Zercher DLs

When lifting off the ground, aren't those called Spider deadlifts? Aren't Zerchers when you DL up to your thighs and switch grip there?


John Lambert said:
Obviously, likkuid, you found how I do 'em. Just be very careful of the negative that way on heavy reps.
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John, any tips on how to properly set up, execute it? I can't seem to find and tutorial or how to on Google or YouTube, which is odd.
 
John Lambert said:
It's a stretch for me to get into the starting position. On my warm-up sets at 135 and 225, I have a hard time getting the bar to touch the floor between reps.


Sweet. One of my videos posted as a reference by somebody else. lol.

Obviously, likkuid, you found how I do 'em. Just be very careful of the negative that way on heavy reps.
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I'm going to start doing them again, but when I was doing them regularly I would have to start off with the weight racked in the squat rack. I would then unrack it, step back and ZDL it down so that it touched the ground for a second or so before coming back up. Like squats, I need a lot of weight inorder to fully stretch out.

162.5 for a double that way, a iffy 170 for a double as well, but so iffy I don't count it.
 
likkuid said:
When lifting off the ground, aren't those called Spider deadlifts? Aren't Zerchers when you DL up to your thighs and switch grip there?
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I believe what you're refering to is simply called the Zercher Lift (The one Ed Zercher himself did and popularized). Bastardizations of this Zercher lift are the Zercher DL (DLing with a Zercher grip throughout the whole ROM) and the Zercher Squat (squatting with a Zercher grip throughout the whole ROM). It's all in the nomenclature.
 
745 said:
+1

Z deads DESTROY my lower back. Fantastic lift, though, and they will assuredly make a man out of you. Don't get cocky on weight starting out either. My ZDL PR is 175 less than my DL PR.
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My ZDL ended up being greater then my normal DL.

I sweat like a rapist in a school yard and not allowed chalk so....
 
likkuid said:
When lifting off the ground, aren't those called Spider deadlifts? Aren't Zerchers when you DL up to your thighs and switch grip there?


John, any tips on how to properly set up, execute it? I can't seem to find and tutorial or how to on Google or YouTube, which is odd.
Click to expand...


BlastBeats had it right. The Zercher Lift is DLing the weight, resting it on the legs, hooking the arms, and then squatting it up from there. ZDLs and ZSquats are just variations based on this. I've never heard of Spider Deadlifts before.

I think that Zercher Deadlifts done in the manner I do them are pretty much a Sherdog S&P lift. I've searched Youtube, and IIRC, the only people who do 'em from the ground are S&Pers. Other people do them from a rack so that the ROM is pretty close to a normal deadlift, or only slightly increased. Zercher Squats on the other hand are a fairly common squat variant.

Really, I just learned by watching vids of other guys on here who were doing them. I stand with my feet a little wider than shoulder width & pointing out. Then I bend down, hook one arm and use it to pull myself the rest of the way so I can hook the other (my elbows are between my legs), grab my hands like a MT clinch, and just try to stand up. Generally, I try to get my hips fairly low so that I get my legs involved into the lift as much as possible.
 
Alright cool, thanks. I'll just watch a bunch of videos then. I'll make sure to post a video up sometime to make sure I'm doing it right.
 
+1 on us being the only ones who do them. I get the strangest looks when I do them in the gym, and no one has seen them before.
 
John, it looked like you were getting a LOT of lower back arch in your video. Is this not dangerous?
 
I think you mean rounding, and yes, it is dangerous to a certain degree. However, when picking up virtually any object (stone, a big box, person, etc.) in the the real world, the fact is that we will not be lifting it with ideal deadlift mechanics. Doing rounded back training allows you to prepare for the inevitable in a controlled manner.
 
So, how many S&P users got their backs injured doing these ?
 
*has not injured his back doing zerchers*
 
745 said:
+1 on us being the only ones who do them. I get the strangest looks when I do them in the gym, and no one has seen them before.
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Yeah, a guy came up to me once while I was doing them and was asking who told me to do them and he said it looked like I was gunna hurt my back. I just said they were legit and my back was fine. He didn't believe me.
 
"those look like they'll hurt your back."

"i'm sorry who are you and how much do you deadlift?"

"I'm uh... well... dead-what now?"

"right... on your way then! Go ahead, bugger off!"
 
Urban said:
"those look like they'll hurt your back."

"i'm sorry who are you and how much do you deadlift?"

"I'm uh... well... dead-what now?"

"right... on your way then! Go ahead, bugger off!"
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I just say 'well I've been doing this for ages and have never done anything, how many injuries have you developed doing curls'.


No I don't I usually just glare at them, grunt and then go back to ZDLing while mumbling 'pussy'
 
Finnegan has injured others due in part to ZDL's.
 
Ok, today I overcame my fear and tried ZDL's, did a couple of reps with 55kg, and went for 85, did 2 singles (even recorded one, if someone wants to see).

It's a great exercise and it seems like a good stone lifting simulation, but other than that it still feels wiser to just do back raises and GM / RDL for the lower back. I'm still gonna use them, but light and for a couple of singles every now and then.. :)

PS props to anyone who has the balls to go for a 1rm on these !
 
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