j_lucero89

My #1 tip for improving your deadlift? Start using the deficit deadlift.

The deficit deadlift is one of the most effective exercises for building strength off the floor because it increases the range of motion compared to a standard deadlift. By standing on a small platform, you’re forced to pull the bar through a longer distance, putting greater demands on your legs, hips, and back during the most difficult portion of the lift.

What makes the deficit deadlift so valuable is that it essentially turns your normal deadlift into a shortened-range movement. If you can get stronger pulling from a deficit, pulling from the floor starts to feel easier. This is especially beneficial for lifters who struggle to break the bar from the ground or who lose position during the first few inches of the pull.

When programming the deficit deadlift, I like to use it early in a training cycle. Generally, 4-6 weeks is enough time to build strength and improve positioning from the deficit. As competition or testing day approaches, gradually transition back to pulling from the floor so the movement becomes more specific to your goal. The objective isn’t to spend an entire prep cycle on deficits…it’s to use them as a tool to build strength and then transfer that strength to the competition deadlift.

One important note: deficit deadlifts are not for everyone. Because of the increased range of motion, they require adequate hip mobility and the ability to maintain a strong spinal position throughout the lift. If mobility is a limiting factor, deficits may not be the best choice and alternative exercises may be more appropriate depending on the individual athlete.

For coaching and programming:
www.harvestingstrength.com

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Training your hip flexors for the yoke walk is one of the most overlooked ways to improve your efficiency in strongman. Most athletes focus on the posterior chain…glutes, hamstrings, lower back…but forget that strong hip flexors are what help drive the knees forward quickly and efficiently under heavy load. During a yoke walk, every step requires rapid hip flexion, trunk stability, and force transfer through the pelvis. If your hip flexors are weak, you waste energy, slow your foot speed, and lose position as the weight gets heavier. Research on yoke walk biomechanics shows the movement relies on short, rapid strides with controlled hip motion and high stability demands. 

The stronger your hip flexors become, the more efficient your gait pattern becomes under maximal load. That means faster transitions, smoother foot placement, less swinging of the yoke, and better posture throughout the run. In strongman, efficiency matters just as much as brute strength. Events like yoke walks, farmer carries, sandbag carries, and medleys all demand the ability to stabilize the hip joint while repeatedly producing force through each step. Hip flexor work can help improve stride recovery, pelvic control, and force transfer from the ground to the upper body. 

Exercises like hanging leg raises, resisted marches, sled drags, banded hip flexion, and single-leg carries can all build stronger and more resilient hip flexors for strongman performance. The goal is not just mobility , its strength, coordination, and the ability to maintain powerful movement patterns while fatigued.

If you want to move heavier weights faster and become more efficient in strongman, don’t neglect your hip flexors.

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The Reverse Band Dead Bench is one of the most underrated tools for building serious pressing strength.

Here’s why it works 👇

At the bottom of the lift—when the bar is sitting on the pins and you’re in your most vulnerable position, the bands help reduce the load. This allows you to stay explosive and confident where most lifters struggle to generate force.

But as soon as you press… everything changes.

The bands unload, the weight increases, and now you’re forced to fight through a heavier lockout. That means you’re not just getting stronger off the chest, you’re building the ability to finish heavy presses.

Because this is a concentric-focused movement (starting from a dead stop), you eliminate momentum and force pure strength production. No stretch reflex. No cheating. Just raw pressing power.

That’s what makes it so effective.

👉 Builds starting strength
👉 Overloads the lockout
👉 Improves overall pressing mechanics

I like using this as a secondary movement after your main bench work. Keep the intensity high and focus on quality reps.

Programming:
• 3–6 sets
• Heavy triples, doubles, or singles
• Full intent on every rep

If your bench is stuck, especially at lockout, this is a movement you need in your rotation.

Train smart. Press hard.

🌐 harvestingstrength.com

I love a heavy squat bench and deadlift but man, this type of strength is undeniable!
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BIG PR FOR as he hits this big deadlift. And guess what? He’s still got more in him!
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IF YOU STRUGGLE TO DEADLIFT, could just be bad positioning. Many people think to look forward or look upward when they begin the deadlift. The problem with this is that it could influence you to lean forward and to be out of position. My suggestion? Looks slightly downward to help make your spine get flat, and then pull your head up when you get to the sticking point. if you can do this, you will learn how to get the bar to your lap to be a much more effective deadlifter!
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