How to do the Sandbag Deadlifts and Dimmel Deadlifts, using the principles of StrongFit with Dr. Sara Solomon & Jackie Perez
The deadlift is internal torque both concentrically and eccentrically. Inhale through your nose on the eccentric and exhale through pursed lips on the concentric.
Crush a sandbag between your hands to help you activate your internal torque chain. You are going to be using your external obliques the entire time. Explode our external obliques out the sides of your body throughout the entire range of motion. Generate internal torque at the hips to get your inner hamstrings to fire (but do not let your feet or knees rotate inwards). Keep your knees soft, and keep you pelvis tilted posteriorly ("tuck your tail"). It's coming up concentrically and locking out that is typically the hardest part for people ... we lose the tail tuck (i.e. we lose internal torque) and the low or mid back takes over.
Dimmel deadlifts are partial range of motion deadlifts. Crush the sandbag between your hands to activate your pecs, as this will help you activate your entire IT chain. Start with the object at mid-shin level and deadlift it to mid-thigh level. That means you do NOT lock out at the top.
You should feel this in your inner hamstrings. Make sure you use your external obliques the entire time. If you don’t, you will feel this exercise in your low or mid back.
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If you want to learn more, be sure to check out my online Strength Academy.