Get the slack out of the bar is a common cue in deadlift coaching. You’ll hear it a lot, and you can even mock it with silly phrases like “banana honkeydorey train whistles”—the idea stays the same. So what does it really mean? In short, it’s about creating better leverage and a solid connection before you start the pull. Too many lifters yank the bar off the ground, which makes me cringe because it can stress the biceps and it often creates a loud clank as the bar hits the plates.
Getting the slack out means using the bar as a counterbalance to gain leverage and to make sure the bar and plates sit together so the setup is connected before you begin. I tell my clients to do two things: bend the bar to take out the slack, then pull.
From a technical standpoint, you should push with your legs to begin the lift, as discussed earlier in this series.
