Tip Fix Your Rounded-Back Deadlift Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Fix Your Rounded-Back Deadlift Here' s a simple trick that' ll keep you from snapping your back by Calvin Huynh July 5, 2019August 18, 2019 Tags Training Rounded deadlifts are an epidemic. You can't scroll through Instagram for two seconds without seeing some bro attempting a max effort deadlift with their spine bending like a accordion. A little rounding in the thoracic spine is actually okay, but most people round over at the lumbar region which turns an epic one-rep max attempt into a cringy display of a nearly snapped low back. Lumbar flexion during deadlifts occurs because of one of the following (or a combination): Weak or unsustained intra-abdominal bracing Weak spinal erectors Loss of tension in the upper back How to Fix It Here's an odd trick I learned from powerlifter Greg Nuckols that fixes all of these common causes. (And this trick can be used for the squat as well.) Take a band and anchor it to a heavy weight in front of your deadlift setup. You won't need a strong band. A light band goes a long way with this drill. Where you anchor the band will depend on how tall you are as well as your deadlift variation. If you're doing a stiff-legged deadlift or an RDL where you're more hinged over, you'll need to anchor the band closer. If you're doing something more upright like a conventional or trap-bar deadlift, the anchor should be further. Wrap the band around your neck and do a few sets with this setup. You'll feel your entire posterior chain light up. Why It Works The band will pull on your spine from the top down. The tension reminds you to stay tight while strengthening your spinal erectors. This will fix both low back and upper-back rounding. Thanks to the band, your deadlift is now stable, safe, and no longer a joint-crumbling eyesore. For programming, do these before your actual working sets. Or if you struggle heavily with rounding your back, you can do all your sets with this setup. Your spine will thank you. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Break That Plateau Tired of your routine? Time to shake it up! Training Mike Mahler February 21 Training Tip The Surprising Truth About Negatives A meta-study looks at whether lowering a weight slowly really builds more muscle than lifting it fast. Bodybuilding, Tips, Training TC Luoma February 11 Training Tip Why Men and Women Can t Train Together Okay, you can lift weights together. But there are some differences you need to know, especially when it comes to rest periods. For Women, Metabolic Conditioning, Tips, Training Chris Shugart December 24 Training Mass Made Simple A heavy bar across your back and peanut butter sandwiches in your belly: it's time to build mass the Dan John way! Bodybuilding, Training Dan John December 14