Deadlift with a rounded back

Im wondering if deadlifting with a rounded back is actually bad for your back. For me it feels much more natural than a deadlift with a straight back, im much stronger off the floor with a rounded back than with a straight back, trying to get the bar off the floor with a straight back is like moving an immovable object.

Im doing powerbuilding 3 and i overshot my 1@7 so the video shows 170kg 1@8 with a rounded back. https://youtube.com/shorts/KIR75F2aH8c?si=1cxQMKOv3Ax4zJPd

Any advice on form appreciated, thanks :slight_smile:

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I have a few thoughts here regarding deadlifting with a rounded back. I do think some clarification of terms and ideas is needed though. After all, this is the the internet!

It is often advised to lift with a “neutral” spine, which doesn’t have a universally accepted definition. If we agree that “neutral” the range of motion where the spine faces little resistance from tissues such as muscle, bone, and the intervertebral disc itself, then most people will be unable to to any lower body lift with a truly “neutral” spine. Most will require some flexion, though a coach’s eye won’t necessarily see this as rounded despite it not being neutral.

With that in mind, how flexed or rounded is too much? From an injury perspective, I think it’s possible to deadlift with a rounded back without an increased risk of injury compared to “neutral”, as injury risk is mostly related to training load and luck, not a specific technique. We are adaptable in that way :slight_smile:

With respect to efficient technique, I think most people would be better deadlifting with less flexion than what you demonstrate here. In your specific case, there’s a nudge of the bar forward prior to the bar leaving the floor, putting the bar a bit too far forward. Lockout is also compromised due to the spine’s position, and needing to reclaim that at the top. I think if you want to max your deadlift potential, I’d work on training with a little less flexion in order to improve efficiency.

More on this in an article I wrote here.

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