There are a couple of schools of thought when it comes to the neck position and deadlifting. When I first started deadlifting I was always taught to keep the head up as it was thought to encourage a more upright position as well as initiating movement from the head was thought to assist with having ones shoulders and hips move up at the same time. From a personal level I never really felt comfortable with this and would often feel stiff and sore in the neck. For many of the clients that we see at our clinic (Principle Four Osteopathy) who are regularly exercising and managing a range of musculoskeleletal complaints, we would find that this could actually aggravate underlying neck issues. Hence why I have personally moved towards a neutral head position and encourage my clients to adopt the same. I will look to encourage them to maintain a relative neutral neck position (rather than extending through the neck) and rather than extend their neck, have them look slightly up of a neutral gaze to encourage the same outcome. Since adopting this strategy with clients we have found there to be less irritation of underlying neck issues. Other factors that we need to consider include ensuring we adopt a spinal position, ensure we engage the shoulders appropriately and brace appropriately. Failure to do this well may also contribute to possible compensating strain in the body.
For those of you who love deadlifting, but are having issues somewhere in the movement and/or are not getting the most out of their body and the lift, please touch base with us at the clinic and book an appointment in with one of our osteopaths who are trained in strength and conditioning.
Our clinic is located at 178 Collins St Melbourne City CBD 3000. We have a boutique strength and conditioning space that allows us to review the lifts and coach these to improve technique and performance.
Book an appointment online via www.principlefourosteopathy.com or by callling 0396709290. If you have any questions, please email us at info@principle4.com.