Good news! You suck.

I have been deadlifting a barbell for more than 8 years (cool story, bro).

In that time, I’ve had different views about how to do it correctly, what cues to use, and the significance of the movement itself. One thing hasn’t changed though –  the view that you are always a student of the game.

No one, ever, in the history of the world, has been ‘perfect’ at deadlifting, and if they claim to be…. Stop listening to them. Some of the best powerlifters and coaches in the world won’t tell you they’re perfect at it, because they know they can’t be.

Only recently, I’ve had another ‘breakthrough’. I can now very consciously ‘feel’ my lats stiffen, and stabilise my lower back. I had always thought I knew this feeling, after cueing ‘tight lats, shoulder blades to bum’ countless amount of times. However, after the 17,516th deadlift (who’s counting?) I’ve made this mind-muscle connection between my lats and my lower back (again, cool story). But, this raises the whole point of this piece.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is an interesting phenomenon, and one that’s very fun to observe over internet arguments. In it’s simplest form, beginners think they’re experts, and experts think they’re beginners. It also touches on the idea that ‘the more you know, the more you realise you don’t know’, and that the pursuit of knowledge is an endless and too-vast endeavour (albeit, worth undertaking).

Almost subconsciously, after years of deadlifting, I had started to think ‘you’re getting pretty good at this, and know what you’re talking about’, only to be taught another lesson by the barbell and feel like a beginner all over again (How come I hadn’t properly felt my lats before!?).  

Right when you think you’re getting on top of something, ‘check yo-self’ and adopt a beginner’s mentality. Always approach something as though you suck at it and need to absorb as much of it as possible. No one has ever had too much knowledge. No one has ever been too good at deadlifting.