The Four Best Tools To Help Your Deadlift Go From Good To Great

The deadlift is one of the top weight lifting movements you can make. Most would argue it is the second most important lift, behind the squat. The deadlift is a key lift for powerlifters, weightlifters, bodybuilders, and regular gym goers. No matter what your fitness goals are, the deadlift can help play a key role in reaching those goals.

Deadlifts work a ton of muscles, including almost your whole back, your shoulders, legs, arms, and butt. All good weightlifting routines include deadlifting.

As with most lifts, there will come a point where your deadlift starts to plateau and you are unable to add additional weight. This will be frustrating and may take months for you to advance a measly ten pounds.

Luckily there are some accessories that will help you get past a deadlift plateau. With the right gear you can take your deadlifting game from good to great.

Every athlete reaches a point in their lives where they cannot progress any further without the right equipment. This is true of weightlifting as much as anything else. To advance your deadlift, you need the best deadlifting products.

Here are the most important deadlifting helpers.

A Pair Of Proper Weightlifting Shoes

If you are going to invest in a single piece of equipment, get a good pair of weightlifting shoes. These can last you many years, especially if you only use them in the gym, and are well worth their price.

A good pair of weightlifting shoes will improve your deadlift, squat and other lifts. They will also help you keep proper form. Weightlifting shoes are specifically designed to help keep proper form when lifting heavy. They have a raised heel that will help with the flexibility needed, especially for squats. Some weightlifters actually stand their heels on small 1kg plates to help them squat deeper. Good weightlifting shoes mimic this and allow you a fuller range of motion. This raised heel will help you keep a proper posture when weightlifting, preventing potential injuries.

Weightlifting shoes are great not only for flexibility, but for power. The last thing you want when deadlifting is shoes that have a cushioned sole. Think of common basketball shoes for example. These shoes are built for running comfort and they absorb a lot of the force of a step or run. This is terrible for weightlifting. You do not want your shoes to absorb your power.

When weightlifting you want 100% of the power that your legs push down to be transferred to the ground, not to be absorbed by your shoes. Weightlifting shoes are designed to be stiff and hard so that the power that you press down is passed down to the ground.

One of the most well respected weightlifting shoes is the Adidas Adipower Weightlift Shoes. Adidas has been leading weightlifting shoe technology for generations. This shoe is lightweight, breathable, sturdy and has a strap for added stability. These shoes are great for deadlifting, squatting, and any olympic style lift.

If you cannot afford proper weightlifting shoes at the moment, a good alternative is a pair of Chuck Taylor’s or even lifting barefoot (or in socks).

Weightlifting Liquid Chalk

Anyone who deadlifts reaches a point where the weight becomes so heavy that they cannot hold their grip. Loosing your grip is a dangerous and frustrating way to fail at a lift. There are a few things you should do when you reach this point in your weightlifting career.

1) Work on improving your grip strength.

2) Use chalk to help the bar not slip our of your hands.

3) Switch to mix grip where one palm is facing toward you and the other is away from you.

4) Get straps to help you hold on to the bar.

This is the most common progression for improving your deadlift grip. Once you have worked on your grip strength and find the bar still slipping out of your hands it is time to invest in some chalk.

A bag of chalk is a great product and will help you with griping the bar. If you feel like saving some money, start out with regular chalk, and then add a chalk ball to the mix. If you are ready to make some real progress on your deadlift grip, then there is no substitute for liquid chalk. Liquid chalk is far more advanced at helping you keep a grip on the bar and professional powerlifters rely on liquid chalk.

In our experience, Beastly Chalk is the best liquid chalk made specifically for weightlifting. It comes in all natural or IPA versions. We find the IPA version to work a bit better, but the all natural version of this product is still great and superior to any regular chalk.

Deadlift Wrist Straps

You should make as much progress as you can with your deadlift before you add wrist straps. First work on your grip, get some chalk, and switch to a mixed grip hold.

But eventually there will come a point where you will have no choice but to add wrist straps to your deadlift. Once you do, your deadlift should no longer be hindered by your grip strength. After you add wrist straps to your arsenal you can fully focus on your main deadlift muscles: the back, legs, etc.

You are deadlifting to get these large muscles strong and big. Don’t let finger strength prevent you from growing out your back muscles.

The Rip Toned weightlifting straps are a great product. They are durable and have a money-back guarantee. They are also one of the most popular and highly rated weightlifting straps on Amazon.

A Quality Deadlift Belt

You should get a belt as soon as it seems that your deadlift is failing due to your core muscles. If it seems you are starting to round your back in an unhealthy manner or that your back muscles give out, it is probably time to get a good leather weightlifting belt.

Most compound lifts work your core muscles. When your core is not able to handle the weight you are lifting you risk serious injury. Be sure to work on your core strength and get a quality belt.

Because a good belt will help prevent injury, this is one product you should not skimp on. Do not go for the cheapest made belt. Go for the best quality belt. Inzer is an American company that makes the best powerlifting belts money can buy. An Inzer belt is Guaranteed for life, made in USA, and is great for anyone serious about weightlifting. This is the belt we recommend.

If you are competing, be sure that the belt you buy is approved for your competitions. Different sports and organizations have slightly different rules. A 10mm is a great all-around belt size, but if you are lifting super heavy, think about getting a 13mm.

The one time it might be OK to get a cheaper belt is if you know your waist size is going to change. IF you are on a weight lose journey then using a cheaper, but still good quality belt might be OK. If that is the case, check out the Dark Iron Fitness leather belt. This is a good quality belt that is about half the price of an Inzer belt.

Some Nice To Haves And A Don’t

• Don’t let bleeding or bruised shins get in the way of your deadlift. If you find the bar scraping up your shins, get a pair of high deadlifting socks.
• Another option is to get a good pair of deadlifting pants.
• Avoid deadlifting gloves. They don’t provide much benefit and will just make your hands soft.