Beginner WOD – Dead Weight…

Today's beginner WOD is going to have a little bit of some relatively decently heavy lifting. It is:

21-15-9 rep rounds of:

• ½ Bodyweight Dumbbell Deadlift (1/4 BW per DB.)
• Push-ups
• Overhead squats with broomstick, pvc, etc.
  

The overhead squat will take some time to develop and can be frustrating starting out, especially if you're a bit lacking in shoulder flexibility, which a lot of us are. Study the video and stick with it, making sure to follow all the rules for squat form, especially with regards to back position.

Here is a video of several people with varying anatomies performing the Deadlift. Be very careful to perform this lift properly.

Here are some general guidelines for the Deadlift.

• Back remains rigid and straight throughout the lift.
• Pelvis rotated *slightly* backwards, no rounding of the lower back.
• Shoulders should be active and back, the weight should not pull the shoulders forward, causing rounding of the upper back and a hollow in the chest.
• Head in a neutral position looking forward, not up at the ceiling or down at the floor.
• Feet should be at such a width and angle they would naturally be in if you were about to jump as high as you can straight up. Another way of testing it is to hang from a pull-up bar, drop, and leave your feet where they land. This is your natural position. It should not require excessive thought.
• Push through the heels, not the balls of the feet. Make sure your butt is back and you're pushing against the floor with the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
• The lift ends with the knees and hips fully extended and the shoulders back, chest out. Stand up straight as if you were on the podium at the Olympics.
• Setting the weight down should look exactly like picking it up. If you were to video tape yourself, you should not be able to tell the difference if the tape is playing forward or reverse. Control the weight down with the same active shoulders, straight back, etc.