Flexion vs Protraction - Should You Round Your Back for Deadlifts?

[@akyllo]

Fantastic timing, this is exactly the video I needed to see right now, as I've been cueing more upper back flexion in my setup and just started experiencing lockout difficulties in my heavy deadlift session yesterday.

[@stoempert]

I think you are definitely correct. Nobody in my training groups ever got much out of consciously flexing the upper back and most just seem to lose some tightness and/or brace doing it. Protraction (long arms)+depression (protect arm pits) and connecting that to a strong brace are pretty much the only active cues we focus on.

[@khadimdiop3417]

Back to tech Sunday 🤟🏾

[@genericnickname1]

I really needed this kind of videos when I was starting out deadlifting. I remember hearing about flexion being bad for your back and going into drastic extension to avoid it at all cost, which obviously hurt my back with every session (thankfully I wasn't strong enough to actually get injured)

[@MeharBhogal]

Funny. Came to the same conclusion recently - trying to extend the thoracic spine/pull chest thru the arms while also keeping the arms long/protract. Also love the chest supported rows, I allow myself to fully protract and flex at the bottom and then fully retract and extend at the top.

[@williamb4601]

The biggest thing I find with spinal flexion in the conventional deadlift is better internal leverages for the glutes. When I pull with a flat back I feel like I have no power off of the floor, but with some spine flexion I can reduce the degree of hip flexion.

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

For sure. I didn’t want to get too bogged down in specifics muscles here. But I would basically never recommend the extended positions I used as illustrations. There are definitely muscle related leverages that can change and glutes/adductors are both in there.

[@theeternelyeboii6784]

Interesting point at the end. For me, changing lower body tension and rotation usually coincides with changes in flexion. In the past, when I’ve felt my slack pull is lack lustre and made more of an effort with it, I tend to have a little more extension in the mid back as well as then too much tension in my legs/less rotation and I’m just not as strong

[@ozzy3ml]

11:46 Arnold moment

[@joel5956]

Yeah, I'm not really sold on rounding the back in conventional deadlifts either. Not to say that I've never seen a conventional puller struggle off the floor, but I don't and nearly all conventional pullers I've seen don't. So doing anything that sacrifices your position for lockout to help off the floor doesn't seem like a good tradeoff. But something that doesn't hurt lockout, like extending your arms (or using a deadlift bar or figure 8 straps), is going to be more helpful.

[@danielstarr9037]

Is it Brazos valley as in the Brazos river valley in Texas?

[@danielstarr9037]

Oh shit yall are out by TAMU. I’m applying for biochem grad school out there. I have to check BVB out sometime 🔥🙏🏿

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

Yes I am the original owner of Brazos Valley Barbell but no longer own it. So that is my old brand and created this one after I sold it. But yes, that’s where the name comes from.

[@joshcurtis5213]

David! Totally random and non topical, but I struggle with elbow tendinitis every now & then & know you wear elbow sleeves. Is that for same reason or?? Thanks

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I tore something in my left elbow a couple of years ago and it has really never been the same. At this point it doesn’t really impact training but the elbow sleeves do help a good bit in that. I don’t really notice any real drop off in strength without them, but day to day I feel a lot better. So I wear them.

[@joshcurtis5213]

@ thankyou sir!

[@NageekNoohac]

Thanks for ruining my life David my gf walked in when you were protracting and flexing your lower back

[@bastien6384]

Interesting

[@hortonimo1153]

do you think your opinion would change for lifters who tend to bias flexion naturally? Is leaning further into the flexion, knowing the tradeoff, more likely to be worth it?

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I have almost entirely seen the opposite of that. I think most lifters who have very flexed natural starting points are also generally very bad at pure hinge exercises. Stiff legs and RDLs. My experience has been when people learn how to move in those, they are better at holding a much more neutral position and much stronger overall.

[@drinkinouttacups2665]

​@@BrazosValleyStrength recently found this true with myself. Lost a bit of an explosive start after ditching the excessive upper back round but much stronger overall after getting used to the longer squeeze before the bar leaves the floor with a neutral back

[@joshholmes3162]

How do you think head positioning ties into this

[@BrazosValleyStrength]

I have a video on my old channel that talks about this stuff. Also on my list of videos to re do.

[@creamofthecrop5868]

My deadlift has been my worse lift. Litterally the only thing that increases my deadlift is squats and even then, my deadlifts are only 30-40 pounds above my squat

[@theeternelyeboii6784]

That’s a pretty moderate difference, especially if they are

[@secessum2837]

sumo is not incredible