The head-on view is not one I use very often for deadlifts, just because it fails to include some of the most crucial aspects of the lift (flat back, bar path, etc.). However, I found this view useful in my most recent deadlift session.

As my sets go on, I’m often interested in watching bar speed. As we fatigue, our explosive power naturally drops. How much it drops can be an indicator of how much fatigue we are experiencing.

This was my final set of deadlifts for the night (320 lbs for sets of 3) and I was pleasantly surprised to see the bar speed — and only the bar speed. There’s nothing else to distract from watching the bar go from the floor to lockout.

If we just gauge the speed of the bar (and not the really weird faces I make when I lift) it’s safe to say this set was around an RPE 7. That fits right in with my programming, as this is the lightest of the next three weeks.

Just something cool I noticed in a video that initially seemed worthless. That’s why I record these lifts, after all! To document my training and hopefully provide people with a little bit of value.