.png)
DEADLIFT FLOOR SPEED: How to Fix a Slow Pull and Explode Off the Floor
- Liam Heaney
- Jan 13
- 8 min read
DEADLIFT FLOOR SPEED: How to Fix a Slow Pull and Explode Off the Floor
The deadlift is the holy grail of strongman events.
You’d struggle to enter a strongman competition without some form of deadlift showing up - axle, silver dollar, car deadlift, max barbell, reps for time, you name it. Because of that, your deadlift can never be an afterthought. It has to be something you’re constantly refining: technique, speed, and strength.
And if there’s one part of the deadlift that separates good pullers from great ones, it’s floor speed.
If you can’t break the bar from the floor with authority, one of two things will happen:
You’ll grind and hitch your way through the rep, causing technical breakdown
Or you’ll fail the lift completely before it even gets moving
A fast, powerful start fixes both problems.
Why Floor Speed Is the Limiting Factor for Many Strongmen
A slow pull off the floor isn’t just a speed issue - it’s a force application issue.
From the moment the bar breaks contact with the ground, your body has to produce enough force to overcome inertia while maintaining position. If force output is low, or if that force leaks due to poor positioning, the bar slows. Once that happens, fatigue accumulates early and technique starts to degrade.
This is why many strongmen report having a “strong lockout” but still miss lifts. The problem isn’t the top half of the deadlift - it’s that too much effort is being spent just getting the bar moving.
Improving floor speed reduces:
Early fatigue
Positional breakdown
Reliance on hitching or compensatory mechanics
In practice, faster floor speed makes every rep cheaper from an energy standpoint - which matters hugely in both max and rep-based events.
The Two Most Common Causes of Slow Floor Speed (And Why They Matter)
In most strongman athletes, slow floor speed comes back to one of two root causes. These are not arbitrary categories - they reflect whether the issue is primarily technical or strength-based.
1. Inefficient Starting Position
A poor setup changes the mechanics of the entire lift. If your hips are too high, the deadlift becomes hinge-dominant before the bar even moves. If your shoulders are too far in front or behind the bar, force is no longer applied vertically.
In both cases, force output may still be high - but it’s not being applied efficiently into the bar. The result is slow initial movement despite sufficient strength.
2. Insufficient Hamstring Strength
The hamstrings play a key role in maintaining hip position and producing force through the early phase of the pull. When they’re weak relative to the load, the body compensates by shifting stress into the lower or mid back.
This often shows up as:
Hips drifting away from the bar
Early rounding
A visible loss of position as the bar breaks the floor
The bar slows not because you’re “weak overall”, but because the muscles responsible for that specific phase can’t meet the demand.
Diagnosing the Limiting Factor (Instead of Guessing)
Before any programming decisions are made, the limiting factor needs to be identified under realistic conditions.
Assessing the Start Position
Side-on video is the most useful tool here. You’re looking for:
A vertical bar path
Shoulders stacked over the bar
Hips set at a height that allows leg drive and tension
If the bar drifts forward or your position changes before the bar leaves the floor, the issue is likely technical rather than muscular.
Assessing Hamstring Contribution
When the bar breaks the floor, does your position immediately deteriorate? Do the hips struggle to stay close to the bar? Does the spine begin to round as soon as load is applied?
These signs suggest the hamstrings are unable to maintain tension while producing force - a strength issue rather than a setup issue.
Why Max Effort Lifts Are Essential for Accurate Diagnosis
Submaximal weights often hide weaknesses. Technique looks acceptable, positions are easier to hold, and force demands are lower.
Max effort lifts remove those buffers.
Heavy loading exposes:
Whether technique holds under stress
Whether specific muscles can meet the force demands of the lift
This is why diagnosis should always be confirmed on max effort days. Only once the weakness is clear under heavy load does it make sense to select targeted interventions.
When the Problem Is the Start Position: Reinforcing Technique Under Load
If the limiting factor is setup and consistency, the goal isn’t to add volume - it’s to increase quality exposure to heavy loads.
Why Cluster Sets Are Useful Here
Cluster sets allow heavy singles with short rest periods. The benefit isn’t fatigue - it’s repetition of high-quality execution.
Each rep allows you to:
Reset completely
Rebuild tension
Apply corrections immediately
This reinforces correct positioning without the technique degradation that comes with straight sets under fatigue.
Using cluster sets as a tool to reinforce technique (below are both upper and lower examples)
Upper Max Effort Cluster Example (Bi-Weekly Rotation)
Week 1 Log Clean & Press @92.5% - 7×1 30s rest between reps
Week 2 Log Clean & Press @95% - 7×1 30–45s rest
Lower Max Effort Cluster Example (Bi-Weekly Rotation)
Week 1 Paused Deadlift @90% - 8×1 30s rest Pause 1” off the floor
Week 2 Paused Deadlift @95% - 6×1 30–45s rest Pause 1” off the floor
Understanding the Role of the Hamstrings in the Deadlift System
In our framework, hamstrings are viewed as part of a broader system responsible for maintaining leverage during the initial phase of the deadlift.
As the bar leaves the floor, the athlete transitions from static tension into movement. During this phase, the hamstrings contribute to hip extension, but they also play an important role in preserving hip height, maintaining proximity to the bar, and supporting a consistent back angle as force is applied.
When this system is well developed, the athlete is able to apply force smoothly without disrupting their chosen positions. The lift progresses with continuity rather than adjustment. When capacity in this area is limited, small changes in posture often appear early in the pull. These changes influence bar speed and efficiency without always being immediately obvious.
For this reason, hamstring development within our programming is always considered in relation to task demands. The goal is not simply to increase strength in isolation, but to improve the athlete’s ability to tolerate tension and transmit force while holding position.
Exercise selection and loading strategies are chosen with this function in mind, so that improvements in strength support improvements in execution.
If diagnosis points toward hamstring weakness, the goal becomes clear: increase their ability to produce and maintain force in deadlift-specific positions.
Max Effort Hamstring-Focused Deadlift Block Example
Week 1
2” Deficit Deadlift Build to 3RM @ RPE 9
Accessories:
RDLs - 3×8 @ RPE 8
Bodyweight GHRs - 2×6–10
Week 2
2” Deficit Deadlift Build to 1RM @ RPE 9 Then 3×1 @ 15% off max
Accessories:
Paused RDLs - 3×8 (2s pause each rep)
Bodyweight GHRs - 2×7–11
Week 3
Stiff-Leg Deadlift Build to 3RM @ RPE 8 3s eccentric Then 3×2 @ 15% off
Accessories:
RDLs - 3×6 @ RPE 8
Banded Nordic Curls - 3×5
Week 4
Stiff-Leg Deadlift Build to 2RM
Accessories:
RDLs - 3×6 (3s eccentric)
Banded Nordic Curls - 3×6–8
Why This Works
Both increase the demand on the hamstrings during the initial phase of the pull. They don’t just make the lift “harder” - they shift more responsibility onto the muscles that are failing.
These movements are selected not because they’re popular, but because they overload the exact portion of the lift that’s limiting performance.
Max Effort Work as a Diagnostic-Driven Tool
Deficit deadlifts challenge force production from a longer range of motion.
Stiff-leg deadlifts reduce knee contribution, increasing hamstring demand.
Accessories like RDLs, GHRs, and Nordic curls are then layered in to:
Increase time under tension
Strengthen the hamstrings at longer muscle lengths
Improve resilience against breakdown under load
Each piece serves a specific purpose in supporting the main lift.
Dynamic Effort Work for Floor Speed
Why Dynamic Effort Work Complements This Process
Strength alone doesn’t guarantee speed.
Dynamic effort work teaches the nervous system to apply newly developed strength quickly. Using moderate loads with intent reinforces aggressive force production without excessive fatigue.
Deficits are again used strategically, not as a gimmick, but to ensure force is applied from the floor rather than relying on momentum.
Accessory volume is kept controlled to avoid interfering with recovery from max effort work.
Dynamic Effort Block Example
Week 1 1” Deficit Deadlift 8×2 @ 60% 60s rest
Accessories:
Hamstring Curls - 15/12/10
Week 2 1” Deficit Deadlift 8×2 @ 65% 60s rest
Accessories:
Hamstring Curls - 15/12/10
Week 3 1” Deficit Deadlift 6×2 @ 70–75% 60s rest
Accessories:
Hamstring Curls - 12/10/8
Week 4 Deadlift (no deficit) 8×2 @ 50% 60s rest
Accessories:
Hamstring Curls - 12/10/8
JHEPC Coaching Note: Dynamic Effort Work as Skill Expression
Dynamic Effort work occupies a specific place within the system.
Once strength has been developed and movement constraints have been identified through heavier work, Dynamic Effort sessions provide an opportunity to practise applying force with intent while maintaining technical consistency. These sessions reinforce the positions and sequencing established elsewhere in the week.
The structure of Dynamic Effort work is informed by the earlier diagnostic process. Variations, loading ranges, and rest periods are selected to emphasise the portion of the lift that benefits most from repeated, high-quality exposure. The aim is to rehearse effective movement patterns at speed without introducing unnecessary fatigue.
Within this framework, accessories support the primary goal by increasing tolerance and work capacity in the tissues involved. They are chosen to complement the demands of the main lift rather than compete with it.
Used in this way, Dynamic Effort work acts as a bridge between strength development and performance. It allows the athlete to express what they have built, repeatedly and consistently, in a way that carries over to heavier attempts and event settings.
A Note on Upper Back Tightness
Upper back weakness can affect floor speed by limiting tension transfer. However, in strongman athletes this is less common due to the volume of rowing and carrying already present in most programs.
When it is an issue, the solution is straightforward:
Heavy rows
Heavy farmer’s walks
Emphasis on posture under load
For most strongmen, however, slow floor speed traces back to setup or hamstring strength, not upper back development.
Fix the Cause, Not the Symptom
A slow deadlift off the floor isn’t a mystery - it’s a signal.
The key is responding to that signal intelligently:
Diagnose under load
Identify whether the issue is technical or strength-based
Select tools that directly address the cause
When force is applied efficiently and the right muscles are strong enough to support it, floor speed improves naturally.
And when floor speed improves, the entire deadlift becomes more reliable, repeatable, and competitive.
About the Author: Liam Heaney
Liam is an up-and-coming British strongman athlete who has been involved in strength training since 2019 and competing in strongman since 2021. Beginning at local beginner and novice shows, he has steadily progressed through the ranks and now competes in the u105kg category, with goals set firmly on England’s Naturals in 2026.
Alongside his competitive career, Liam is a qualified personal trainer with over two years of coaching experience, working with both general population clients and strength-focused athletes. His coaching suits strongman competitors who are newer to the sport, particularly beginners, novices, and inters looking for a coach who understands their stage of development first hand.
Liam’s approach blends his own competitive insight with practical, accessible strength training principles. He writes and coaches from the perspective of someone who has lived through the early progression stages of strongman, making his guidance especially useful for athletes building their foundation in the sport.
You can find out more about getting coached by Liam on his website HERE.
$50
Product Title
Product Details goes here with the simple product description and more information can be seen by clicking the see more button. Product Details goes here with the simple product description and more information can be seen by clicking the see more button
$50
Product Title
Product Details goes here with the simple product description and more information can be seen by clicking the see more button. Product Details goes here with the simple product description and more information can be seen by clicking the see more button.
$50
Product Title
Product Details goes here with the simple product description and more information can be seen by clicking the see more button. Product Details goes here with the simple product description and more information can be seen by clicking the see more button.
Comments