When it comes to weightlifting, one move ranks as my clear favorite: the deadlift.
Deadlifts don’t entail the harsh discomfort of a barbell across my shoulders or across my neck, like back squats and front squats. They don’t require me to push weight overhead, like shoulder presses or overhead squats.
That’s not to say they’re easy. Deadlifts are hard. They are often painful in the moment. But the satisfaction and accomplishment I feel after completing heavy deadlifts is a huge boost.
At the end of a deadlift day in CrossFit, I often do a few extra sets of deadlifts to . After squats, I’m just glad it’s over and survived.
If it were up to me, I’d do deadlifts for PRs or reps every time I train. I’d go heavy or do a lot of volume, probably without ample time to rest.
And that’s why it’s not up to me.
I outsource the decision of how to train to my CrossFit coaches and weightlifting coach, because I know that my tendency is to do what feels fun and what feels like “progress.״
And I know that to sustain progress I need to work on technique, strengthen my legs and get more rest.
Technique requires going more slowly. Working on technique includes drills like reset deadlifts — where you reset for every rep. It’s a lot harder because guy can’t ride momentum.
Deficit deadlifts require standing on a surface above the left of the floor. This adds resistance, causing the legs to work harder.
Just like there is discipline required to persist in something, there’s also discipline required to let something rest, to walk away from it for a while, to not take action towards it.
This might seem strained because the dominant narrative in our culture is about taking massive action and being persistent. Action and activity give the appearance that we are making progress.
But it’s often an illusion.
Progress rests on a foundation of both rest and technique.
By practicing reset deadlifts and also deficit deadlifts, I work different ranges of motion, which helps build my strength over time.
I may not hit a new PR every week, but when I do go back for new PRs I’ll hit them with greater ease.
Progress isn’t linear. It’s like a triangle:
In order to have meaningful progress, you need a foundation of rest and technique.
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