Most lifters are always looking for a good assistance or substitute exercise for the powerlifts. For the deadlift, the best, by far, is the deadlift off the blocks. The saying goes, "to deadlift more, deadlift". This definitely holds true. There are other somewhat effective moves to assist a lifter in his quest for a bigger pull, but the best results will come from doing deadlifts. Also, adding too many other exercises can result in negative progress due to overtraining. That’s the beauty of the deadlift off the blocks.

It is in reality no more than a deadlift done from a slightly elevated position. This slight elevation can make all the difference in the world. The elevation makes the lifter pull from a deeper starting position, overloading that part of the lift. This added distance changes the lift just enough to develop your pulling musculature over a greater range of motion. The main beneficiary is the start of your pull, but the midrange and lockout is also beneficial. If you can improve your pull off the floor, even if that part of the lift is your forte, the bar should progress to lockout with greater power and velocity, thus breaking through any sticking point later in the lift. It is like pushing a car. It may be hard to get the car going, but once it starts to roll, keeping it rolling is a piece of cake. We can improve our chances against our mortal enemy, gravity.

Let’s begin with a description of this lift. These deadlifts are done while the lifter stands on a sturdy platform such as a wood block or platform, or even on a 100 pound barbell plate. Again, the major requirement is that the platform be sturdy enough to allow balance and support both the weight of the lifter and the weight used. The platform also must not be too high or the bar will hit the top of the lifter’s feet when it is fully lowered to the floor. About 3-5 inches is all you need, any more is inviting injury due to a decrease in balance in the lowering phase of the lift. I recommend all deadlifts touch the floor after each rep and no bouncing is done. This will insure better pulling form, power from the floor, and less chance for injury. Perform this lift in the conventional style, that is, hands outside your legs. It does lend itself too well to the sumo style of deadlifting.

Lifters with poor flexibility, especially in the ankles and Achilles tendons, may have trouble getting comfortable and maintaining their balance during the lift. They may tend to lunge forward during the lift and may actually fall forward off the platform, which of course, flexibility a bit before going hard on this move. If you are too big to get a good pull, then you’ll have to forego this one and concentrate on the traditional deadlift off the floor. You will not be able to use as much weight for this deadlift as you normally do with the ‘pull off the floor’ due to the increased range of movement. To start, I would suggest starting out with 50% of your best deadlift for one rep for 6 reps to get accustomed to the new angle and balance. Go up in weight slowly from there. I don’t recommend going lower than 3 reps with this pull due to the higher chance for injury because of the increased range of motion and the unusual pulling position you must assume to start the lift. As with any deadlift, begin the pull with your legs while keeping your back as flat and erect as possible. Keep your arms locked straight during the lift to completion. Refer to the photos for clarity.

Application is last on the list. This deadlift variation can be substituted for regular deadlifts in the off season up to about 6-10 weeks prior a contest. At that time, you can return to regular pulls off the floor with, hopefully, increased power throughout the lift. For lifters who need less time to convert over to their normal style, they can stay on these a little longer. For lifters who choose note to rely totally on this variation in the off season, I suggest doing a down set of ‘off the block pulls’ after your regular deadlifts. Sumo deadlifters can use these also and may actually benefit more than conventional pullers. The sumo lift uses more hip and leg muscle than the conventional style with less back involvement. Due to less involvement in the sumo style, the erectors may not be stimulated or developed to a high degree and be a weak link in the sumo pull. By using the ‘off the block’ deadlift in the off season, the erectors will be strengthened to a higher degree than normal. This could add up to a bigger sumo deadlift. Sumo lifters probably need to devote more time working on their style of choice rather than conventional pullers due to the greater difference from the deadlifts off the block.

Exercises are often recommended without an in-depth analysis or description. For example, sometimes we say do hammer curls, but give little or no description of what a hammer curl is or how it is done effectively. I hope this discussion of the deadlift off the blocks has provided you with a little extra information you can use on the platform where it counts. Remember that assistance or substitute exercises are not ends to themselves but a means to an end. Until next time, may all your lifts feel light and all your lights be white.