Importance of long arms
A simple, important and commonly misunderstood cue when deadlifting is to maintain long arms. What does this cue actually mean?
In simple terms the cue refers to maintaining straight arms so there is no flexion at the elbow. This will in-turn decrease the range of motion when pulling and also decrease the risk of a bicep tear. There is a lot more that comes with this cue in terms of sequencing and optimizing your leverages.
Setting up the long arms deadlift cue
First you want to think of depressing your scapula (pulling it down towards the ground). A common error is overly contracting your lats to the point your shoulders hike into a shrug. Next, when bending over to grab the bar slightly protract your shoulders. While holding the bar start the sequence by depressing your scapula and lats.
Cues to keep in mind
Think of your arms as hooks, you do not want to have any form of flexion if they are bent it will take away from the efficiency of your pull. Additionally, flexed arms can put more stress on your biceps which can lead to a bicep tear.
Summary
- Think of your arms as hooks (no flexion
- depress your scapula
- contract and engage your lats by pulling them down
Long arms is a simple yet strong cue that if used right will go along way in optimizing your deadlift!
