Accessory lifts are a really important tool for improving an athletes lifting ability. Jen’s big goal this year is to achieve a double bodyweight deadlift, and it’s a goal she is really close to achieving! In order to really help this, we have moved her training from her back yard, into a gym where the environment is a little more controlled. We’re currently personal training from a gym in Chapel Allerton, as well as doing sessions
at my gym in Bingley.
One of Jen’s weaknesses in her deadlift is a rounding of her back as the load gets heavy, and as she progresses through the lift. Another is that she can be slow pulling from the floor, which has the further problem of exaggerating the rounding issue.
As part of her training I have added in a paused, defecit deadlift to help combat both issues. The defecit increases the range she has to move to pick it up from the floor, making the initial movement more challenging and over-training the standard pull from the floor. The pause is done at the knee, to focus on keeping the back tight during a usually problem part of the lift. This was her last set, and as you can see on the last 2 reps in particular she start to lose a bit of tightness in the trunk, but it is really improving and we have come on along way!
Onwards to that double bodyweight deadlift!!!