All about the deadlift

In the words of Axl Rose, Welcome to the Jungle of Deadlift variations. Touch And Go, Dead Stop, Sumo, Deficit, Trap Bar, Mixed Grip, Pronated Grip etc the list goes on and on.

Which is better? As with most fitness questions, the answer is 'it depends'. All styles & variations have their place, each with distinct benefits and better for specific goals.

In today's class we are performing the Touch & Go style, which tends to be the default in CrossFit.
In this variation you perform consecutive reps without fully releasing the tension on the bar between each rep. Instead of coming to a complete stop on the ground, you 'tap' the weight on the floor and immediately start the next repetition. Note that I used the word 'tap', not 'bounce' or 'crash'...

Touch & Go should not mean any degradation in form however. In this variation you must learn how to get tight and stay tight throughout your sets. This technique is a great way to learn how to maintain posture whilst breathing.
Other benefits include building muscular endurance, conditioning, and efficiency in workouts with higher rep ranges.

The Dead stop variation is the natural counterpart to Touch And Go. If Touch And Go is 'Welcome to the Jungle', think of Dead Stop as being the song 'Patience'.
This is where you treat every rep as a single, from a complete stop, resetting the bar on the ground before initiating the next rep. This pause eliminates any kinetic energy or 'bounce' gained from your previous rep.
In Dead Stops you need to generate maximal tension for what tends to be the hardest part of the rep - breaking the bar off the floor. This variation is excellent for developing absolute strength.

To reach 'Paradise City' we want rock solid starting position & mechanics, regardless of the variation we are performing. 

PS: Apologies for the Guns N' Roses references or should I say 'Puns N' Roses'.....