Video of Andy Bolton’s new deadlift world record. 457.5kg (1008.6 lbs). Over one THOUSAND pounds, and he looks like he could have lifted even more.

Sorry these piled up, I was away for a bit:

• The CrossFit 5/2/08 workout links to a great video, "Deadlift Set-up with Mark Rippetoe". He makes it seem so simple!
• Conditioning Research on Dr. Craig Duncan's "20 meter rule" concept. Good stuff at his blog, the idea of an acceleration/deceleration threshold as athletic predictor is an interesting one.
• Metabolic conditioning with "the 3x3 workout".
• ESPN: The Ball That Just Won't Die.
• New York Magazine: How We're Wrecking Our Feet With Every Step We Take.
• Finally, wow, 17 minutes and 4 seconds?!

I've started deadlifting for the first time. Bought a 300 lb. Olympic weight set from Dick's, and dove right in. After a couple weeks I'd worked myself up to 330 lbs. (strapped another 30 lbs. onto the bar) and was feeling all proud of myself. I mean, at a bodyweight of 200 lbs. I know I'm not even approaching respectability until I get to 2xBW (400 lbs. for me) but I was still pleased since I'd never done anything but dumbbell work before, working at much smaller loads.

Then I did what I should have done in the first place. I re-read these three fantastic articles on the deadlift by Eric Cressey:

• Mastering the Deadlift: Part I
• Part II
• Part III

... and I shot some video of myself.

Holy crap, MY BACK! Slightly rounded at the bottom, very rounded at the top, and my shoulders were practically hanging from their sockets. Humiliating. I'm going back to 135 lbs., going to video every session, and only move up as good form allows. I consider myself lucky I didn't hurt myself over the past couple weeks.

I know I've read somewhere that you really can't coach yourself when it comes to lifting, and after this experience I can see why. If you're lifting without feedback it's really hard to know what your body is really doing. However, I do think the combination of excellent freely available information on the Internet and home video get your pretty darn close. I can look at a good deadlift and compare it to my deadlift and see quite clearly where I'm lacking, and what adjustments I have to make. The video was such a stark contrast to the picture in my mind. Really essential, I think, if you aren't being coached.

So, a couple quick equipment recommendations:

• Flip Video Camcorder. That's the basic 30-minute version for under $100, or you can spring for one of the newer versions. This has got to be one of my favorite gadgets of all time, purely for its simplicity. There's just a couple buttons, the USB connection is integrated into the unit, and the software for managing your videos is stored on the camcorder itself, so there's nothing to install. You literally buy it, put in batteries, and throw away everything else in the box. Beautiful.
• Joby Gorillapod. Set your camera up anywhere. For my video I set it up on the wheel of my rower, and it was totally secure. Great tool. There's also the Monsterpod, which looks very cool, but I've never tried it myself.

Just two quick links:

• CrossFit Journal: A New, Rather Long Analysis of the Deadlift by Mark Rippetoe.
• CrossFit Oakland on Jack LaLanne.

Like seven pages into a deadlift thread, this guy Dr. Boots loses his mind and doubts Ross Enamait (trainer whose books I have praised many times on this site) can perform some physical task. In this case the task is a 400 lb. deadlift, and he says he'd pay $100 for video proof. Ross responds, "you just lost $100." It's fun reading the thread from that point, but if you want to cut to the chase, here's the proof and then some. Incidentally, Ross declines the money after pulling it off ("You can keep your money however. I don't want it. Donate it to charity or buy some equipment for a gym that could use it.").

This is devolving into a link blog. That's okay though, as I feel like I've covered most of what I want to cover (check the guide and the archives). As I try new stuff I'll post it, but until then...

• Gregg's favorite exercise is one of my favorites too. The difference between us is that he uses kettlebells instead of DBs, and he includes pictures.
• There are some great ideas (and workout names) in this Crossfit thread, Hardest Metcon Workouts ("metabolic conditioning").
• With the outdoor season right around the corner here in the NE, it might be worth having a look at this article on preventing quad soreness.
• Patrick Beith: Summer Training for Speed (and Part II).
• Finally, Dispelling The Top 10 Nutrition Myths (update: this guy slams this piece; update 2: see discussion below).

Very interesting interview with Eric Cressey all about deadlifting. The whole thing is good, but in particular read his response to the question, "what are the unique benefits of deadlifting?" Here is the first of the 10 points he makes in response:

First, I'd say that (along with box squats) it's the single-most effective movement for training the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, adductor magnus, and lumbar erectors). The posterior chain is of paramount importance to high-level performance; watch the best sprinters run, and you'll see that they seem to just "float"—and it's because they're running with their hamstrings and glutes. In contrast, watch a guy who runs with his quads, and you'll see that his hips are bouncing up and down; there's a lot of wasted movement. The glutes and hamstrings are all fast-twitch fibers with a lot of strength, speed, and size potential—potential you'll never realize without deadlift variations.