It is just ridiculously aggravating when you’ve hit a plateau in the deadlift, especially if you’re middle aged and wondering if this is a sign you’ve reached your all-time limit.
Most deadlifters I see at the gym are younger adults, not what you’d consider middle aged.
But more and more middle aged people are catching on to the wonders of the deadlift.
How to Crash Through a Deadlift Plateau if You’re Middle Aged
“The most effective way to break through a deadlift plateau is to find, and address, your weak link,” says Dani Singer, CPT, fitness director for Fit2Go Personal Training.
He continues, “Find your sticking point — the exact spot where you get stuck while coming up.
“Once you’ve identified the spot, set the rack 2-3 inches below it, and perform a few set of heavy rack pulls while specifically focusing on this weak point.
“Then, review your workout plan and make sure you’re targeting all primary muscle groups involved (quads, hamstrings, glutes and core) with accessory exercises.
“After trying this out for a few weeks, attempt another personal best and you should be pleasantly surprised.”
Examples of Accessory Exercises
• Squats
• Dumbbell deadlifts
• Leg presses
• Hamstring curls
• Leg extensions
• T-bar rows
• Bentover barbell rows
• Kettlebell swings
• Tire flipping
Another movement that will help a middle age person bust through a deadlift plateau is to perform this exercise with a snatch grip.
Shutterstock/tankist276
This is a very wide grip, which forces you to bend over a bit more to reach the bar. This will force more resistance upon the back muscles.
However, do not allow your back to round. Always keep the back straight, concentrating on maintaining an arch in the lumbar area.
You will need to reduce the weightload for the snatch-grip deadlift.
Don’t be surprised if this positioning makes you feel as though you’re in a weakened position.
Use a light enough weight so that you can maintain effective form, and work some sets as part of your deadlift warm-up, and also a light set or two as a warm-down.
A middle aged person who’s stuck at a deadlift plateau, when incorporating these suggestions, should realize an improvement within a few weeks.
Here is more information on deadlift variations to improve your performance.
Dani Singer is a fitness expert for national publications such as Reader’s Digest and Muscle & Fitness, and teaches hundreds of thousands of trainers as an advisor to the Personal Trainer Development Center.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
