Going into it I knew I had crappy hips and hamstrings and knew that would be part of the problem. So we did some tests of mobility and stability. My stability isn't bad but yeah, back and hips are pretty terrible. We did a few exercises to warm up and activate my glutes and hamstrings.
30 second hang on the pull up bar with heels on a box (sinking into my hips and stretching out the lats)
Ball hamstring curls
Hip thrusts on a bench with a hold
Hip thrusts on the ground/elevated knee
Toe touches with my toes elevated on plates
Some stretching and practice DL's with the PVC pipe
Now, the moment of truth. How terrible was my deadlift? Well, part of the problem is I was starting out way too low to the ground. The starting position was so much higher than what I'm used to and at first it didn't feel right, it felt like I was about to fall forward because I was more horizontal to the ground. So I started with my hips high and out. Now here's the other big part - squeezing the glutes and the LATS. I guess I always used to just sort of pick up the bar, when it's really so much more than that. Engaging those muscles, specifically the lats was a totally different feeling for me. Then I picked up the bar, and on the descent he wanted me to go slow and let the bar travel along my thighs and shins, then once it passed my knee bend the knee and lower the bar all the way. This was all with only #75 on the bar, I kept the weight light because I am essentially re-learning how to deadlift. It felt totally different than what I had been doing in the past, but in a good way.
Today I am sore in my lats/traps, a little bit in the hamstrings, and in my hips. Lower back feels ok. I didn't go heavy but I used totally different muscles. I also have tiny bruises on my shins already. I go back on Tuesday and I'm gonna increase my weight and see how it all goes.
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