Pay attention to the following deadlift coaching cues for improved form and greater pulling strength.
1. Head Up At Lockout
You’ll notice during my deadlifts, I tuck my chin at the lockout. I actually want to keep my head in a more “neutral” position and have it follow the angle of my torso. As your torso comes up, so should your head. I typically say, “take your head with you.“ This means when I hit the lockout, I should be looking straight ahead.
2. Pull Your Chest Through
At the start, you’ll want to cue your athletes to pull their chest through their arms. This will help keep them in a good position at the start, which will give them the best potential for staying in a good position throughout the entire lift. Eric Cressey uses the cue that he wants to see, “the writing on your shirt.”
3. Drive to Lockout Right After Bar Passes Your Knees
After the bar passes your knees, the only thing you should be thinking is – drive your hips forward with a powerful glute contraction – to finish the lockout. You don’t have to over pull the finish; just drive the hips forward until your body is in a straight line. Think to yourself, shortest distance between two points.
