I like to pack my brace before so we can ramp up the tension rather than it hitting you all at once
is this supposed to be in one quick movement? or am i supposed to divide it in two ? because i've seen people doing something similar where they lift their butt and then down before every rep
Great question. The movement can be performed either fast or slow as long as the end position and getting into that tight goal is achieved, the tempo doesn’t matter. Some people fight it advantageous to be slower and think about ramping the setup to build tension, others might like it faster for a feeling of explosiveness.
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystems thanks for the quick answer! love your vids, very good tips
How are you dropping your hips?
Do they drop as a result of shins touching the bar?
Or do you pull your self back by leaning back on your ankles?
Is it possible to practice this with a kettle bell?
Great questions mate
My hips drop as a result of me wedging into the barbell. Think of the wedge as the movement of loading the quads and hamstrings to build tightness. Essentially I am trying to bring my hips closer to the barbell. I do this my applying downward force into the ground (leg press the floor away) and anterior force (shins through) through the barbell.
After you slack pull, there will be a small space between your shins and the bar (if the setup was done correctly), so I like to think of the cue bringing the shins through as a reminder to wedge (as this drops my hips).
100% you can practice with a kettlebell. It’s a good progression onto barbell deadlifts.
I hope this was helpful and explained it a bit better. If you would like some more information or need a more targeted explanation, feel free to DM me at @gymwithjeffrey on instagram :)
The camera is not the best. But the video quality is great
Thanks for your feedback mate. Hopefully down the line I will be looking to upgrade :)
Would this apply to sumo?
Definitely does as well, as the slack pull and wedge does not change with different stances, the technique can be applied identically
try watching Brendan tietz on slack pulling, you’re welcome
6:29
drive downward through midfoot (X anterior/posterior direction)
This looks very informative but the sound is very poor so I couldn’t watch.
I appreciate the feedback. This was my first ever video so I didn't have a mic. Hopefully the newer videos are better now :)
@@HeadstrongTrainingSystems , thanks for your reply.I’ve subbed and look forward to your next presentation.
Does the leg press as a warm up help conv DL? Could be useful having to feel full foot pressure.
Very interesting thought and it would definitely apply in theory. However, personally, I think that there are other "easier" methods of priming the lower body than a whole machine. But if you find it works well for you, then by all means!
Very helpful, thank you !
I'm glad to hear it :)