Let me clarify the title of this post: Not everyone can deadlift from the floor with a straight bar.
Whether it’s because of moblility issues, previous injuries, limb length, or any other reason, some people can’t properly and safely pull a straight bar from the floor.
If this sounds like you, it does not mean you can or should stop deadlifting. There are other alternatives for you to try.
Here are my two preferred deadlifting variations for individuals who can’t properly deadlift a straight bar from the floor:
- Trap bar deadlifts with elevated handles
- Rack pulls with the bar below the knees
The trap bar deadlifts shouldn’t require any explanation – the elevated handles and shifted center of gravity make this deadlift variation easier to perform.
I will elaborate on the rack pulls demonstrated in the video. Kristy is one such individual that can’t properly deadlift from the floor; her thoracic spine will flex and her form gets a little ugly, even with light weight.
Because she is a Beautiful Badass, she wants to deadlift. So we used the rack pulls as an alternative. We started with the bar low in the rack (so the bar was a few inches below her knees) and made sure her form was perfect – chest out, shoulder blades pulled back and down. Once she perfected this, I had her stand on a one inch board to increase the range of motion slightly, as shown in the video.
From this point we may increase the board to two inches to get a little more range of motion, but that will probably be it. Most people will eventually be able to progress to pulling from the floor, but only do so if you can keep your chest pushed out, shoulder blades back, and your spine neutral.
If you’re someone who struggles with deadlifting a straight bar from the floor, try using the variations mentioned above. You can still reap the strength and posterior chain benefits from performing trap bar deadlifts and rack pulls.