Whenever I post a video of my lifting, sometimes other powerlifters will always try to point a mistake that I might of done. In other words, they would try to critique my form and that usually happens when I upload a lifting video for all to see. They would tell me to do this and do that, don’t do this and don’t do that… blah blah blah. They would critique every aspect of my lifting and would try to get me to lift their way.

You see, I don’t usually lift the same way other powerlifters do. I just go by what the instructional videos through youtube and the internet tells me, ya know? And another thing, just because powerlifters are very experienced and have won a lot of trophies and broke a lot of records doesn’t necessarily mean they know what they’re doing. I mean, I’ve seen some of the greatest powerlifters and veterans lift with the shittiest form I’ve ever seen. Go watch some powerlifting competitions through youtube for proof on that. For example, when they go start up at the deadlift, they have some of the worst startups I’ve ever seen when they go walk up to the bar.

Many powerlifters even the great ones deadlift with rounded backs, they stand too far from the bar or they lean too far over the bar, etc. I’ve seen it all, it’s crazy. There are also too many deadlifters who lean far back on their lockouts meaning hyper-extending the back which is bad. Many powerlifters tell me to deadlift with your head looking straight forward but no, I think it’s better to deadlift with the head being neutral. Other powerlifters told me a way to deadlift is that the butt needs to be pointing down to the floor with the chest aiming up at the ceiling. I’ve tried that and it’s uncomfortable for me.

The way I like to deadlift is that I like to stand narrow, I reach down to the bar without lowering my hips at all ’cause the hips needs to be higher than the knees and the bar needs to be over mid-foot. You need to straighten your back and making sure everything is tight then you’re ready to make the pull.

Also, speaking of pulling… so many deadlifters make the mistake that it’s just a pull movement only when it’s not. When you deadlift, you think of it as being a leg press as well so when the bar comes off the floor, you use a lot of leg drive to lock it out. Using leg drive by pushing the legs to the floor as hard as you can like a leg press. That’s how I always deadlift.

I’m pretty sick of the egos in the powerlifting world acting like it’s the only way to lift and it’s getting tiresome. As long as you’re following the commands in powerlifting competitions, it doesn’t matter how you lift. You should just lift whatever works for you. You don’t have to lift how others lift. Just gotta listen to your body and lift what’s right. That’s the way my attitude always been. I’ve always done things my way.

I prefer to be a self-taught lifter. I never really enjoyed learning from other lifters. I’ve always felt comfortable doing my own thing. Every lifter is different… gotta respect that. I may not like other lifters form and technique but I just shut my mouth and let them do their own thing.

I think people critique my form ’cause they know I’m new to the powerlifting game and they’re afraid that I might be better than them and they don’t want that. They give me advice on my form and once I correct it for them, it’s always something else that’s wrong. It’s bullshit. So I just say, fuck ’em and do things my way, ya know? That’s the way to be.

Kev