Once I get clients proficient at deadlifting and the movement is happening relatively smoothly, the most prevalent error I came across is the head crank. Everything else is perfect and then the athlete cranks their head up and it looks like this:
Through every movement we adhere to mid-line stabilisation i.e. stabilisation of the spine. When the head is held, in the position shown above, we lose this to a degree.
We want the spine in a neutral position since this is where it is strongest and safest. When we hyperextend at the cervical region of the spine (cranking the neck) we run the risk of straining this area and setting ourselves up for possible disc problems later on. In addition, what happens further up the spine will be reflected further down – so this position also encourages hyperextension at the lower back (lumbar) too.
So bring the head in line with the spine:
After reading a recent article by strength and conditioning coach Tony Gentilcore, I like his concept of packing the neck: giving yourself a bit of double chin before you lift to lock the neck into position. Try it as it does feels like a much stronger position.
Finally, if all else fails then one method I recently used was a bit of tape since some of my athletes just don’t seem to realise when they’re cranking, so I tape them into place (as demonstrated below by Chris). Happy lifting.
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