bad leg cramps from deadlifts

[speakeasy]

The last couple times I've done deadlifts, I got up to 150lbs. Both last week and now today, I ended up getting severe cramps from my gluts all the way down the back of my leg that made me have to take a time out for awhile. Does this mean I have to go down to a lower weight? I mean I am physically capable of lifting it, but my muscles cramp up light hell. Suggestions?

Also, my fingers are now struggling to hold the bar in my hand. My legs, back and arms can support it, but the heavier my deadlifts are getting, the harder time I'm having keeping my fingers around the bar.

 

[mrRuckus]

The last couple times I've done deadlifts, I got up to 150lbs. Both last week and now today, I ended up getting severe cramps from my gluts all the way down the back of my leg that made me have to take a time out for awhile. Does this mean I have to go down to a lower weight? I mean I am physically capable of lifting it, but my muscles cramp up light hell. Suggestions?
.

Dehydration causes cramps, yellow pee-er.

 

[KontrollerX]

Ruckus is pretty much right.

Vitamin B12 may be lacking in you as well.

 

[Kerpal]

Are you using a double overhand grip or a switched grip? Double overhand is way harder, I do a switched grip when I deadlift but I switch which hand is switched (lol) every week to try to stay balanced.

Example:

Week A: Right hand facing me, left hand facing away.
Week B: Left hand facing me, right hand facing away.

 

[mintxx]

use lifting straps, within reason. warm up and cool down on a bike. take glutamine.
or, if you're not really interested in pulling big weight, just bench and squat with towels wrapped around the bar so it's thicker, improves your grip strength more effectively than those sprung calipers people use.

remember, if someone tells you 'don't use straps because you want your wrists to keep up with your back' tell them to piss off. in practical life you want your back to be far stronger than it is required to be, so it's never pushed to the limit. it'll always be capable of being trained beyond what your wrists will take raw.
and as the post above sort of says, use a mixed grip to prevent wrist torque

 

[Kev07]

Your grip is normal, grip will start to stagger once weights go up. Though at 150, seems like your grip is really weak.

Make sure used staggerred grip like stated above.

Also, what are your squats at?

And I hope you are stretching your legs before and after deadlifts right?

You could also go sit in the sauna or do light cardio before deadlift to warm up even more.


If you want, you could work on your grips by doing pull ups, or lower the weight on the deadlift, use double overhand grip, and do higher reps.

 

[speakeasy]

^^^

I've been using double overhand, but I'll try some alternative grips and see if that helps at all. My squats are at 140. I've been working out for maybe around 2 months now. Started off only squatting 50, so I've improved.

 

[mrRuckus]

Lately i've been deadlifting like this:

set 1
325x8 (overhand grip)

set 2
365x8 (staggered grip. actually do about the first 4-5 and then reverse them because it gets too hard to keep going... and keeps it even)

set 3
400x8 (add straps and belt)


So i do all the grips in a workout... I didn't really plan it that way on purpose but my back strength woops up on my grip strength.

 

[speakeasy]

Maaaan, how much do you weigh? And what's your height? It's going to be a looooong time before I'm able to get up to 400lbs deadlifts.

 

[Being_the_Don]

I'm using switched grip when I'm doing higher weight deadlifts. And I'm feeling the effects of that workout right now. Deadlifts are going to be a regular part of my routine from now on.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Maaaan, how much do you weigh? And what's your height? It's going to be a looooong time before I'm able to get up to 400lbs deadlifts.

MrR, 400 for 8 is a great lift, belt or no belt. I know you don't log your progress anymore but I remember you knuckled down and did the eating and the lifting, no overanalysing (well maybe a little) and plain hard work - and that's how you progress. Just get your head down, eat your protein, do the lifts 2-3 a week and see the weight just fly up.

Kudos my friend, 500 is not far away, in fact you could probably have a fair crack at it now with straps and belt.

And not an eggwhite in sight!