Deadlifts issue : Mat or rack?

[Aussielion]

First of all, great forum
Onto my main issue. In regards to deadlifts, I've always practised them by lifting the barbell off the ground.

The other day, I've had a gym worker (I tran at a Goodlife Gym) approach me about my method. He told me to go to the squat rack to do my deadlift routine. He said that it was for safety reasons.

I moved over to the squat rack to finish my routine. I found that doing it that way thoroughly sucked. It affected the incline of my repetition as I felt that I did not have full range of movement when lifting the weight. It also affects the decline as I don't want to bang the weight onto the squat bar after every repetition. Im not bashing drums here.

On the mat, I never drop the weights down anyway. I ease the bar down. But, after a few reps, your body can give in and you drop it anyway.

Next time, do I have the right to tell the gym guy to buzz off and do my own thing on the mat? No other gym worker there bothers me about doing deadlifts on the mat. What do you feel is a more effective way of doing deadlifts? Mat or rack?

[Dakoders]

I prefer doing them off the mat. You get your full ROM, but you can also hurt your back if you don't do them correctly. Doing them off the rack is easier on your body as I've been told.

Oh, and welcome to the site.

[BLITZKRIEG]

Originally Posted by Aussielion

First of all, great forum
Onto my main issue. In regards to deadlifts, I've always practised them by lifting the barbell off the ground.

The other day, I've had a gym worker (I tran at a Goodlife Gym) approach me about my method. He told me to go to the squat rack to do my deadlift routine. He said that it was for safety reasons.

I moved over to the squat rack to finish my routine. I found that doing it that way thoroughly sucked. It affected the incline of my repetition as I felt that I did not have full range of movement when lifting the weight. It also affects the decline as I don't want to bang the weight onto the squat bar after every repetition. Im not bashing drums here.

On the mat, I never drop the weights down anyway. I ease the bar down. But, after a few reps, your body can give in and you drop it anyway.

Next time, do I have the right to tell the gym guy to buzz off and do my own thing on the mat? No other gym worker there bothers me about doing deadlifts on the mat. What do you feel is a more effective way of doing deadlifts? Mat or rack?

This is another reason why I Train at Home and work out with the advise of the members here.

[Tatooed Lifter]

When you say "rack" do you mean something like a smith machine?? or just in a squat rack? I do them on a mat out in the open and I guess you could fall over backwards and hurt your self but I doubt it. I could do them in the one squat rack we have at my gym and it wouldn;t change anything just a little less space to move.

Welcome to the forums !!

[BLITZKRIEG]

Oh Welcome to M&S!!! LOL, I'm a little late

[Jarvis]

When you do what the guy told you, they are called "rack pulls" rather than deadlifts. Still a useful exercise, but I'd rather do the full deadlift.

[santosa]

Since my upper body is weaker than my lower body, the way I do mine to get enough weight is first I position my shoulder under the barbell on the rack and then lift it and step backward and do my squat reps. Once I'm done, I lower the barbell back to the rack. That way, I don't have to lift up the barbell with my hands over my head or drop them backward and damage the floor of my house.

[DannyT]

Originally Posted by santosa

Since my upper body is weaker than my lower body, the way I do mine to get enough weight is first I position my shoulder under the barbell on the rack and then lift it and step backward and do my squat reps. Once I'm done, I lower the barbell back to the rack. That way, I don't have to lift up the barbell with my hands over my head or drop them backward and damage the floor of my house.

he's talking about a deadlift

[Fin2982]

I'll do them in the squat rack every so often if I get stuck at a weight i'll set the bar up at knee height and work on the second half of the movement.

Wont do them on the smith machine as the whole movement feels awkward

[AlexE]

I normally do them in the Rack i find it easier always lifted from the floor up until last week, i decided to but the safety bars through the lowest hole and lift from there this is about half way up my shin bone.