Jeremy Ethier walks through his pre-deadlift routine for heavy weight over 400 pounds: extend your chest and get tall, activate your lats by squeezing your armpits like you're holding oranges, brace your core hard, and pull the slack out of the bar before you lift.
Over 400 pounds.
June 2025.
This is me deadlifting over 400 pounds. But here's what you don't see. First, I straighten my back by extending my chest and getting tall from my hips all the way to my head. Then I activate my lats by thinking about bending the bar towards me, squeezing my armpits as if I had oranges in them and I was trying to make juice. Next, I brace my core hard, as if someone was about to punch my stomach. Then I pull the slack out of the bar by pushing the floor down with my feet before exerting full effort to lift the weight. All of this will maximize your strength and prevent injury, especially on the first most difficult republic.
