This helps a lot! My lower back has been hurting ever since I tried to go up on my deadlift weight a few months ago and every time I feel better I go back to do it again. I am going to try this new technique because I see what I did not do.
Do you offer online training on improving form and offering advice for specific problems? My ankle hurts horribly and I would like information on stopping the pain from a very well informed athlete rather than someone without a lot of experience or knowledge! P.S your videos are AMAZING! You deserve a million subbies for your valuable information!
I appreciate you for making this video. It came at the perfect time, i've been rounding more as i increase in weight and i think it's in part because i'm not bracing while in the correct position. In my experience, this is something that's been missed or taken for granted by other videos in which bracing is talked about, but they neglect to discuss starting position for the brace.
Great video, I think that's the hardest part of the deadlift is staying very tight. It really takes a lot of focus keeping the lats, glutes and core solid. Even when I'm warming up at 50%-60% trying to get braced I feel like my head is going to pop off. I see too many people at the gym not get tight and it hurts my spine watching them. Great videos man.
Just found your channel and I am SO glad that I did! I've already watched a couple vids and by far the best form/bracing videos I've seen!! Thanks so much for all your knowledge!
I recently started following your youtube channel and I'm already very impressed with the high quality content you're providing! I feel like I should've paid for this. Do you have any cues on how to brace without feeling like you're going to faint after 2 reps? Everytime I brace I feel so much pressure building up inside my head it's unreal. Keep on doing what you do mate, great stuff!
I sometimes lose the air on purpose so I don't pass out my back is adapted to be bent over a bit thankfully but i need to brace and I feel like I will explode every time I try to brace right
Yes! I squat low bar (a true low low bar lol) and I always get vertical as possible. It changes the way you will descend but once you get use to it its gold! Chris Duffin is huge on this as well, a ton of high level low bar squatters implement it.
STANDING TALL... I do not do that. Thank you. I haven't been able to add much weight to my squat because of my lower back hurting. I'm gonna try all of this.
Hey Brendan I'm relatively new (6ish months) into weight lifting and I've just found your channel it's SO helpful! Thank you!! Do you have any specific tips/ moves for growing quads? My glutes have grown nicely but my quads aren't really budging!
Great video. I think I tilt forward slightly after watching this. I'll apply these tips next squat day 😊 Thanks. It would have be cool to see it applied during a deadlift
Hey man this video is really great because it has great details man. Quick question, for low bar squat do I keep my torso upright like the one in high bar?
Thank you! I have the hardest time with the arch in my back affecting my deadlifts, so this is a much appreciated que. Any tips or ques for lat engagement as well?
Try adding rib cage down into the bracing sequence for deads! Breathe out hard and exhale everything while bringing the rib cage down right before you catch your breath. This will help with both bracing and lat engagement actually. As for lat engagement in particular you'll notice in my deadlift videos I always shove my arms down aggressively. This is to depress my scapula with the lats and traps to engage them in a full depressed state which is optimal for back activation and position in a deadlift. I NEVER retract or "screwdrive" my armpits, that cue just leads to tension shifting mid rep and a longer range of motion. Think arms extended down and shove your armpits down
I’ve heard that glutes should be the main deadlift mover, but if i do max effort stuff, I feel lower back just gets smoked. And most people i talk to say the same. (Conventional deadlift) anybody out there that can bust hard deadlift without the erectors getting killed?
I've tried these tips after watching Jessica's video. What a difference! Thank you so much for all the great and informative videos! I love them ♥️ Btw was it just me that was extremely distracted by the bulge the entire video?!! Lol🙈 I'm mean I was listening but I just couldn't look away from it lol🙊
Thank you for the advice! I remember Alan Thrall recommends (probably it's a starting strenght principle) somewhat the opposite about being vertical in the beginning. As far as I remember, he says that it's better to lean forward on the top because you eventually lean forward as you descend and for some reason it's useful not to change the torso angle that much during the movement. So now your advice makes me a little confused. Is it maybe the difference of high and low bar squat?
Márton K imo he's incorrect. The torso never truly moves in a straight line during squat movement patterns in the first place. Getting a better brace that's neutral and more locked in is far more beneficial than starting with the bar over the mid foot in the top position. Not only does that put unwanted constant tension onto the thoracic/extensor muscles it also won't allow for a large brace. Not only does that position never allow you to place the spine into neutral because you can't squeeze your glutes, the bent over start position he likes is going to collapse the chest more which wont allow for maximum chest/stomach capacity for catching a brace. I also disagree with the vast majority of starting strength principles utilized for their movement patterns in regards to maximal powerlifting strength. Starting strength preaches tactics for general strength and health which is sub optimal for powerlifting in most cases. For instance the hooked wrist position, "hip drive", bent over start position, etc. all sub optimal. If you watch the best squatters in the world they get vertical. Chris duffin has some great articles and videos on this.
I think another way to stay as vertical as possible is to keep the bar over mid foot and from there just squat straight up & down. I took the upright thing almost literally and I'm I can't stay full upright in a low bar! LOL
Asif Munir when I said vertical I meant the start position of the brace. It's actually detrimental to be more vertical than midfoot/heel in the movement of the squat it's self. I just meant "get tall" so to say when you catch your brace!
Keep the vids coming dude. Be good to see a vid for ur warm up sequences from walking in the gym to touching a bar on a lower and upper day dude !! I think thats where most struggle is putting the warm ups together including raising heart rate, mobilisation & activation.
This video came at the perfect time! I recently got into powerlifting, and with an anterior pelvic tilt and scoliosis I have plenty of bracing issues. I will try this out! Do you have any advice for someone squatting/deadlifting with scoliosis? I currently do high bar but was wondering if I should switch to low bar, having some back pain. Thanks!
It is the same for every intensity range however of course the lighter it is the less bracing you need as well as the more difficult it is to hold that big of a breath on high reps LOL! So yes I do this for any intensity zone however to a smaller degree the lighter it is.
@@BrendanTietz Well to be fair in a high rep squat set, you would simply reset your bracing and breath before every rep, right? You don't actually hold your breath for 12 squats do you? I've always been taught to treat every rep in a set like a single rep.
Hey Brendan, amazing video! What would you recommend I do to activate my hamstrings while deadlifting? I have tight calves and therefore hamstrings which means the majority of the load goes onto my lower back so i've received some injury. I've tried Romanian deadlifts with some hamstring pre-activation - should i stick with this until i can transition that mind muscle connection over to straight legged deadlifts? Thanks!
Brandaddy, You say that we should be as vertical as possible when bracing for the squat. How does this work with pelvis/rib positioning and contracting the abs. I understand that the abs flex the spine and to brace properly you need to contract and breath against them. Standing as vertical as possible wont let your abs contact as hard as possible?
Hi Brendan! Great video as always! Quick question: I get mid back pain, right around my waistline & only on my left side. This only occurs from movements like front squats, goblet squats, or occasionally slow eccentric walking lunges (I don't get any pains from back squats or deadlifts). Do you think this sounds like a bracing issue or something else?
I still don't get it right. I see that immediately as you descent, you break at hips into an anterior tilt and then drop straight down; which is the same thing I do too and get lower back pumps from doing so.
Hi Brendan! Great Video btw. I want to ask how you can deadlift for about 5 reps while holding your breath to brace your core? I tried it today and there was no other way to finish my 5 reps than to start breathing again throughout my reps. This causes me to lose tension in my core if i breathe again.
No that would actually be impossible since the hips would have to leave extension and the glutes wouldn't be able to fully squeeze. Once the position is braced you can let go of the glute squeeze!
@@BrendanTietz oh, shit. This just made sense to me. You first concentrically move the pelvis into a more neutral position (because most of us are perpetually in a state of anterior pelvic tilt), then you brace with the abs, some of which are connected to the pelvis and keep the pelvis from tilting back into anterior pelvic tilt. This would be a great point to add to the video (about releasing the glute squeeze after bracing). I know that you must do it in order to descend, but, knowing the sequence of the whole thing helps me understand and execute it better.
Try driving your knees out as far as you can while keeping knee and foot alignment. You may also need to turn your toes out more and open up your stance.
I really appreciate that you guys incoperate female lifters in your videos & realize you also have a female audience.
The best video talking about bracing when weightlifting!
This helps a lot! My lower back has been hurting ever since I tried to go up on my deadlift weight a few months ago and every time I feel better I go back to do it again. I am going to try this new technique because I see what I did not do.
I'm guilty of hunching after the lift off for a squat. I'm definitely going to try to stand tall. Thanks for the great advice as always!
Do you offer online training on improving form and offering advice for specific problems? My ankle hurts horribly and I would like information on stopping the pain from a very well informed athlete rather than someone without a lot of experience or knowledge! P.S your videos are AMAZING! You deserve a million subbies for your valuable information!
You're way better than any other fitness TH-camr! Thank you!
I appreciate you for making this video. It came at the perfect time, i've been rounding more as i increase in weight and i think it's in part because i'm not bracing while in the correct position. In my experience, this is something that's been missed or taken for granted by other videos in which bracing is talked about, but they neglect to discuss starting position for the brace.
I just need to watch all of this guy's videos
thanks man, really nice content! keep it up
Great video, I think that's the hardest part of the deadlift is staying very tight. It really takes a lot of focus keeping the lats, glutes and core solid. Even when I'm warming up at 50%-60% trying to get braced I feel like my head is going to pop off. I see too many people at the gym not get tight and it hurts my spine watching them. Great videos man.
I am definitely guilty of a few of these "compensations." Great video!
I think I watch this video probably once every two months! Such a great tutorial!
Your explanation was thorough and understandable. Thanks for your informative videos.
very good tips. I followed the core bracing and standing talk part and it worked well for me. It helped me to keep myself upright
Best explanation I've seen for describing bracing!
you laid it out so simply, really great job!
I'm going to try these tips. I want to perfect my form.
Just found your channel and I am SO glad that I did! I've already watched a couple vids and by far the best form/bracing videos I've seen!! Thanks so much for all your knowledge!
Spot on video, Brendan. Found it very useful.
Thank you!
best explanation on the tube
Such a helpful video - and explained so succinctly and clearly . Thank you!
Such a great informative video! Very underrated fitness channel. Thank you!
You're awesome! Thank you! My knock knees always gave me trouble.
squeeze it like a raisin, nice and ugly 😂😂😂😂 i don't think i've laughed so damn hard. love your videos and content!!!
your videos are always so helpful!! great work!
Immediately seen improvement in my squat
Thanks man!!!
Awesome content and great advice, thanks for doing these videos.
so useful and simple to understand，it really gonna help me improve my squat！an excited new fan say hi from China~
I recently started following your youtube channel and I'm already very impressed with the high quality content you're providing! I feel like I should've paid for this. Do you have any cues on how to brace without feeling like you're going to faint after 2 reps? Everytime I brace I feel so much pressure building up inside my head it's unreal. Keep on doing what you do mate, great stuff!
I sometimes lose the air on purpose so I don't pass out my back is adapted to be bent over a bit thankfully but i need to brace and I feel like I will explode every time I try to brace right
This helped me realize that I slightly tilt forward before squatting. But I do low bar squats, should I still be completely upright ?
Yes! I squat low bar (a true low low bar lol) and I always get vertical as possible. It changes the way you will descend but once you get use to it its gold! Chris Duffin is huge on this as well, a ton of high level low bar squatters implement it.
so what's your opinion on the starting strength coaches advocating leaning forward on low bar ?
I have longer legs and keeping upright is harder. But is it possible to change this?
No man, you have to stay as horizontal as possible, Mark Rippetoe ftw!!
It depends on femur length I think. Because if you have a long femur you need to stay less upright to keep the barbell over the mid of the foot.
Thanks so much for these tips and the goblet exercise!
Nice video Brendan, thank you for the tips. Could you do a video on front squats please if you haven't already
I'm convinced if you coached me I'd increase all my lifts by 10% in 1 day
steezy join the team man! Website is
Prime-strength.com
We’re about to announce openings soon! Get ahead of the line.
wow i always thought bracing was like when you put a back brace on after going full spinal...i knew i was doing something wrong all this time fhek
STANDING TALL... I do not do that. Thank you. I haven't been able to add much weight to my squat because of my lower back hurting. I'm gonna try all of this.
Great info. Many thanks 😊
Hey Brendan I'm relatively new (6ish months) into weight lifting and I've just found your channel it's SO helpful! Thank you!! Do you have any specific tips/ moves for growing quads? My glutes have grown nicely but my quads aren't really budging!
Great video. I think I tilt forward slightly after watching this. I'll apply these tips next squat day 😊 Thanks. It would have be cool to see it applied during a deadlift
Hey man this video is really great because it has great details man. Quick question, for low bar squat do I keep my torso upright like the one in high bar?
Thank you! I have the hardest time with the arch in my back affecting my deadlifts, so this is a much appreciated que. Any tips or ques for lat engagement as well?
Try adding rib cage down into the bracing sequence for deads! Breathe out hard and exhale everything while bringing the rib cage down right before you catch your breath. This will help with both bracing and lat engagement actually. As for lat engagement in particular you'll notice in my deadlift videos I always shove my arms down aggressively. This is to depress my scapula with the lats and traps to engage them in a full depressed state which is optimal for back activation and position in a deadlift. I NEVER retract or "screwdrive" my armpits, that cue just leads to tension shifting mid rep and a longer range of motion. Think arms extended down and shove your armpits down
Thanks so much!
The most under rated/viewed Fitness TH-cam 100%
I’ve heard that glutes should be the main deadlift mover, but if i do max effort stuff, I feel lower back just gets smoked. And most people i talk to say the same. (Conventional deadlift) anybody out there that can bust hard deadlift without the erectors getting killed?
Fantastic video, super helpful. One question, should we be bracing our glutes and abs or actually flexing them?
brace the abs by squeezing isometrically and flex the glutes. The glutes are a prime mover and thus need to actually go through flexion/extension.
Great stuff
I've tried these tips after watching Jessica's video. What a difference! Thank you so much for all the great and informative videos! I love them ♥️
Btw was it just me that was extremely distracted by the bulge the entire video?!! Lol🙈 I'm mean I was listening but I just couldn't look away from it lol🙊
Thank you for the advice! I remember Alan Thrall recommends (probably it's a starting strenght principle) somewhat the opposite about being vertical in the beginning. As far as I remember, he says that it's better to lean forward on the top because you eventually lean forward as you descend and for some reason it's useful not to change the torso angle that much during the movement. So now your advice makes me a little confused. Is it maybe the difference of high and low bar squat?
Márton K imo he's incorrect. The torso never truly moves in a straight line during squat movement patterns in the first place. Getting a better brace that's neutral and more locked in is far more beneficial than starting with the bar over the mid foot in the top position. Not only does that put unwanted constant tension onto the thoracic/extensor muscles it also won't allow for a large brace. Not only does that position never allow you to place the spine into neutral because you can't squeeze your glutes, the bent over start position he likes is going to collapse the chest more which wont allow for maximum chest/stomach capacity for catching a brace. I also disagree with the vast majority of starting strength principles utilized for their movement patterns in regards to maximal powerlifting strength. Starting strength preaches tactics for general strength and health which is sub optimal for powerlifting in most cases. For instance the hooked wrist position, "hip drive", bent over start position, etc. all sub optimal. If you watch the best squatters in the world they get vertical. Chris duffin has some great articles and videos on this.
Thanks for the quick response!
I think another way to stay as vertical as possible is to keep the bar over mid foot and from there just squat straight up & down. I took the upright thing almost literally and I'm I can't stay full upright in a low bar! LOL
Asif Munir when I said vertical I meant the start position of the brace. It's actually detrimental to be more vertical than midfoot/heel in the movement of the squat it's self. I just meant "get tall" so to say when you catch your brace!
I feel my abs like hell with zercher squats
great job mate
I always fail to brace at the eccentric part especially when I'm doing high reps.
Brilliant video dude.
do u still use the 'stay tall' que for low bar instruction ??
Simon Kealy yup, I squat low bar and do it before every rep. Being vertical in low bar is just as important for bracing
Keep the vids coming dude.
Be good to see a vid for ur warm up sequences from walking in the gym to touching a bar on a lower and upper day dude !!
I think thats where most struggle is putting the warm ups together including raising heart rate, mobilisation & activation.
This video came at the perfect time! I recently got into powerlifting, and with an anterior pelvic tilt and scoliosis I have plenty of bracing issues. I will try this out!
Do you have any advice for someone squatting/deadlifting with scoliosis? I currently do high bar but was wondering if I should switch to low bar, having some back pain. Thanks!
Is the breathing strategy the same for different rep ranges or is this primarily for max effort lifts?
It is the same for every intensity range however of course the lighter it is the less bracing you need as well as the more difficult it is to hold that big of a breath on high reps LOL! So yes I do this for any intensity zone however to a smaller degree the lighter it is.
@@BrendanTietz Well to be fair in a high rep squat set, you would simply reset your bracing and breath before every rep, right? You don't actually hold your breath for 12 squats do you? I've always been taught to treat every rep in a set like a single rep.
Amazing Video!!
what do you think about the Jefferson deadlift ?
How to do it with 8-10 reps deadlift sets?
Hey Brendan, amazing video!
What would you recommend I do to activate my hamstrings while deadlifting? I have tight calves and therefore hamstrings which means the majority of the load goes onto my lower back so i've received some injury. I've tried Romanian deadlifts with some hamstring pre-activation - should i stick with this until i can transition that mind muscle connection over to straight legged deadlifts?
Thanks!
I have diastasis recti, which makes it hard to activate my core. please do a video on diastasis
Brandaddy, You say that we should be as vertical as possible when bracing for the squat. How does this work with pelvis/rib positioning and contracting the abs. I understand that the abs flex the spine and to brace properly you need to contract and breath against them. Standing as vertical as possible wont let your abs contact as hard as possible?
Hi Brendan! Great video as always!
Quick question: I get mid back pain, right around my waistline & only on my left side. This only occurs from movements like front squats, goblet squats, or occasionally slow eccentric walking lunges (I don't get any pains from back squats or deadlifts). Do you think this sounds like a bracing issue or something else?
I still don't get it right. I see that immediately as you descent, you break at hips into an anterior tilt and then drop straight down; which is the same thing I do too and get lower back pumps from doing so.
how can you stand tall if youre a low bar squater?
Loved this but what about the dead lift how do I prevent my back from doing all the work
cant find a way to breathe into the chest after only breathing into the abdomen for so long.... does anyone have any tips to reset this?
subs squad assemble
Nguyen Thuyet 00
Thanks my max brace went up 25lbs
Hi Brendan! Great Video btw. I want to ask how you can deadlift for about 5 reps while holding your breath to brace your core? I tried it today and there was no other way to finish my 5 reps than to start breathing again throughout my reps. This causes me to lose tension in my core if i breathe again.
a year late haha .. but you are supposed to repeat the bracing process after each rep.
Do you still need to clench your rip cage down after your breath. An can i use this method doing bicep curls an lateral raise
Do you have to reset between each rep or are you supposed to keep this brace for your entire set?
Got a question for you. I'm not a high bar squatter. Isn't it normal to have a somewhat forward lean with a low bar squat?
Great video
I get the stand tall que. But what about eyesight? I Always get thrown off by looking up. I like to look in front of me. Any tips?
Do you only let out your breath after the ascend?
Ng Jadyn yes! It's called a valsalva maneuver.
Brendan Tietz thanks!
do you hold your breath the whole squat until your back in the start position?
Brooke S yes, it's called a valsalva maneuver
Can you do a calves training video please... serious
When you squeeze your glutes, are you trying to squeeze as you go down and up too?
No that would actually be impossible since the hips would have to leave extension and the glutes wouldn't be able to fully squeeze. Once the position is braced you can let go of the glute squeeze!
@@BrendanTietz oh, shit. This just made sense to me. You first concentrically move the pelvis into a more neutral position (because most of us are perpetually in a state of anterior pelvic tilt), then you brace with the abs, some of which are connected to the pelvis and keep the pelvis from tilting back into anterior pelvic tilt. This would be a great point to add to the video (about releasing the glute squeeze after bracing). I know that you must do it in order to descend, but, knowing the sequence of the whole thing helps me understand and execute it better.
Is this the valsalva breathing or?
Please teach how to keep tension in the glutes in the stretched position (the bottom)
Try driving your knees out as far as you can while keeping knee and foot alignment. You may also need to turn your toes out more and open up your stance.
damn good video
where are you located
Nice 👍🏼
💯🔥
Amazing 😉
Good
Squad
Awesome informative video:) thank you!
nice bul... video.