Deadlift Technique: Static Start vs dynamic start

Are you getting the most out of your deadlift technique?

I was sending my training videos to my coach David. He reviewed my deadlift technique and asked if I have ever tried a dynamic start. The truth is, I’ve not heard it described this way. So….no.

Here’s example video he shared with me of a dynamic start.

 

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In the effort to improve my deadlift strength and technique this piqued my curiosity.I’ve done a little more digging on the topic and this is what I can gather.

Static start deadlift

• Start position is motionless before pulling the bar from the ground
• Less chance of error
• Good for solidifying start position for beginners

Dynamic start deadlift

I had a little chuckle as I looked at different variations of dynamic starts. Some started with hips high, some start with hips low and others looked a little bit like twerking. Here’s the key points though.

• Start position has movement in the hips before pulling the bar from the ground.
• Stretch reflex allows more force
• More difficult to achieve technical consistency

Which deadlift technique should you do?

• Start with Static while learning technical proficient
• After that you can experiment with dynamic starts
• Choose what feels good for you.

More resources

Here are some related links. It’s for olympic lifting but the concept stands for deadlifts.

• Static vs Dynamic Start | JTSstrength.com
• Dynamic Starts in the Snatch & Clean: Why & When to Use Them by Greg Everett