#Do I avoid things that require me to pick; where there is no gender-neutral option? Yes.

[canichangemyblogname]

The gender dysphoria questions they ask you can be so silly. They ask me about my dreams and if I'm comfortable seeing the "F" marker on my passport. And - like - I don't remember my dreams, and my passport is in a safe in my crawlspace? They're asking if I'm uncomfortable or if I hesitate when marking my sex/gender on "official" forms or documents at any point in the last year. I have not had to do any such thing in the last year.

"Over the last year, have you acted and/or dressed as a member of the opposite gender in social gatherings or in private?"

And my brain immediately goes to: "define acted and/or dressed." Like. I can hardly count a t-shirt and jeans as "dressing like a man" or "dressing like a woman." Most of what I own would be classified as "unisex" (gender neutral). And what does it mean to "act like a man"? Are you asking if I chop wood in the forest at night??? What are you getting at here???

Like. I try, I guess? It doesn't work. It's not like writing emails and wearing a polo are explicitly "male" things to do.

[bnha-scenarios]

Okay, so, first thing first. The second half of September and the whole October has been a wild ride.

Apparently this game blew up on TikTok (and probably some other platform or something?), and now I could see that there are tons of you who downloaded the game. That's just... so... unreal, at least to me. I didn't think this project would get so much attention. Even now, I’m still waiting to wake up from this dream 🙃

Anyway, if you’re new here: welcome! Sit back and relax, ‘cause this is gonna be a long ride!

I want to take this opportunity to say that due to the amount of comments, especially on itch.io page and my Tumblr, I won’t be always replying personally one by one to everyone anymore. I'll still try my best to answer questions and all, but I think by now everyone's common questions should already be answered in the FAQ page. So, moving forward, questions I have already answered inside that page will be ignored.

Still, I want you to know that I do read and treasure every single one of your comments. Thank you so much for your encouraging words, support, and suggestions! I'm sorry I can’t reply to those writing in languages other than English and Indonesian. While I can throw simple comments into Google Translate, every now and then the translator butchers long sentences and gives me garbled translation which I can't understand 😥

  ☕️ Special Thanks ☕️ 

I'd like to also take this chance to say, many, many thanks for the coffee, you all amazing, generous people:

M.L. | Dominique | Genki | Sara | 1 Anon

Even in this hard time, you’re all so kind. Again, I can’t really do much, but as my way of thanking you, your names will be put under Special Thanks in the game ♡ 

Alright, now, to the real essence of this post: progress update.

My work had been pretty demanding nearing the end of this month, and it made me get really sick of doing coding in general. Still, there is some progress on the game, and that’s good enough for me!

More details below ↓

Character Sheet: You / Player / Main Character

Before I get to anything else, let’s talk about ‘you’ first, shall we?

Although the main character's name is changeable, if you don’t wish to pick a name for them, ‘Suzuki Kaede’ is set as the default name.

Why Suzuki? I figured I would just take from one of the most common Japanese surnames.

Why Kaede? I chose it because I wanted a common Japanese unisex name, because the main character themselves is supposed to be gender neutral. So, the name came up as one of the results in Google, it has a somewhat nice and neutral meaning (maple), and I find that it sounds pretty nice, I decided to use it.

To reiterate, throughout the game, I try my best to not mention any physical characteristics and avoid elements which leans heavily to a specific gender in the story. All the characters in the game will also call you with your last name, and only neutral suffix (-san) is used at first. But you could get an event where you would be able to pick how the love interest will call the player, starting from that point in the story (on top of neutral options, there will be choices with gender-specific suffixes which you could pick if you want to). Other than that, all characters will always refer to the MC as ‘they/them’.

Now, moving on to the thing which people has asked about -- the player's Quirk. Here's a text version in case you couldn't see it in the image above for some reason:

What happens when a woman with Enhanced Learning quirk and a man with Camera Vision procreates? A child with exemplary learning ability and a pair of exceptionally observant eyes, apparently! The hereditary Vision you got from your father enables you to focus or scan an object or landscapes. With all the cues and information from your eyes, it seems that you're able to analyze and 'see' particular details of your object of interest in the form of numerical data. Due to the mainly passive nature of your quirk, you have to rely on the traditional weapons for offense, which might not be useful at all depending on your opponent's quirk. It's a plain and nonoffensive ability which isn’t so suited for a hero according to most people, but whatever - you’ll show those noobs the power of a gamer!

In other words, the information in 'Stats',  ' Weapon Proficiency', 'Special Moves', and even the 'Affection' meter, are actually part of the MC's Quirk. This also means, the more you hone your Quirk, the more it could affect your gameplay. I'll talk about that on the Gameplay section below.

There is one thing that’s kind of related to the MC's Quirk and I wanted to clarify. Bakugou did call you this in the demo, and yep, you might have guessed it: “crosshair eyes”. Reticle, crosshair, whatever you want to call it -- it’s that symbol you usually see in the center of your screen whenever you play FPS games. This is the only physical feature of the player's character that I specified (and yes, canonically, Hatsume has a pair of similar looking eyes in the original work). In relation to this, the icon for ‘activating’ your Quirk matches the same symbol.

Gameplay

Introducing: Stats, Special Moves, and Video Games!

Stats

There are 5 basic Stats for all of the characters in the game (brownie points if you recognize where they're taken from!): Speed, Technique, Power, Intelligence, Cooperativeness.

Your own Stats start off low, but you will be able to increase it by doing various activities, such as studying, playing games, winning on Heroics lessons, going to certain places, etc. Different activities raises different Stat, and you're free to choose which particular Stat you want to develop.

What are Stats being used for?

Certain Stat will increase a certain character’s affection, though it won’t be as much as if you hang out with that character.

There are certain places which you can only unlock when a specific Stat reaches a certain point. I’ll talk about hang out places and characters’ schedules in another post.

Weekly one-on-one training matches in Heroics lessons will test a specific Stat or Special Moves each time. Depending on who you chose to become your opponent, that specific Stat will determine the outcome of that match. On one hand, winning these matches can increase your Stat, but on the other hand, there are also special events you could possibly unlock when you lose. Again, I’ll probably talk more in detail about this in another post, since I still don't have the coding part down, so things might change.

Special Moves

Every hero has a Special Move in this universe, and so does the player’s character! While they might not be as flashy as All Might’s iconic United States of Smash, some of your Special Moves will have a direct effect on the gameplay. For example, a certain Special Move could unlock more answer choices for certain scenarios. Another Special Move could be activated to give you hints on how many affection points will be added to a character for the available choices.

You have a total of 5 unlockable Special Moves, and it will be up to you to use this feature: do you spend your time trying to unlock all of it in hope to make your gameplay easier, or ignore them completely in favor of balancing your Stats while pursuing the affection of your chosen love interest? It’s your choice!

(More brownie points for you if you got the reference in that picture lol)

Another use for Special Moves would be in the Heroics lessons, seeing as it might test how your Special Move fares against the opponent you picked.

Video Games

I would say that this particular element plays quite a big role in this game, since the MC learns and develops themselves by playing games. While you do have a set of games which you’ve owned, you’re able to purchase new games from the Video Game store. I would recommend doing this, as there are some neat ones which will help you greatly in your playthrough. But if you're not interested to explore them, that's fine too!

Each video game has a different effect, and it’s up to you to discover them! Or, perhaps, you could unlock a Special Move that allows you to know what effect each of the game has? 😉

What are Video Games being used for?

Most games will only increase specific Stat(s), but there are also others that can unlock Special Moves.

There is one game which helps you to unlock Stats or Special Moves of your classmates, which you can use in the Heroics lesson to pick a suitable opponent based on your current Stats.

In addition to all that, there are 2P games which require more than one person to play, and you could play them with your romance target when they’re available. On top of building your Cooperativeness, choosing the right answers during the gaming session will increase that character's affection.

Others

The basic functions behind some activities like studying, buying video games, and playing video games are done. I will probably move on to code the functions handling the Heroics lesson’s battles and the behind-the-scenes of when the player chooses to go to certain places.

I've also finished the two main custom screens, which is the Quirk and Games page. If I have time and the motivation, I'm guessing I'll be adding the two other additional screens I had thought of doing. We'll see.

Assets

This part is my nightmare, because I’m a perfectionist who’s far too picky when gathering resources…

But no assets = no game, so I did find several assets which I did like. This includes backgrounds, audios, background musics, and some sprites I was planning to use for developing the phone call function. I’m not going to list down all the things I found here, because I don’t think any of you would be interested in a long-ass list, but here’s an amazing background picture which I stumbled upon searching the dark abyss that is the internet:

Full credits to the artist: https://arsenixc.artstation.com/

Writing

I would have to say there isn't too much progress on this side yet, but I did decide on some story elements I want to insert into the game and scripted in a few scenes for the first day. I also managed to code in the dialogs for some common activities / places, like the video game store and a small part of school lunch time.

Honestly, I should probably create a sheet to identify how many scenes I would have to write? So all of us know the progress for this part of the development? ..... Let's see how it goes when my OCD flares up...

Disclaimers

All assets included in the devlogs are not mine, and credits to the asset owners / websites will be included in the game! My Hero Academia / Boku no Hero Academia ⓒ Horikoshi Kouhei

[neocab]

Translating the Cyberpunk Future

I'm a video game translator, and I love my job. It's odd work, sometimes stressful, sometimes bewildering, but it always provides interesting and inspiring challenges. Every project brings new words, slang, and cultural trends to discover, but translating also forces me to reflect on language itself. Each job also comes with its own unique set of problems to solve. Some have an exact solution that can be found in grammar or dictionaries, but others require a more... creative approach.

Sometimes, the language we’re translating from uses forms and expressions that simply have no equivalent in the language we’re translating to. To bridge such gaps, a translator must sometimes invent (or circumvent), but most importantly they must understand. Language is ever in flux. It’s an eternal cultural battleground that evolves with the lightning speed of society itself. A single word can hurt a minority, give shape to a new concept, or even win an election. It is humanity’s most powerful weapon, especially in the Internet Age, and I always feel the full weight of responsibility to use it in an informed manner.

One of my go-to ways for explaining the deep complexity of translation is the relationship between gender (masculine and feminine) and grammar. For example, in English this is a simple sentence:

"You are fantastic!"

Pretty basic, right? Easy to translate, no? NOT AT ALL!

Once you render it into a gendered language like Italian, all its facets, its potential meanings, break down like shards.

Sei fantastico! (Singular and masculine)

Sei fantastica! (Singular and feminine)

Siete fantastici! (Plural and masculine)

Siete fantastiche! (Plural and feminine)

If we were translating a movie, selecting the correct translation wouldn't be a big deal. Just like in real life, one look at the speakers would clear out the ambiguity in the English text. Video game translation, however, is a different beast where visual cues or even context is a luxury, especially if a game is still in development. Not only that, but the very nature of many games makes it simply impossible to define clearly who is being addressed in a specific line, even when development has ended. Take an open world title, for example, where characters have whole sets of lines that may be addressed indifferently to single males or females or groups (mixed or not) within a context we don't know and can't control.

In the course of my career as a translator, time and time again this has led into one of the most heated linguistic debates of the past few years: the usage of the they/them pronoun. When I was in grade school, I was taught that they/them acted as the third person plural pronoun, the equivalent of the Italian pronoun "essi." Recently, though, it has established itself as the third person singular neutral, both in written and spoken English. Basically, when we don't know whether we're talking about a he/him or a she/her, we use they/them. In this way, despite the criticism of purists, the English language has brilliantly solved all cases of uncertainty and ambiguity. For instance:

“Somebody forgot their backpack at the party.”

Thanks to the use of the pronoun "their," this sentence does not attribute a specific gender to the person who has forgotten the backpack at the party. It covers all the bases. Smooth, right? Within the LGBT circles, those who don’t recognize themselves in gender binarism have also adopted the use of they/them. Practically speaking, the neutral they/them pronoun is a powerful tool, serving both linguistic accuracy and language inclusiveness. There's just one minor issue: We have no "neutral pronouns" in Italian.

It's quite the opposite, if anything! In our language, gender informs practically everything, from adjectives to verbs. On top of that, masculine is the default gender in case of ambiguity or uncertainty. For instance:

Two male kids > Due bambini

Two female kids > Due bambine

One male kid and one female kid > Due bambini

In the field of translation, this is a major problem that often requires us to find elaborate turns of phrase or different word choices to avoid gender connotations when English maintains ambiguity. As a professional, it’s not only a matter of accuracy but also an aesthetic issue. In a video game, when a character refers to someone using the wrong gender connotation, the illusion of realism is broken. My colleagues and I have been navigating these pitfalls for years as best we can. Have you ever wondered why one of the most common Italian insults in video games is "pezzo di merda"? That's right. "Stronzo" and "bastardo" give a gender connotation, while "pezzo di merda" does not.

A few months ago, together with the Gloc team, I had the pleasure of working on the translation of Neo Cab, a video game set in a not too distant future with a cyberpunk and dystopian backdrop (and, sadly, a very plausible one). The main character is Lina, a cabbie of the "gig economy," who drives for a hypothetical future Uber in a big city during a time of deep social unrest. The story is told mainly through her conversation with the many clients she picks up in her taxi. When the game’s developers gave us the reference materials for our localization, they specified that one of the client characters was "non-binary" and that Lina respectfully uses the neutral "they/them" pronoun when she converses with them.

"Use neutral pronouns or whatever their equivalent is in your language," we were told.

I remember my Skype chat with the rest of the team. What a naive request on the client's part! Neutral pronouns? It would be lovely, but we don't have those in Italian! So what do we do now? The go-to solution in these cases is to use masculine pronouns, but such a workaround would sacrifice part of Lina’s character and the nuance of one of the interactions the game relies on to tell the story. Sad, no? It was the only reasonable choice grammatically-speaking, but also a lazy and ill-inspired one. So what were we to do? Perhaps there was another option...

Faced with losing such an important aspect of Lina’s personality, we decided to forge ahead with a new approach. We had the opportunity to do something different, and we felt like we had to do the character justice. In a game that's completely based on dialogue, such details are crucial. What's more, the game's cyberpunk setting gave us the perfect excuse to experiment and innovate. Language evolves, so why not try to imagine a future where Italian has expanded to include a neutral pronoun in everyday conversations? It might sound a bit weird, sure, but cyberpunk literature has always employed such gimmicks. And rather than take away from a character, we could actually enrich the narrative universe with an act of "world building" instead.

After contacting the developers, who enthusiastically approved of our proposal, we started working on creating a neutral pronoun for our language. But how to go about that was a question in itself. We began by studying essays on the subject, like Alma Sabatini's Raccomandazioni per un uso non sessista della lingua italiana (Recommendations for a non-sexist usage of the Italian language). We also analyzed the solutions currently adopted by some activists, like the use of asterisks, "x," and "u."

Siamo tutt* bellissim*.

Siamo tuttx bellissimx.

Siamo tuttu bellissimu.

I’d seen examples of this on signs before, but it had always seemed to me that asterisks and such were not meant to be a solution, but rather a way to highlight the issue and start a discourse on something that's deeply ingrained in our language. For our cyberpunk future, we wanted a solution that was more readable and pronounceable, so we thought we might use schwa (ə), the mid central vowel sound. What does it sound like? Quite familiar to an English speaker, it's the most common vowel sound. Standard Italian doesn’t have it, but having been separated into smaller countries for most of its history, Italy has an extraordinary variety of regional languages (“dialetti”) and many of them use this sound. We find it in the final "a" of "mammeta" in Neapolitan, for instance (and also in the dialects of Piedmont and Ciociaria, and in several other Romance languages). To pronounce it, with an approximation often seen in other romance languages, an Italian only needs to pretend not to pronounce a word's last vowel.

Schwa was also a perfect choice as a signifier in every possible way. Its central location in phonetics makes it as neutral as possible, and the rolled-over "e" sign "ə" is reminiscent of both a lowercase "a" (the most common feminine ending vowel in Italian) and of an unfinished "o" (the masculine equivalent). The result is:

Siamo tuttə bellissimə.

Not a perfect solution, perhaps, but eminently plausible in a futuristic cyberpunk setting. The player/reader need only look at the context and interactions to figure it out. The fact that we have no "ə" on our keyboards is easily solved with a smartphone system upgrade, and though the pronunciation may be difficult, gender-neutrals wouldn't come up often in spoken language. Indeed, neutral alternatives are most needed in writing, especially in public communication, announcements, and statements. To be extra sure our idea worked as intended and didn't overlook any critical issues, we submitted it to a few LGBT friends, and with their blessing, then sent our translation to the developers.

Fast forward to now, and the game is out. It has some schwas in it, and nobody complained about our proposal for a more inclusive future language. It took us a week to go through half a day's worth of work, but we're happy with the result. Localization is not just translation, it's a creative endeavour, and sometimes it can afford to be somewhat subversive. To sum up the whole affair, I'll let the words of Alma Sabatini wrap things up:

"Language does not simply reflect the society that speaks it, it conditions and limits its thoughts, its imagination, and its social and cultural advancement." — Alma Sabatini

Amen.

[imaginesportsanimedorks]

Hey!!! Can I request Makoto Hanamiya x reader?

Wahaha hows everyone im back again after almost a year (this is a Thing now isnt it) 

I didn’t do Lemony Things because you didn’t ask for it, but i couldnt think of what to write so I tossed in a bunch of tropes into my fave bot tatsu’s choosing command and um so this is a teacher au

this is set in hanamiya and co’s second year and everything’s the same except reader is a TEACHER at his school (not that much older, I headcanon them to be arnd 4/5 years older than the guys here?) so if thats not your thing feel free to not read it, take care

tldr; teacher!reader x student!hanamiya, gender neutral reader, sfw, ~2k words

—

Being the youngest teacher in school, relatively attractive and good at your job assures that most of the student body adores you. Some of them find you irritating, because you take your job seriously and it thwarts their hopes of getting an unfair extension, or handing in a shoddy assignment and getting good grades. Others respect you for it. You’ve had your fair share of teachers who completely disregard students or give them too much of an advantage, and you never want to be like them. You’re there to do your job, and that requires you to be dedicated and sincere. It’s more than just teaching kids, it’s about shaping their lives and you can’t ruin that just by not taking things seriously.

You pay attention to the rules, and you make sure that students do too. It’s a rich school, so the students don’t get into petty things deigned below their status, but sometimes their offences are all the more complicated. You don’t know how to deal with a feud between the heirs of two corporations which manifests itself in the form of a midnight brawl, nor do you know how to deal with people sneaking their boyfriends or girlfriends into the campus when you can’t tell if the rich kid belongs to your school or not. But you try your best, because you’ve become the discipline committee’s advisor, and if the students can handle things, you surely can.

It’s when you notice a certain pattern that you don’t know how to continue your job. The committee is just as disciplined as required from the rest of the students. They are the epitome of perfection, second only to the council that takes care of the business of the entire school. Yet, you’ve noticed something about Hanamiya from the discipline committee, and it’s thrown you for a loop.

He’s a great student; top grades, always polite and courteous, a member of the basketball club, that too as the captain… he’s nothing short of excellent. And he’s been beating kids up during his basketball matches, with the help of his team.

It pains you to think of all the people he’s possibly put into the hospital, all the people who might be unable to play for the rest of their life. But despite everything in you screaming to report him to the concerned authorities, you remain quiet.

It’s not like you have any proof either. It happened only because you heard some people from another school talking about his team, and to make sure the gossip wasn’t real, you’d paid extra attention to their next game. The rumours had been true.

You start observing him carefully, your eyes seeking him out more frequently - when you’re teaching him in class, when you’re in the committee’s room, when you walk by the gym and peek in through the windows. It’s weird, you have no explanation for it so you hope every day that no one ever finds out or asks you about it. But you can’t keep your eyes off of him.

And the more you look at him, the more you think of nothing but him. Or maybe it’s the other way round? Either way, you’ve got a guilty secret of your own on your hands. You like watching Hanamiya Makoto even when he’s doing absolutely nothing.

He hasn’t caught on, still smiling his polite smile at you during committee meetings, still answering questions perfectly in class, and still not noticing you loitering outside the gym.

It’s one of those times when you’re outside the gym, absently looking through the window wondering where Hanamiya is, when someone croons, “What brings you here, sensei?”

You inhale sharply, freezing. You don’t want to turn around, you can’t, not when Hanamiya is standing right behind you, and has caught you in the process of trying to locate him inside the gym.

Internally yelling at yourself, you exhale, plastering a smile on your face and turning around, “Oh, Hanamiya-kun, I was just passing by and thought I’d check in.” Best to stick to the truth. You didn’t want to make up an outlandish lie and get caught.

“Would you like to come in?”

Did you hear him correctly? You stare at him blankly, mind trying to process his words and coming up with nothing in return. Is he inviting you in? If so, why? What does he get out of letting you watch him practice? Could it be a scheme to get you in a secluded place and then threaten you?

Or maybe you just have an overactive imagination, and Hanamiya suspects nothing and is just extending the invitation out of common courtesy. You’re a teacher after all, it’s not the first time someone’s tried to butter you up for some extra credits, even if you wouldn’t follow through. A voice at the back of your mind jeers, you’ve already favoured Hanamiya by not telling people about his tactics.

“It’s alright, I have some work to finish up so I’d better get going.” You refuse. You’ve decided that you’re not going to come here again. Today’s the first and the last time you plan to get caught.

“Is it committee work?” Hanamiya asks, and unbidden, you nod. “You don’t have to worry about that. I will do my best to assist you. Please come in, I’d love if you did. If you’re worried you’ll get hit by a ball, don’t be. My team doesn’t needlessly toss it about.”

The way he calls the team his, as if he owns it, doesn’t escape you. With no other option, you nod. It’s better if you see them playing from up close once, isn’t it?

He smiles, walking back up the steps leading to the gym, and holds the door open for you. You slip in, and he shuts it behind you. Now you’re in the lion’s den without any escape.

No, that’s not it, you scold yourself. You’re a teacher, you’re still much more powerful against some high school boys.

You sit down in a corner of the gym, trying to put on an air of almost disinterest, even though you’re incredibly curious.

They resume practicing, his teammates not even commenting on your presence as if it’s the most natural thing for you to be there, and for a moment you entertain the extremely embarrassing thought that maybe they all know you’ve been lurking. Please, no. Anything but that. You don’t know what you’d do if someone asked you about it.

Because without the thing about you being concerned about the things the basketball team is potentially doing, you’re doing the same thing girls in your grade used to do back when you were in school; stalking boys on athletic teams for less than pure reasons. If someone thought that you’re doing that now, it’d be so much worse. You’re a teacher. Despite how attractive your students can occasionally get, they’re not for you to feast your eyes on.

Soon, you go back on your words completely and are watching them openly, awed at the way the ball passes from one person to another and into the hoop. You’ve never been the best at sports, but people who are this talented are always admirable to you.

If only they didn’t use underhanded tactics, a voice says in your head, and your expression turns sour.

Maybe you’re wrong. You’re still trying to hold onto the idea that what happened during the game you watched was a one-time thing, and they’d played the rest of their matches with the utmost sportsmanship. You just feel bad, suspecting them of foul play when you don’t actually have much to go by other than one game and a remark from some unknown student of another school.

Hanamiya is a great guy, a good student and committee member who always helps you out and pays attention in your class. Considering he acts as the coach as well, you sincerely doubt that he’d be unaware of what the rest of the team does. If they were the ones engaging in foul play, you doubt he’d let it happen.

You’re obsessing over this when the air around you gets charged, and you lift your eyes just in time to watch as a ball almost hits your face. It whizzes past you and hits the wall hard, before bouncing off onto the ground and away. You say nothing, heart in your throat as you try to calm down, but you can’t, not when they’re all staring at you wordlessly.

Finally, Hanamiya makes his way over to you, and bends down, picking up the ball. Straightening, he looks down at you, and your eyes meet his, mind at war as you try to look away while also wishing you could stare at him forever. “You okay, sensei?”

You blink. “I- uh, yes, yes I am. It didn’t hit me.”

“Sorry about that, Hara was playing around and accidentally sent it your way.” You peek around him to watch as a purple haired boy holds up a hand, cheekily singing, ‘Sorry, sensei~’

He sounds anything but sorry. “Who even hits the ball that hard while playing around…” you mumble, biting your lip once you realise you’ve spoken out loud.

Hanamiya cracks a smile, and you uncomfortably avoid his eyes. “He’s a bit enthusiastic. Please don’t be upset, we’re very sorry. I understand if you’d like to leave now.”

“No, it’s okay,” the words spill out, “Accidents happen. It’s good that he’s enthusiastic. You need that in sports, right?” You laugh, overly cheerful because otherwise you’d just cry, and for a moment, your student’s eyes widen. Clearly, he wasn’t expecting you to want to stay. Well then, you’ll just prove him wrong. You pull your lips into a bright smile, and continue, “Please, I’m alright, so go back and play.”

Hanamiya nods, and the rest of the practice passes by in a blur. You’re playing attention now, and the way they play is almost hypnotising. Hanamiya and the other boy you teach - Seto, who sleeps through every class but miraculously answers correctly when he’s called up to the board to solve questions - render the others unable to score as they make some sort of elaborate formation that passes over your head. You’re so interested that it comes as a disappointment when they announce the end of practice.

You get up, trying not to lose balance as blood rushes through your legs again after sitting for so long. You’re reminded of all the work waiting for you, and you wince. Hanamiya had said he’d help you, but it was actually work for you, a student couldn’t do anything about it. You’d just spent the past hour and a half watching the basketball club play around like someone with no work pending.

Another late night, that’s all you could do about it now.

But as they all bow down and thank you, you can’t help but smile. It was certainly much more enjoyable than staring at documents, if you were being completely honest. You spent half the time wondering if the kids were as bad as people made them out to be, and the rest of it completely enthralled by them. Suffice it to say, you’d had a good afternoon.

You look at Hanamiya, head tilted to the side as you watch him give our orders to the juniors, and you allow yourself a second to admire his profile. He reminds you of one of your classmates from school, talented, good leadership skills and just overall admirable. And it’s painfully obvious that Hanamiya Makoto is handsome as well.

But that was that and this is this, and you’re not going to dwell upon it.

You don’t say anything to him, just slip out of the gym and walk off quietly. Once you’re far away, you turn back and stare at the gym. It’s getting late, the sky bathed yellow as the sun prepares to set, and below it the gym building looks majestic, standing tall.

You can hear the sounds of the boys cleaning up, and a smile spreads across your face.

Maybe you could come here again.

—

i quite like how this turned out tbh, id make it longer if i wasnt so impatient to post aND IF I DIDNT ALREADY MAKE YOU WAIT A YEAR

i hope yall liked it

[hollowedrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, CAISEY! — You’ve been accepted for the role of Amos Diggory. It’s no secret how much I love Amos. I adapted him from a version of him I wrote myself, and I’m so so excited to see someone take him on in a way that does his character such justice. Originally, I never saw him as a Slytherin, but you wrote him in such a way that it makes sense. He’s manipulative and deceptive, not in a malicious way, but for his own survival. I can’t wait to see how you have him interact with the other characters. 

Thank you so much for applying. Please create your account and send in the link, track the right tags, and follow everyone on the follow list. Welcome to Hollowed Souls!

ooc. 

Name: caisey

age: 27

preferred pronouns: she/her

timezone: est

activity: I’m between jobs rn so like, I have a lot of time while I search for a new job.

are you applying for more than one character?: I’m applying for my second character

how do you feel about your character dying?: “please let him die” “don’t kill my sweet Amos, he’s too good for this world” “but that’s why he has to die!” -the argument that’s been going on in my head. If Amos dies, I’ll love the angst; if he lives, I’ll love the angst.

anything else?: nothing else!

ic details.

full name: Amos Noor Kiran Diggory

Paper #1: Amos Kiran Patel. His birth name.

Amos is from the Hebrew amas, meaning load or burden. There is a Hebrew prophet of the name.

Kiran is from Kirana, his mother’s name. Kirana is a Sanskrit word meaning dust, thread, or sunbeam.

Later, he takes the name Noor, Arabic for light, though he picks it because it is like Nora--not the woman who birthed him, but the one who raised him. He is named for his mothers; their names live in his.

He adds Noor when he adds Diggory, and the day they sign the papers officially, Nora--Mum--hugs his head to her chest and cries.

date of birth: November 15, 1953. Because his eleventh birthday fell just after the deadline for first year students, he began Hogwarts a year older than most of his classmates.

former hogwarts house: Slytherin. 

Nora was taken aback when he wrote home about it, though she hid it well. She expected Ravenclaw, perhaps Hufflepuff--she, for what it was worth, had been a Ravenclaw in her day, and she had been reasonably confident Amos fit that mold as well. The Hat saw several things in Amos, however, that nobody else did: first, that he had arrived at Hogwarts without any preconceived notions of house meanings, and thus donning green meant nothing different to him than donning red or yellow or blue. Second, that Amos was a people-pleaser, one so desperate for approval that he was a master manipulator, able to convince nearly anyone that he was exactly what they approved of. Third, that Amos was insecure and his soul still malleable, and in any other house he would become something insufferable: he would absorb all the worst qualities of any group of children who didn’t accept him for something unconditional. For better or for worse, acceptance due to blood purity was only guaranteed in Slytherin, and for all the mystery of his background, the Diggory name was a soft assurance of his bloodline (paper #2: he is a halfblood. His mother recommends he keep that information to himself). Only in Slytherin would Amos be able to find friends regardless of how he acted, and thus only in Slytherin would he be able to explore an independent personality. Besides, the Hat mused silently to itself, the boy could do worse than to land in a house that frequently taught its members excellent leadership skills.

sexuality: bisexual/biromantic (graysexual)

gender/pronouns: cis male, he/him

face claim change: nope!

more. 

how do you interpret this character’s personality? how will you play them? include two weaknesses & two strengths. 

Positive: gentle, eager to please, open-minded

Negative: credulous, indecisive, manipulative

He wanted, so badly, to be loved and accepted. He was a child, little more than a toddler, when his entire life changed. After days of being trapped inside with the unmoving, slowly decomposing body of his father, he had enough trauma to last a while. He barely spoke his first two months in the orphanage. Yet young Amos still tried to please everyone, to anticipate their needs and understand what they wanted of him. He clung to hands, leaned on legs, sat in laps and clutched at his stuffed bunny, tried to say what they wanted him to say and do what they wanted him to do. They wanted him to recover from his trauma, so he did, or at least pretended to--they wanted him to be winsome and sweet, obedient, and so he was. By the time he reached Nora, Amos had perfected his innocent smile and followed every rule set for him, even the ones that didn’t make sense at the time. It gave him something to focus on in the floating, chaotic milieu of his life.

Eventually, he grew adept at it--learning what they wanted, convincing them he was that. He could read between the lines and interpret body language. Mold himself to fit the expectations, or mold the expectations to fit him. He helped his friends study for exams, sneak into the kitchens, successfully navigate crushes, playing any role they needed in their lives, until he knew them so well he could coast on the goodwill he’d built up. The persona he’d convinced them existed didn’t require much maintenance after it was established. He could be anything and everything, as long as it made people like him.

And it worked. People liked him, even the ones who hated Slytherins on principle. Even the ones who were raised by pureblood supremacists and were suspicious when he couldn’t confirm his blood status. But because they liked him, he liked them, and Amos was a trusting sort of fellow. He wouldn’t call himself gullible, but he often subscribed to the law of parsimony: the simplest answer is probably the right one, and he used it most frequently to avoid getting in a debate or argument. It was simpler to believe what his friends told him, vague explanations for their odd behavior and disappearances, hidden tattoos they all acquired around the same time, rather than question it and risk a fight--or, worse, uncomfortable realizations about the people he’d gotten himself mixed up with. The best way to be accepted, Amos has learned, is to make people think you’ll agree with anything they say. Do that long enough, and you actually start to agree with them.

He hasn’t outgrown that credulousness, though; his friends are just different now. All he has learned is suspicion and doubt. He used to believe that he could at least trust those he loved, his friends, his found family, but he’s coming to terms with the fact that he cannot--look at where trusting got him. Being played for a fool, constantly, by everyone around him. Could he have done something to stop it? Should he have done something? Would he have made a difference? Amos is paralyzed by this uncertainty, and he covers it up by raising his voice, echoing those around him who seem the most sure of themselves. He’s trying a new track: trying to force himself to believe in something as vociferously as he can act like he does. Maybe, if he forces it on himself, he will, eventually, believe it.

It’s all he has, really: words. He does his best at his job, but he doesn’t think of it as anything benefiting the Order much, besides just being in the Ministry. One could make an argument for his friendships with now-Death Eaters, but honestly Amos doesn’t keep in touch with them as much as he used to. He’s too soft for what this war is demanding of him, and he knows it but tries to ignore it. When Moody asked him what fighting experience he had, he choked on his incredulous laughter. Is this what they expect of me? he wondered. He doesn’t know how to be a fighter. Nora Diggory didn’t raise a warrior. She unlocked the secret passion within a broken boy, taught him to channel his energies into those soft beautiful broken things he could fix--plants and pets, animals, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures--she taught him to express himself through art and appreciate the curiosities in life. Amos is a gentle boy fighting an unwinnable war, parroting the words of others and covering up the desperation in his eyes while he speaks them.

how has the war affected this character, emotionally and otherwise? 

He’s ashamed to admit that he’s comfortable living in ignorance. The kind of person who’ll laugh awkwardly when his friends make jokes about Muggleborns, but never contradict them. Why rock the boat, Amos figured; even if he didn’t agree with everything they said, there was no point in arguing about it. He kept his head down, focused on his work, brushed off invitations to political rallies from all his friends, regardless of their ideological leanings. It was better, he decided, to not engage in those kinds of conversations. He was terrified of change--all he ever wanted was to fit in--so it was easier to turn a blind eye to the changes going on around him if it meant diminished conflict.

By the time he was ready to question it, most of his friends had picked a side, and those he hadn’t convinced of his neutrality believed he was siding with their opposition. The Death Eaters seemed to have forgotten to recruit him, and the Order had written him off as a pureblood supremacist lite for his inaction. Nobody answered his letters when he wrote for help. For clarification. For someone, please, to explain to him what was going on, whether this war was serious or not. Only Alice replied.

He joined because of the massacre. He’d been on the fence before that, torn between options, wondering if it was better to pack up and run while he was still alive. The massacre happened, and he realized: he had nowhere to run to. All his friends were already here, standing on one side of the war or another, but nevertheless here. His childhood friends were killing his current ones--he couldn’t pretend not to see it anymore. The questions were pressing in, the worry, wondering what darkness his old friends were mired in. Wondering why he trusted them. His mouth went dry when Alice showed him the list of confirmed Death Eaters: he’d played Gobstones with those boys. He knew those names. How, he wondered, had this happened to them?

He’s been doubting himself, doubting everything he knew, since the day he joined the Order. Feeling responsible for so much, not because he had been involved but because he hadn’t been. He’d ignored so much in favor of personal comfort, kept his slate clean, thought he was keeping his conscience clean at the same time. Well, it turns out when you pretend not to notice that your friends are all slipping into fanatical blood supremacy, your conscience bears the weight of all their crimes.

He’s a coward with a hero’s mouth. He joined the Order with the knowledge that they didn’t want who he was, quiet man of the bureaucracy, grasping his friendships as they slipped through his fingers. They wanted people with voices who carried, like Amelia Bones, people who faced death with strength and dignity, like James and Lily Potter. Fighters like Alastor Moody. Spies like Arabella Figg. Name after name, all better than him, all with more to give, more to believe in. All he has to offer is his role in the Ministry and his knowledge of the people who make up the Death Eaters now. Everything else is bluster.

where does this character currently stand? with those who wish to hide in godric’s hollow until the war ends, with those who wish to rebuild the order and continue fighting the war, or on neither side? Why?

So much of him wishes he could side with those who want to hide. That’s where his instincts lie, after all. Hiding and keeping his eyes down. Ignoring the war raging around him. Anything to make the discomfort go away, anything to dispel the wrenching in his chest, the guilt and suspicion that he could have done something if he’d acted earlier.

But he can’t be his old self here. As far as emotional trauma goes, his is mild compared to everyone else. His mother died peacefully of old age when the war was barely a glimmer, when the tattoos were still fresh on the arms of his old playmates. They attended her funeral, for Merlin’s sake. They along with the Order members when the phoenix was still a fledgling. Back when Amos still straddled the line, a foot on either side of the stream, when being divided just meant balancing the sensitivities of your friends, before murder became a viable option.

So he tries to be a better version of himself. For them--the Order. He argues with those who want to fight, because he honestly thinks that’s the right thing to do--even if he feels like it’s not. Inaction terrifies him, right now.

Amos kept his ties to pureblood society longer than anyone else who was once associated with them. Does he feel guilty for this? Has the Order treated him any differently because of it?

Oh, so guilty, so so guilty. Guilty that his fond childhood memories are all about men and women who helped kill the friends and family of the ones he loves now. Knowing for a fact that, if he had been allowed to accompany the Order for the Malfoy Manor raid, he would have broken down at the sight of all his old friends. They don’t trust him and he doesn’t blame them--he knows he wilfully ignored signs of horrible things. He doesn’t know if he could have done anything to stop them, not without getting killed himself, but he knows he saw it happening and did nothing to stop it. At least that’s how many in the Order see it. He tries to pretend that there’s no reasonable way he could have realized what was going on, but anyone with a brain can see that the clues were there. He suspects at least one person believes he’s a spy for the Order. They think he’s either incredibly stupid--stupid enough to be friends with Death Eaters and not sever that friendship when the horrors started hitting the news--or far too smart and hiding something from them. It’s made Amos nervous to be in Godric’s Hollow, even though he’s one of the ones allowed to come and go as needed.

He doesn’t trust the Order as much as he’d like to, and they don’t trust him, except for maybe Alice. He wants to prove himself and make up for all the bad things he ignored, but he’s not sure how to do it.

extras.

Pinterest: https://pin.it/r6eylc4pplnz6d

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYJYtzrTjb2YkRmqG8BK7TxvC6_PFRn81

relationships.

Alice Longbottom: He’s been in love with her so long it’s ceased being something he feels consciously. Amos had never been the type to desire someone, his love always preferring to settle into something background, but he also has never loved anyone as long as he’s loved Alice. He was around sixteen when he realized what he was feeling, how the love for her had gradually crept up in her peripherals for years now. By then, it was too late: anyone could see that she and Frank were made for each other. So he settled into the background and his love for her became the white noise that enveloped his thoughts of her. Amos was comfortable with that: he could manage his own feelings. He loves her, and that means he’ll never do anything to hurt her.

Alastor Moody: The man terrifies him, but Amos wants to earn his respect more than pretty much anything right now. He wants Moody to believe in him, because that’ll go a long way in convincing the rest of the Order to believe in him, too.

[kendraserra]

Making Your In-Person Event Inclusive of Non-Binary People

When I attend events, I’m often the first out non-binary person that the organizers have ever invited. Many times, I am the first out non-binary person they have ever met.

Image: graffiti on a wall that says “Gender Queer” in black text with pink and green highlights. CC-BY 2.0, Charles Hutchins.

With that in mind, I’d like to offer some guidance for a host who would like to make an in-person event (like a conference, meet up, or panel) more welcoming to non-binary folks. These steps may also make the space more inclusive to other trans folks, as well as potentially folks from other historically marginalized or underrepresented groups, but I am going to focus on interventions around non-binary inclusivity. Of course, this is drawn from my own experience – different people might have different suggestions or requirements.

This stuff is important because non-inclusive events are difficult to attend. At the most basic level, it costs me time and emotional energy when people fail to think about how to make their events more inclusive. Every moment I spend educating a fellow attendee or speaker is time I cannot spend doing the work that I was invited to do.

My general advice can be summed up in three rules:

If you don’t know, ask.

If you can’t control, acknowledge.

If you screw up, apologize and take steps to fix it. 

If you don’t know, ask.

Part of being welcoming to non-binary folk is to let go of assumptions about how to understand or treat people’s gender. I would almost always rather be asked beforehand about something rather than have the organizer make a guess. This can range from simple stuff, like what things would make a conference more welcoming to me, to more complicated and delicate topics.

As a positive example, when an organization had to book a flight for me, the organizer realized that in order to book they had to provide a binary gender marker. They asked how to proceed and if I had a preference about which one they chose. To me, this was incredibly affirming – they needed binary identification information from me, they made clear why, and they let me tell them what I wanted them to do.

This was much better than just guessing which one to pick, even if they probably would have guessed the gender marker that I chose. Their ask made me feel like I had agency, even in the face of a bureaucratic process that doesn’t allow me to opt-out. Also, said flight was vital for participation in the program in question, and airlines are not known for bending rules. They really did need the information. (It’s not appropriate to ask if you don’t need it.)

If you can’t control, acknowledge.

Sometimes you as an organizer don’t have an option to make a particular part of your event more inclusive. The contract was signed on the space and there are no gender-neutral/all-gender restrooms. The conference chair could not be budged from an introduction style. The sponsorship required use of a space that forces participants to show government ID.

If you have had to make a choice that you know is not inclusive, acknowledging it can help by making clear that you realize the outcome is not good.  At the very least, you can say this to invitees who you know are non-binary. You probably also should consider saying it to everyone, but I’m aware that can feel like a big ask.

A script:

“Hey, here’s your welcome packet. Also, I’m not sure if this is relevant to you or not, but we were unable to secure space that has gender-neutral restrooms this year. It’s in our requirements for next year, for sure. I’m sorry if this causes you any inconvenience, and please let us know if you have any trouble.”

This script doesn’t assume that the person needs a gender-neutral bathroom, but makes clear that you are thinking about it and will fix it in the future. Do not say you will fix it if you won’t.

If you screw up, apologize and take steps to fix it.

Unfortunately, American society is incredibly reinforcing of the gender binary, so it likely that all of us will screw up at some point. When someone screws up in a way that makes me feel othered or unwelcome at an event, I want at least two things from them: an individual apology, that makes clear that they realize why what they did was bad; and an explanation of the steps they plan on taking to fix it.

Some scripts:

“I’m so sorry I screwed up your pronouns when I was introducing you to our sponsor. I realize that probably have put you an uncomfortable position. In the future, I’ll practice beforehand to make sure I get them correct.”

“I realized when we divided the room up into men and women, I included you with the men because you are masculine presenting. I erased your non-binary identity. I’m sorry. In the future, I’ll divide the room in half in some other way.”

Specific guidance:

Location, space and logistics:

Default to not collecting gender information from people at registration. If you do collect it, make it non-mandatory, explain what you need it for (e.g., “to track the gender makeup of the conference over time”), and use a text entry form as opposed to radio buttons or checkboxes.

Gender-neutral restrooms are necessary. It is 2018. It is well past time to make your restroom situation more friendly for everyone. Choose restaurants and event spaces that have gender-free bathroom options, ideally including single occupancy. Or add gender-neutral bathrooms yourself by converting binary-gendered bathrooms. (Some folks prefer the term “all gender”, some folks prefer “gender free.” Personally, I would suggest “gender-neutral.” Frankly, it’s more important that you have them than what you call them.) If these restrooms are not easy to find, or located in a different place than gendered restrooms, include where they are in any printed materials. 

Avoid locations that require showing government ID to enter. I’m aware that there is an unfortunate trend for tech companies to require government IDs to sign into buildings. See if this requirement can be waived for your event.

Also avoid locations that require a binary sex identification in advance in order to attend. Unfortunately, that can mean that some government buildings that require pre-registration/a background check will not be open to you. However, if you avoid these activities up front, you can avoid putting a trans or non-binary person in a position where they have to choose whether attending is worth submitting such an identification or accidentally outing themselves.

If offering schwag, identify t-shirts as fitted and straight cut, not men’s and women’s! Don’t make assumptions about which style someone wants. (And offer both.) 

 Language and people:

Bare minimum: have a Code of Conduct that includes harassment based on gender identity and enforce it.

Non-binary people are not necessarily women. Femme non-binary people (people who present femininely) are not all women. Grouping non-binary folks or femme folks in with women is erasing. If you are hosting a women-in-X event, make clear whether non-binary or femme folks are welcome. Do not expect that the term women includes femme folks. (For more information on this, see Kat Marchán’s amazing post on the design of women spaces.)

Skip the phrases “ladies,” “girls,” and “chicks.” Don’t use biological parts as stand-in for gender: “pussy”, “xx” to mean a women’s event, etc.

Try not to use binary-reinforcing statements like “ladies and gentlemen” or “we’re dividing the group into men and women.” 

When calling on people whose names you don’t know, avoid gendered assumptions, like “the lady on the end” or “the man in the red shirt.” Instead, use “the person at the end of the row with short hair” or “the person with the beard in the red shirt.”

 Everyone’s favorite topic, pronouns:

Have nametags and politely suggest people write their pronouns. Everyone. Not just people who look gender non-conforming. Or, alternately, have pronoun stickers, and point them out to folks if at registration. Include a “just use my name” option, and an option for people to write in their own information.

Don’t guess people’s pronouns. Look for an indication (like a ribbon or them written on a nametag), check their online profile, or use they/them as a default. Some in-person events may have to explain to their attendees that this should be the norm. It is better for this to come from people in positions of authority rather than making individuals who want their pronouns respected do it.

If introducing a speaker, ask them to send you introductory bio, then read it. Ad-lib only if you can nail their pronouns. It is much better if someone just straight up reads a bio then if they attempt to improvise and get pronouns wrong. This happens to me regularly and it’s fucking horrible.

If someone’s pronouns are uncomfortable or unfamiliar for you, it is your job to practice them and get them right. If you screw them up in front of that person, apologize briefly and move on. Do not just ignore them. If they correct you, take this an opportunity to do better. It is inappropriate to explain to them how uncomfortable it is for you.

Trips and travel:

Going through TSA screening can be dangerous and traumatic for many trans and non-binary folks, especially those who have had surgery or otherwise taken physical transition steps. Some non-binary and trans people can face significant harassment on public transportation, and may prefer to take a ride-hailing service or a cab. So generally, being flexible around travel and especially around travel reimbursements is a good way to make your event more inclusive.

Provide individual lodging for people. Do not make people share rooms. Do not make gendered assumptions about lodging. Do not split up people into a “girls” floor and a “guys” floor.

Many non-binary folks may face discrimination or hostility in their workplaces, making it more difficult for them to receive paying jobs. So the best practice of reimbursing people as soon as possible for travel (ideally after booking, not waiting until they complete the trip) or providing non-reimbursement options for booking may make your event more inclusive.

Following Up:

Are you a non-binary person and there’s something that would make you feel more comfortable at events that I missed? Please let me know so I can add it! kendra.serra@gmail.com or KendraSerra on Twitter.

If you’re an event organizer and you’ve found this content useful, I encourage you to make a significant donation to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence. If you would like to have me consult about making your specific event more inclusive, drop me a line at kendra.serra@gmail.com.

[cleverbroadwayurl]

“100% THE GAME LOSERS”

A/N: Okay so I normally don’t write things, but I got super inspired by @robot-anon‘s 1000 Follower Contest! I saw the quote “If you take one more photo I swear I’ll--” and immediately thought of Life is Strange!! Now, this post does contain spoilers because there isn’t really a way to avoid them when writing about the plot, but I did the best I could! I also tried to stay gender neutral, so my apologies if the piece becomes more feminine at times. Please take the trigger warnings seriously! 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of rape, mentions of drug use, mentions of non-consensual actions, Life is Strange spoilers, swearing, mentions of domestic abuse, and mentions of sexual assault in general. 

You knocked on Jeremy’s door with your right hand just as the sun was setting in New Jersey. Your left hand kept a tight grasp around a small rectangular case as you slightly smiled to yourself. There was a chill in the air, but the weather in New Jersey wasn’t anything new, even though you had just moved across the country a year ago. The golden hour had just begun, the sunlight giving everything a heavenly glow. Time to show Jeremy what he’s missing out on.

Mr. Heere opened the door, and surprisingly, he looked more…put together than usual (as in, he was actually wearing pants). He smiled a warm smile that matched the golden sunlight that was cast on the Heere’s front porch while opening the front door a little wider so you could come into the house. “Hi (Y/N),” he said, the large smile remaining static, “Jeremy and Michael are downstairs in the basement.”

You stepped into the house, while thanking Mr. Heere before practically hurling yourself down the stairs and into the basement.

Apocalypse of the Damned flashed on the TV, and you lunged towards the two boys who were silent in concentration. Trying not to disturb them any more than you already had, you carefully managed to sit between the two, half of your body on Michael’s bean bag, and the other half on Jeremy’s.

The three of you sat in comfortable silence as Jeremy and Michael attempted to get past Level 10 (they had beaten level 9 right after the SQUIP incident, the SQUIP-cident if you will, and just before they met you).

“GAME OVER” flashed on the screen in big red letters as both boys sighed. “DAMN IT” Michael yelled as he tossed the controller to the side. You let out a small chuckle as the two boys mourned their loss. Again.

“Hey (Y/N),” Jeremy greeted after a moment. You weren’t offended that they hadn’t greeted you when you got there. This was typical for Game Night, and you knew how hard they had worked on Level 10. Why they still couldn’t beat it was beyond you.

“Hey Jeremy,” you greeted before smirking at Michael. “Hi Michael, looking peachy as usual.”

He rolled his eyes playfully before sending you a smirk back. “Aww thanks, (Y/N). You know we were aiming to lose, that’s just how we play.”

“Surprisingly, that makes a lot of sense. I mean when the three of us play Mario Kart, that seems to be the common goal between the two of you,” you sassed back.

“HEY!” They shouted as they sat up. You could hardly contain the laughter from creeping out as the two pretended that they were extremely offended.  

It wasn’t that they were bad, it’s just that you had experience. You had been playing with your brother since you were two, and he had taught you every trick in the book. You knew the tracks by heart on most systems, and could play almost any cup with your eyes closed. Of course, Jeremy and Michael put up a good fight, but you still ended up on top.

“Whatcha got there?” Jeremy asked, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“It was my turn to pick the game for Game Night. So I picked my favorite one,” you gave a small, but extremely genuine smile.

“Which one?”

“Life is Strange.”

“Wait…isn’t that single player?” Michael asked, his eyebrows furrowing. You nodded in response before showing the game in all of its glory.

“And haven’t you played it like 5 times?”

“Try 8 times, Heere,” you shot back, proud of yourself for logging over 150 hours into this somewhat obscure game.

“Okay…so why are we playing it tonight? It breaks not just one, but two of our Game Night rules. It’s single player and you’ve played it before. 8 times apparently,” Jeremy said, looking at you with confusion.

“Because you guys need to play it. It’s a part of me. I love this game so damn much, and I’ve devoted my only free time since Spring 2016 to this game. I mean, it’s a godsend. This game helps me relax, and sometimes it helps me sleep. So, if you want to get to know me better, which I know both of you do, we are going to sit here and play this game until we’re finished. No excuses, no buts, no shit talking from the peanut gallery. IE: you two.”

“Alright then, no sleeping buddy,” Michael teased, poking at your side. “It’s your game. You gotta stay up and play it with us.”

You giggled at Michael’s usual antics before quickly noticing that he was actually right. You weren’t lying: this game helped you relax and sleep when life was hitting you hardest. But you had committed to it. There is no way that Michael and Jeremy would be able to finish this game on their own in one night. Between the fetch quests and memory quizzes, it would take these boys over 20 hours to complete it. And the bottle collecting for Chloe Price in Episode 2 was a two-hour task on its own if you weren’t an experienced player. They definitely needed you awake.

“I promise to try my best,” you stated, confidently.

“Okay, so how is this going to work?” Jeremy asked, eyeing the controller. It was obvious that he wanted to be the person controlling Max, but Life is Strange is a choice-based game. It requires the most observant player, the most patient people, and most importantly, the ones who can keep a cool head when things get crazy. Michael and Jeremy did not seem to meet all of the requirements. Not yet, at least.

They were absolutely experienced in video games, but the two had never played something that required so much thought. Sure, the decisions get harder, but decisions are not levels. This was not the average mainstream retro game like Apocalypse of the Damned. No, this required thought, and someone who knew that they were doing.

“You guys will make the decisions. I have no input unless you two are truly conflicted on something. I will hit whatever button you guys tell me to. There is no timer for making the choices, and no quick time, so we don’t have to worry about how long each debate about decisions will take. I know where everything is for the fetch quests, and I wanted to 100% the game on your guys’ first play through. Some of the achievements are super hard to get. Plus, how sick would those bragging rights be?”

“There are achievements?” Jeremy asked, sounding skeptical.

“How does that work?” Michael followed up.

“There are optional photos you can take in every episode. Those count as trophies, or achievements,” you explained, already standing up to insert the game into Jeremy’s PS4.

“Sounds like you’ve thought about this,” Michael noted, eyeing up the game’s case.

You stood in front of the TV for a second, thinking about everything you would need. You had the game, the seating arrangement, how the game was to be played; what else did you need? Michael probably needs another slushie, and maybe all three of you need snacks?

“Hey Michael?”

“Yeah?”

“This game takes 10 hours to complete. You might want a slushie to help you get through it.”

“And maybe some snacks if we’re in for the long haul?” Jeremy quickly added on.

“Anything else you want before Servant Michael goes to 7/11?”

“It was just a suggestion,” you reminded as Michael grabbed his keys.

“Nah, I’m not mad at you. Jeremy, however, owes me one big favor when I get back because he didn’t offer to tag along and help with both the choosing and carrying of the snacks.”

“Dude, I don’t want to leave her here alone with my dad. That’s...more than embarrassing.”

“Fair point. I’ll be back soon, you two.”

You waved Michael goodbye as he climbed up the stairs and out of the house. You decided to be a little sneaky and wait until Michael was gone before sitting yourself down in his usual spot.

You and Jeremy made small talk in the basement as you waited for Michael to get back. The 7/11 was only a 4-minute drive, and you were sure that he’d be back shortly.

Talking with Jeremy was always a little bit interesting. Sometimes he was awkward, or sometimes things were stuttered out, or sometimes he was embarrassed because he accidentally overshared, but overall, Jeremy was a pretty good conversationalist once he got comfortable. Which was nice, honestly. Because you often tend to be okay at making typical and cliché small talk (you and the SQUIP Squad have talked about the weather a lot) for the first part of the conversation, but run out of things to say. However, whenever you and Jeremy talked, it was easy. If you ran out of things to say, Jeremy would become comfortable enough to come up with something relating to whatever you were talking about. It was a nice balance between the two of you.

“I have a question for you,” Jeremy started, looking at the game’s case.

“What’s up, Jer?”

“Why do you love this game so much?” He asked innocently.

Your mind went blank for a second. “Feminism,” you spat out quickly. Your gaze shifted towards your lap as soon as the word exited your lips. Sure, it was feminism. But it was also so much more. It was everything to you, the first “real” game you’d ever played. It was your outlet for any stress, it was a way to be undetected; it was an escape.

“Are you sure that that’s the only reason why you like it?” Jeremy asked, trying to meet your eyes. He knew that whenever you did this, you weren’t telling the whole truth. This was a way for you to dodge questions because it would force you to go deeper into your personal life. He knew you weren’t really a sharer, but also knew that you’d spent so many hours not only playing this game, but researching the science of it, researching strategy to get new outcomes, and, of course, waiting for the sequel. There was definitely more you loved about this game than ‘feminism’.

You opened your mouth to answer his question (actually, you were probably going to make a self-depreciating joke, which was also a defense mechanism), but Michael waltzed back into the room, cherry slushie in hand. He had a bag of snacks in his other hand, claiming that there was no Game Night complete without eating your weight in junk food.

He reached into the bag, and pulled out some ice cream. He handed the frozen treat to you as Jeremy grabbed the controller and booted up the game. Slowly but surely, Michael had dispersed the snacks in front of all 3 of you. As you opened up your ice cream, and Michael handed you a spoon, you decided that now was probably a good time to talk about some themes in this game.

“Alright guys, listen up.”

The two boys looked at you sharply as the game continued to load onto the screen. You noticed that your voice had gotten a lot quieter than it was when you thanked Michael for the ice cream and spoon.

“This game deals with some…sensitive issues. I know that sometimes you guys get upset when people are mistreated, so if either of you need to take a break to cool off a little bit, let the group know.”

“We can handle it, (Y/N),” Michael smiled, mimicking Superman’s pose before kicking you out of his bean bag. You gently moved over to the spot you’d had before as the game’s main menu appeared.

A sense of calm washed over you. The title music was the number one thing that kept you sane and happy. It stopped anxiety attacks, any bouts of paranoia, and could destress you in 10 minutes. The whoosh of the ocean and wind reminded you of the few peaceful times that you had had in your hometown.

“We get it, (Y/N). You’re from Seattle.”

“We get it, Michael. You can’t tell the difference between Seattle and Oregon: where this game actually takes place.”

Michael rolled his eyes playfully as you selected “New Game”. You had to admit, it was funny to watch the two boys jump at the initial thunder clap that began the game. You smiled, happy tears in your eyes, so happy to be playing your favorite game with some amazing people.

And with that, the game play started. You quickly blinked back your tears, and returned to your normal state. Episode 1 was rather easy. It was an introductory to the characters and the game mechanic. You had to admit, there were some moments that you’d cherish forever.

Some examples include: when Nathan shoots Chloe in the bathroom, both boys screamed out the first time it happened. It wasn’t even like a manly scream. Michael’s voice cracked and Jeremy’s was so high in his falsetto, you swore only animals could hear it. When the boys made the choice to stay hidden in Chloe’s closet and Chloe’s step-douche hits her because she was smoking weed, Michael did indeed get a little pissy. His exact words were “That guy is a fucking dick who would marry him?”

As the game went on, you noticed that Michael had a soft spot for Kate Marsh. Kate Marsh also happens to be your favorite character, so you and Michael happily agreed to help her in any way you two could. Jeremy started to get fed up because “why do we have to stop and clean her whiteboard again?”

By the end of Episode 2, Jeremy was eating his words. As soon as Max got on the roof and said the infamous: “I can’t rewind!!”, Jeremy’s eyes got wide. Fortunately, they managed to save Kate. Both of them just sat there after the episode ended, taking deep breaths. You had to keep reassuring them that yes, they did save Kate (Michael almost cried when you told him that there was a large chance that you would not be able to save her, so imagine his relief).

The two had also said yes to the date with Warren, so it was a pretty good playthrough so far.

After Jeremy and Michael had calmed down, they both decided it was best for them to keep going. Their interest in the game spiked, and they both slowly began to realize what they were missing out on. You, however, got a little bit more worried. Before you hit “Continue”, you set the controller down and took a breath.

“It only gets worse from here. I am warning you now. Those episodes were tame. The next ones are…much darker. Literally and figuratively.”

They both shuddered at your words before Jeremy bravely said that he would like to continue.

By the end of Episode 3, they had blamed Nathan, sided with Chloe and Joyce, survived the initial confrontation with Frank (they laughed when Frank said “THOSE WERE MY BEANS”), and had managed to not fuck up too badly. Plus, you had gotten them all of the optional photos so far. Not a bad playthrough at all.

But then came Episode 4. Episode 4 was the most unsettling chapter of the game. You knew this. The boys you were playing with? Did not.

However, you began the episode and kept going. When Max had to go into Nathan’s room, you tensed. How could you not; his room is creepy. Of course, you found the photo of Chloe, and the broken lamp. That was a given. But when Max commented “I hope all of those models were consenting,” Michael almost lost it, and Jeremy seemed to shake with anger.

“(Y/N), he did it, I know he did it, Jesus Christ Nathan I will personally pummel you to the ground pal,” Michael rambled.

Although his threats were funny, this was nothing compared to Episode 5. You kind of dreaded it. If they were mad at characters now, they were going to be furious by the end of the game.

The three of you kept going, and Jeremy was getting a little annoyed at how out of your way you had to go to get some of the optional photos. But when you mentioned that he’d be 100%-ing the game first try, he’d shut up really quick.

You made it to the barn. You stopped just outside of it (taking a photo, much to Jeremy’s dismay), before setting the controller down the second time. The two boys looked at you, curious as to why you weren’t going in. Taking a breath, you started to formulate what you should say in order to make this half confession to go as easy as possible for you. You didn’t want to freak out so bad that you had to turn off the game like you’d done in the past.

The basement was dark. And you were about the enter the Dark Room.

“Okay…uhm…guys? Listen to me very carefully. When I’m searching for something weird in this barn, the controller will vibrate ever so slowly. I will jump every time it does. I know what’s in there, and it’s…disturbing to say the least. So, if I do jump, there is no need to worry. It’s just me being a little anxious.”

Their expressions went from confused to concerned. They each put a hand on your shoulder, grounding you in the moment.

Finally, you’d made it to Episode 5, sans sleeping. It was a miracle to be honest. You made it through the barn, and guess what? Jeremy and Michael cried when you found out what happened to Rachel Amber. Sure, it was sad, but after playing it 8 times, you get desensitized, you know?

The end of Episode 4 was what really got these boys angry, though. When Max was given the injection, Michael screeched out “NATHAN YOU FUCKING PRESCOTT!!” while Jeremy gasped. And when the figure in the dark was shown, there was a mixture of “FUCK”s that were spewed into the room.

“WHAT THE FUCK”

“HOW THE FUCK”

“WAIT”

“FUCKIN NO THIS ISN’T REAL”

“OH MY FUCKING GOD”

“HOW”

“THAT SICK MOTHERFUCKER”

“WHO DRUGS GIRLS AND THEN TAKES PHOTOS OF THEM WHAT THE FUCK”

“TORTURES HIS FUCKIN MODELS WHO DOES THAT”

By the end of it, Michael went to go smoke some weed and Jeremy had his head in his hands. You sat silently, letting the title music take your worries away.

“(Y/N)?”

“Yes Jer?”

“You were right. It’s very feminist.”

You sighed at him as he stared at the ground in confusion. “Glad you think so,” you said after a beat. You waited another second before saying “It gets worse.”

“How does it get fucking worse?”

You sat for a minute before explaining that if he wants to know, he needs to get Michael. And you could’ve sworn you had never seen Jeremy move so fast in his life.

And there you sat. Shocking that this game was relaxing, wasn’t it? Well, to you it was. The light colors, the calming music, basically everything except the subject matter made you a happy person. You wondered if Michael and/or Jeremy would question you about why this is your favorite game (Jeremy would want you to go more in depth, you were sure of it). And you were sure that they’d ask you how you were able to sleep after playing such a game. You had to form sentences in your mind. This couldn’t be about self-depreciating jokes. This had to be real. If you were going to open up to them, you needed to be yourself and use the actual terminology, not some half assed whole lie.

Jeremy showed up with Michael moments later, and he was not as high as you would actually think. You looked at him, kind of surprised in all honesty. He noticed you staring at him, and then said “I wanted to make good decisions in this game. We almost lost Kate. I don’t want to lose someone else.”

You nodded before hitting the “Continue” button.

During the nightmare portion, you collapsed into yourself as each level got darker and darker. Michael was extremely fixated on the game, while Jeremy noticed and wrapped an arm around you. Every time you’d slightly flinch, he’d give you a reassuring squeeze into him.

The stealth was coming up. It was your least favorite part of the game and by far the scariest. It was honestly nightmare inducing all by itself. As soon as you heard the villain’s “Don’t try to hide Max! Get over here! Let me capture you!” You jumped and gave a small yelp. You quickly tried to steady your breathing and get ready to stealth your way past all of the terrible people in the game.

As soon as you jumped, Jeremy’s arm fell off of you, and after you’d landed, he placed his hand on your shoulder. Michael quickly did the same, understanding that yes, the two of them were scared shitless, but imagine how you were feeling. You were the one playing. And you were the only one who could complete the game in its entirety.

“You can do this. You’ve done it 8 times. You are safe. You are here with me and Michael.” Jeremy soothed as you stepped out from behind the white wall.

Expertly navigating through the maze, both boys remained silent. It was like they were playing Apocalypse of the Damned again. Whenever you were caught, your breath would hitch, and you would tense up. But being brave is rewinding and trying it again. So, that’s what you did.

The objective was to get to the lighthouse. Both Jeremy and Michael were extremely disturbed by this creepy maze, and they honestly just wanted it to be over. They both tensed up every time a flashlight would flash across the screen. You could feel it on your shoulders.

After collecting one of the optional photos in the stealth, Jeremy breathed a slight sigh of relief. “That’s the last one, right?” He asked, hoping that you’d say yes.

You remained silent, eyes on the screen as you got to the last section. Michael and Jeremy were cheering. You were so close to being done with this hellish landscape!!

Then you heard Max comment “Oh shit! Bottle collecting? Are you cereal?” You looped around, expertly avoiding each person with a flashlight.

“YOU’RE SO CLOSE TO THE LIGHTHOUSE JUST GO TO THE LIGHTHOUSE WHAT ARE YOU DOING” both boys started shouting.

“100% THE GAME LOSERS” you screeched back. You had managed to get all the bottles, with no worries.

Well, except one. You had one bottle to go, and from behind, you heard the most disturbing line of them all: “Max, Rachel not only gave great headshots. She gave great head. Especially after I dug her up to be with her one final time. Why are you looking at me like that?”

That was the one line you had never heard the main villain say. It was the one that you hoped you’d never hear. It was the one that made you cringe, flinch, and then nearly throw the controller.

Jeremy nearly threw up. Michael nearly threw up. What kind of sick game was this?! Jeremy was done with you getting these optional photos. He was done with Nathan, Frank, the whole evil gang really. He wanted that 100%, but to be honest, he wanted you to be okay more. Jeremy hated the fact that he had to witness you being absolutely terrified and jumped at every little interaction. Sure, he knew you loved this game, but something told him you had never heard that person say that specific line before. The game had gone too far. He knew you needed to be calm again. And he knew that nothing was going to do that besides making it to the lighthouse.

“(Y/N), you don’t need to 100% the game for us!” Jeremy shouted angerly, without meaning to.

“I promised, Jeremy!” You shot back.

“If you take one more optional photo I swear to god I’ll—” The game’s animation for the optional photo went off, and Max stepped into the space by the lighthouse. You took a breath before smirking at Jeremy.

“Congrats you two, you’re about to 100% Life is Strange.”

As soon as Max sat on the bench, the three of you sighed in relief. The worst was over. Michael gave your shoulder one final squeeze before removing his hand, as Jeremy wrapped his arm around you, and giving you the sweetest side hug he could.

When the game finally ended, the three of you flopped down onto the bean bags.

“Holy fuck, (Y/N). That’s your favorite game? I thought it was going to be tame, not whatever the fuck that was. I feel like I just smoked a bunch of weed and then ran around for 2 hours. I’m drained.” Michael rambled.

You gave him a small smile, telling him the same thing you told Jeremy: “It’s a feminist game. You know I like it when feminine issues are addressed in major masses of media and they’re widely accepted.”

Michael nodded in agreement, knowing that yes, you did like it when mass media produced things with actual feminine issues.

“Anyways,” you continued, “thank you for being here with me, you guys. It means a lot. That nightmare…it…uhh…isn’t easily handled that often. I didn’t expect that one character to say that specific line. And most of the time I have to turn off the game after the barn.”

“We’re here for you, okay?” Jeremy noted, leaning forward ever so slightly.  

“Yeah, I mean, we both support you and care about your decisions and well-being.” Michael added sleepily.

“I should probably get going. It’s 2 AM, and I kinda told my mom I’d be home by 3,” you said before packing your things up.

“You can’t walk home alone!” Jeremy protested, and Michael suddenly snapped awake.

“You could die!” Michael added.

“Someone could drug you!”

“Or you could be stabbed!”

“Guys!” you interjected, “I’ll be fine. I have pepper spray, remember? Plus, I can just like call my brother or something.”

You grabbed your game from the PS4 and put it safely back into its case. Jeremy and Michael looked at you with wide eyes. The three of you had just played a game where teenage girls are drugged, sexually assaulted, and photographed. No way were they letting you go out of their sight for over a week.

“If anything, I’ll drive you home,” Michael offered.

“It’s fine—” you yawned halfway through your sentence before giggling at yourself, “I knew Life is Strange made me sleepy.”

“Why don’t you just stay the night?” Jeremy asked you.

“You don’t mind?” You asked the lanky boy cautiously.

“Not at all.”

“Let me ask my mom.”

Your mom wasn’t usually so quick to approve of these things, but it was worth a shot to ask. You could tell her you were tired, and were completely safe in the Heere household. Maybe she’d allow it. So, you sent her a text.

She replied instantly, saying as long as you didn’t overstay your welcome, it was fine if you stayed over. She knew you were safe with Jeremy and Michael; she knew who they were, and knew that they wouldn’t try anything with her child.

“My mom said I could stay!”

The two teens whooped sleepily (and were very relieved that you wouldn’t have to walk outside alone) as you made your way back to the bean bags. You took your usual spot, right in the middle of the two boys, happy that you could stay.

“What do you want to do now?” Michael asked. “It’s our first sleepover together.”

“Well we already did what I wanted to do. Unless both of you would like to wait for the prequel to come out with me,” you chuckled.

“Let’s watch a movie,” Jeremy suggested, knowing that all three of you would be asleep within the first hour.

“Which one?” You asked.

“Let’s watch something happier. I need it after that emotional rollercoaster (Y/N) here,” Michael gestured towards you, “calls a game.”

“How about The Road to El Dorado?” Jeremy asked, flipping through Netflix.

“Sure,” you responded, knowing that Michael was already half asleep.

As the movie went on, you could feel your eyes get droopy. You did your best not to lean on Jeremy, but all hopes were lost. You shut your eyes, and welcomed sleep as if it were your best friend.

Jeremy’s eyes remained focused on the movie. He knew that there was so much more you had to tell him. He knew that Life is Strange is not your favorite game just because of the issues it covers. He knew that your trust was earned, and tonight was a very clear sign that he and Michael were two people that you were comfortable enough to show what you were passionate about. And while you knew about his secrets and past, he understood whenever you’d divert the conversation elsewhere when someone asked about your past or your interests. He understood the silences you gave, and sometimes even the self-depreciating jokes. He wanted to do so much for you, but had no idea where to start. And that was okay. He knew that was okay.

When Jeremy noticed that you were asleep, his face turned a dark red. He had heard all about the studies where people who could sleep around their friends, family, or significant others generally trusted them and had good relationship with one another (of course you told him about this study, and you being asleep further proved his point that him and Michael had gained your trust). He knew you were no different. You were strong, resilient, but tonight showed a side of pure joy and vulnerability. He hadn’t missed the tears forming in your eyes when the game started. He could tell they were tears of joy. He was honored that he got to help you through Max’s nightmare and the barn (even though you’d done it before). And he was honored to have you fall asleep on him.

In a sudden burst of tired confidence, Jeremy wrapped his arm around you before drifting off to sleep as well; the smile on his face only growing larger.

[joie-university-rp]

Dear, BENJAMIN CLARINGTON,

It is with great pleasure we invite you admission to Joie University! Welcome to the Thunderclap family!

–

Congratulations, ADMIN O! Please be sure to check the New Members’ Checklist and send in your character’s account within 24 hours from now. We cannot wait to see all that you will bring to this roleplay! We love you already!

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Alias; preferred pronouns: Admin O aka Moe (She/her)

Age, Timezone: 20, EST

Activity, short explanation: I’m just… always here, Man. Idk.

Ships: Benji/Male

Anti-Ships: Benji/Female

Triggers: RFP

Preferred photo for Character’s ID (please give a link): I’m making the damn things, lol.

Anything else: N/a

IC INFORMATION:

Full Name (First, Middle, Last): Benjamin ‘Benji’ Levi Clarington

FC: Tom Holland

Age: 18

Birth date: 31 Oct. 2000

Hometown: Toronto, CND

Gender/Pronouns: Male (He/him)

Sexuality: Homosexual

Major(s): Dance (Ballet focus)

Minor(s) [optional]: Education

Housing request (remember only the president of a Greek Organization is required to live at a Greek House to be in it!): Bieste 113

Extracurriculars (Click here for the list. Be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, secretary, etc.] If something isn’t listed, please put it here and we will add it to the masterlist!): Cheer Squad, Gymnastics, Free Running, Circus and Performing Club, LGBT+ Association (secretary)

Greek Life Affiliation [optional] (Please be sure to specify any executive board positions [i.e. president, pledge educator, etc.] or if your character is not yet a member, but plans to rush): Considering rushing AXi. Not quite decided.

CHARACTER PROFILE:

Although identifying as wholly cis-male, Benji has never had trouble using his clothing to express himself. Sometimes, he can be found wearing a straight-forward outfit of a hoodie and a pair of jeans. Other times, he’s seen wearing a skirt and his newest pair of Converse chucks. It just depends.

Benji is actually a product of Benji and Hunter’s father having an affair. Benji’s mother actually tried to keep her pregnancy a secret, but once this all came to light, in true Clarington fashion, their father sued Ms. Adelman, using the best lawyers money could buy, and gained full custody of Benji. Ms. Adelman was allowed very strict visitation rights for the first few years of Benji’s life, but not much after that. As a result, Benji has never seen Ms. Adelman as an actual mom and the two don’t stay in touch.

However, Benji decided at a young age that he was going to practice his biological mother’s religion of Judaism. Although he is by no means a strict orthodox, there are still a number of Jewish traditions that Ben makes a point to practice–such as avoiding pork, attending services every Friday, and never being seen without his kippah. He also attended Hebrew School when he was younger and, thanks to the Claringtons being well off, he was able to pay for tutors that taught him both Hebrew and Yiddish. As far as values go, Benji’s relationship with YHWH is one of the most (if not the most) important things to him.

Unlike Hunter, since Benji was a result of infidelity and Mr. Clarington felt a little guilty about suing Benj’s mom for full custody–she was an expensive escort, and Mr. Clarington knew Benji would have a  much better life with him–he did give Benji some liberties growing up. As long as Benji did Krav Maga and kept up with his studies, he was allowed other things he wanted (expensive ballet classes, tutors to learn Hebrew and Yiddish, any video game console he wanted, etc.).

Since the age of 7, Benji has been practicing ballet and other dance styles and his main career goal is to be a dancer/gymnastics performer of Cirque du Soleil. Once he retires, he wants to buy and run a dance studio of his own.

Benji is a polyglot–he is fluent in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Canadian French

STUDENT CENSUS SURVEY:

(Please answer the following questions IN CHARACTER. Responses can be as long or short as you see fit!)

What made you want to attend Joie University?

“Two big reasons! First off, I really wanted to go to school in America. As much as I love Canada, I really don’t feel like the dancing programs we have there really compare to the programs that you can find in the States.

Secondly, I wanted to go to the same school as my big brother Hunt. He’s, like, basically my biggest role model, so what easier way to make him proud than to go to the same school as him? (Also, I kinda just missed him being around everyday.)”

What are at least 3 positive or neutral and at least 3 negative traits that you believe you possess?

“Okay. So positively, I feel like I’m really empathetic. Like, I see and understand what others are feeling. I also think I’m fairly conscientious when it comes to most things. Learning physical forms like Krav Maga and ballet… you seriously to disciplined, and I feel like a lot of that comes from being bound to your conscience–which then rolls back into the way you treat people. My third positive trait is also neutral and kinda negative, depending on the situation: I’m a loyal dude. Like, to a fault. And while it’s nice at time, it also sometimes puts me in situations I’d rather not be. And, in the worst cases, it blows up in my face.

For negative, I have one really big one: I’m short-tempered. Not always, but there are definitely times where I just… break. Hard. And it’s seemingly random and, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if some people see it as kinda scary. I can’t really explain it… maybe I get it from my mom’s side. Another thing (one that I think is positive, honestly, although others don’t agree) is that I’m brazen. Like, I say what I mean, I wear what I feel… I’m an open book, as much as I can be, and although that’s great, it’s also just… not, y’know? My other negative trait is that I’m immature a lot of the time. I’m not denying it, but I’m also just kinda questioning why that’s negative? I mean, who wants to drink black coffee and read newspapers all day? I’m 18 and I look like I’m 15, sorry not sorry that I wanna get tipsy and dance to Rihanna in my bedroom all day.”

Which of your traits do you value most?

“My loyalty. It gets me in trouble, but y’know what? That’s okay. If I feel something is worth part of me, I’ll give all of me. And I think that’s admirable.”

How can that trait benefit the University (or its student body) as a whole?

“I mean, I think I kinda already explained that! Loyalty means sticking together. Because, y’know, teamwork makes the dream work–all that jazz.”

What do you hope to gain from your experience at JU?

“A badass dance education, an even closer relationship with Hunt, a bunch of new friends, a soulmate, a new boyfriend, someone who’ll help me pick out clothes for a whole new wardrobe, a big break for my dream career, a pet dog once I’m able to live in Sylvester Apartments… I mean, basically I want JU to be the beginning of the rest of my life.”

What is a quote or song lyric that describes you?

“They tell us from the time we’re young, to hide the things that we don’t like about ourselves, inside ourselves. I know I’m not the only one, who spent so long attempting to be someone else. Well I’m over it. I don’t care if the world knows what my secrets are.” ~Secrets by Mary Lambert.

[albertcaldwellne]

Strength Training 101: How to Do The Deadlift

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

And soon, it will be yours.

There’s nothing more satisfying than picking up a ton of weight off the floor and holding it in your hands.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson, the Icelandic Strongman/Powerlifter once said (while deadlifting 1005 lbs), “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do a deadlift.”

Now, that may be a bit extreme, but deadlifting is truly a romantic lift.=

On deadlift day, I don’t need assistance or a spotter – it’s just me, the barbell, and the weight. I love nothing more than to put my headphones in, put on a favorite playlist, and focus on nothing but me and that weight.

This is the next article in our strength training from our lead female NF Coaching instructor, Staci, covering all things strength training.

As for her story, she went from this to this thanks to heavy strength training:

And for her credentials, here she is easily deadlifting 400+ lbs at bodyweight of 150 lbs:

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

Staci has been part of Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years, and is now the lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

You might be reading this article, or on the hunt for strength training basics, and you’re overwhelmed:

Am I doing my deadlifts correctly?

What kind of workout should I follow?

How often should I train?

What if I’ve never worked out in a gym before?

Deadlifting in itself is not dangerous – but like with any movement, deadlifting incorrectly can be. Properly executing the deadlift will allow you to build a stronger posterior chain, less fragile joints, and a body that can handle whatever life throws at you.

We love the Deadlift more than any other exercise at Nerd Fitness, but it’s also one of the more intimidating exercises out there. It’s also easy to get wrong, and easy to injure yourself if you start to develop bad habits with it!

Many people are afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs, because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

Strength training and fear of injury can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. Your coach gets to know you, builds a program based on your experience and goals, will check your form on each movement (via video), and keep you accountable and on track!

You can learn more about our coaches and schedule a free call with us by clicking the image below:

Okay, today we’re going to fall in love with the deadlift, and make sure you can do them right!

Why Should Everybody Deadlift?

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise. In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.

Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.

Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.

Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (and probably with poor form!).

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, using better form when picking things up in real life will become second nature.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic every day life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object years from now!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.

Let’s take a look at how to do them right.

Choosing a Deadlift

NOTE: Before we begin, if you have a spinal injury (or really any injury), please check with your doctor before you start.

In the deadlift you’ll be lifting dead weight (motionless) off the ground hence the name).

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

And here is the Romanian Deadlift:

To deadlift, you take a loaded barbell (which is not in motion on the floor), grab it, and stand up with it until your shoulders, hips, and knees locked.

Your arms will stay straight throughout the lift. At the end of the lift the weight, depending on the length of your arms, will be at about hip height.

There are many different kinds of deadlifts:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip width apart.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

5) Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, Straight Leg Deadlift -These are variations that are all commonly confused. Bret Contreras has a great post where he goes into the differences between these variations in detail here.

6) Deficit Deadlift / Rack Pulls: These are movements that increase the range of motion or decrease the range of motion (respectively) and are used as accessory movements.

7) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

Today we are going to cover principally the conventional deadlift (we will cover variations in future articles).

Other than a barbell and weights, there are two optional equipment items you should consider:

Flat shoes, if your gym requires shoes. Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Many powerlifters wear deadlift slippers – basically just a fancy sock that’s approved footwear for competition.

Chalk is optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful. However, after you start to put some weight on the bar chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar.

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence – however, each piece of the deadlift has little intricacies that need to be done right, or you will hurt yourself.

If you’re somebody that is itching to get started with deadlifts now, or all of the above is overwhelming, I hear ya. It’s why we took all of this and turned it into an easy-to-digest downloadable guide so you can start deadlifting with confidence.

Grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

The Conventional Setup

While your choice of deadlift may vary depending on your body type or training goals, the conventional deadlift is a great starting point for just about any situation.

Let’s dive into the basic conventional deadlift setup:

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

Stand with your feet about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

Now, from here, until you are actually lifting, don’t move the bar!

Next, without moving the bar, or your hips, lean over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so they touch.For now, a simple double overhand grip will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

Now that you’re holding onto the bar (and not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar (stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar). Squeeze your chest up. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your back should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift.

We DON’T want your back to round or hyper extend (left and right images below).

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyper extended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

Keeping a neutral spine throughout the lift is vital, and thus it is important you set up right. Note that while your spine has a natural curve to it, that curve should not be over exaggerated.

In addition to your spine, use the muscles in your upper back to help lift your chest up (Think about what King Kong looks like when he’s ready to pound his chest).

At this point: your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar, and your arms should be straight and perpendicular to the floor. This is where the fun part comes!

Depending on your specific body, the set up position may look different from the person standing next to you. This is normal!

Think about it – since we want our arms to be straight, someone with super long arms will have a different look to their setup than someone with short arms.

The Deadlift

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Make sure that before you pull there is no slack in the bar – your muscles should already be slightly engaged and your entire body tight.

Take a deep breath in, and while keeping your entire back and core tight and your chest up, drive through your heels and pull! 

A popular cue that helps many lifters execute the right form is to visualize the deadlift not as a pull, but rather a push. Imagine you are pushing the world away from the bar… rather than pulling the bar up.

Like you’re holding onto the bar and driving your feet down through the earth.

As you pull, remember:

All of your weight should be on your heels and mid foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!).

During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.

Think about leading with your chest as you drive through your heels, and make sure you keep it up and tight.

Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are literally just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all.

The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.

As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.

At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.

At the top, do not hyper extend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

Now, at this point, the first thing I want you to do is do NOT lose tightness in your body. We are going to practice putting the bar down (not dropping it).

Setting the Bar Down

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended, only backwards.

Unlock your hips and knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time. Unlocking your knees first will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar. This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Notes on dropping the deadlift:

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift, and it is the part of the deadlift that will give you the most DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Because of this, many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to powerlift – the lift does not count if you drop it). So, practice on putting the bar down properly. It’s just as (if not more) important as practicing picking it up.

How to Grip The Bar, Straps, and other Equipment

Grip strength is a huge part in the deadlift, because if you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

There are two main grips that you see with the deadlift. The first is the double overhand grip. With this grip, your palms are both facing towards your body.

http://bit.ly/2hgwCUE

[almajonesnjna]

Strength Training 101: How to Do The Deadlift

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

And soon, it will be yours.

There’s nothing more satisfying than picking up a ton of weight off the floor and holding it in your hands.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson, the Icelandic Strongman/Powerlifter once said (while deadlifting 1005 lbs), “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do a deadlift.”

Now, that may be a bit extreme, but deadlifting is truly a romantic lift.=

On deadlift day, I don’t need assistance or a spotter – it’s just me, the barbell, and the weight. I love nothing more than to put my headphones in, put on a favorite playlist, and focus on nothing but me and that weight.

This is the next article in our strength training from our lead female NF Coaching instructor, Staci, covering all things strength training.

As for her story, she went from this to this thanks to heavy strength training:

And for her credentials, here she is easily deadlifting 400+ lbs at bodyweight of 150 lbs:

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

Staci has been part of Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years, and is now the lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

You might be reading this article, or on the hunt for strength training basics, and you’re overwhelmed:

Am I doing my deadlifts correctly?

What kind of workout should I follow?

How often should I train?

What if I’ve never worked out in a gym before?

Deadlifting in itself is not dangerous – but like with any movement, deadlifting incorrectly can be. Properly executing the deadlift will allow you to build a stronger posterior chain, less fragile joints, and a body that can handle whatever life throws at you.

We love the Deadlift more than any other exercise at Nerd Fitness, but it’s also one of the more intimidating exercises out there. It’s also easy to get wrong, and easy to injure yourself if you start to develop bad habits with it!

Many people are afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs, because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

Strength training and fear of injury can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. Your coach gets to know you, builds a program based on your experience and goals, will check your form on each movement (via video), and keep you accountable and on track!

You can learn more about our coaches and schedule a free call with us by clicking the image below:

Okay, today we’re going to fall in love with the deadlift, and make sure you can do them right!

Why Should Everybody Deadlift?

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise. In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.

Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.

Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.

Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (and probably with poor form!).

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, using better form when picking things up in real life will become second nature.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic every day life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object years from now!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.

Let’s take a look at how to do them right.

Choosing a Deadlift

NOTE: Before we begin, if you have a spinal injury (or really any injury), please check with your doctor before you start.

In the deadlift you’ll be lifting dead weight (motionless) off the ground hence the name).

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

And here is the Romanian Deadlift:

To deadlift, you take a loaded barbell (which is not in motion on the floor), grab it, and stand up with it until your shoulders, hips, and knees locked.

Your arms will stay straight throughout the lift. At the end of the lift the weight, depending on the length of your arms, will be at about hip height.

There are many different kinds of deadlifts:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip width apart.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

5) Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, Straight Leg Deadlift -These are variations that are all commonly confused. Bret Contreras has a great post where he goes into the differences between these variations in detail here.

6) Deficit Deadlift / Rack Pulls: These are movements that increase the range of motion or decrease the range of motion (respectively) and are used as accessory movements.

7) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

Today we are going to cover principally the conventional deadlift (we will cover variations in future articles).

Other than a barbell and weights, there are two optional equipment items you should consider:

Flat shoes, if your gym requires shoes. Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Many powerlifters wear deadlift slippers – basically just a fancy sock that’s approved footwear for competition.

Chalk is optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful. However, after you start to put some weight on the bar chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar.

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence – however, each piece of the deadlift has little intricacies that need to be done right, or you will hurt yourself.

If you’re somebody that is itching to get started with deadlifts now, or all of the above is overwhelming, I hear ya. It’s why we took all of this and turned it into an easy-to-digest downloadable guide so you can start deadlifting with confidence.

Grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

The Conventional Setup

While your choice of deadlift may vary depending on your body type or training goals, the conventional deadlift is a great starting point for just about any situation.

Let’s dive into the basic conventional deadlift setup:

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

Stand with your feet about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

Now, from here, until you are actually lifting, don’t move the bar!

Next, without moving the bar, or your hips, lean over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so they touch.For now, a simple double overhand grip will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

Now that you’re holding onto the bar (and not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar (stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar). Squeeze your chest up. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your back should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift.

We DON’T want your back to round or hyper extend (left and right images below).

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyper extended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

Keeping a neutral spine throughout the lift is vital, and thus it is important you set up right. Note that while your spine has a natural curve to it, that curve should not be over exaggerated.

In addition to your spine, use the muscles in your upper back to help lift your chest up (Think about what King Kong looks like when he’s ready to pound his chest).

At this point: your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar, and your arms should be straight and perpendicular to the floor. This is where the fun part comes!

Depending on your specific body, the set up position may look different from the person standing next to you. This is normal!

Think about it – since we want our arms to be straight, someone with super long arms will have a different look to their setup than someone with short arms.

The Deadlift

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Make sure that before you pull there is no slack in the bar – your muscles should already be slightly engaged and your entire body tight.

Take a deep breath in, and while keeping your entire back and core tight and your chest up, drive through your heels and pull! 

A popular cue that helps many lifters execute the right form is to visualize the deadlift not as a pull, but rather a push. Imagine you are pushing the world away from the bar… rather than pulling the bar up.

Like you’re holding onto the bar and driving your feet down through the earth.

As you pull, remember:

All of your weight should be on your heels and mid foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!).

During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.

Think about leading with your chest as you drive through your heels, and make sure you keep it up and tight.

Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are literally just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all.

The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.

As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.

At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.

At the top, do not hyper extend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

Now, at this point, the first thing I want you to do is do NOT lose tightness in your body. We are going to practice putting the bar down (not dropping it).

Setting the Bar Down

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended, only backwards.

Unlock your hips and knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time. Unlocking your knees first will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar. This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Notes on dropping the deadlift:

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift, and it is the part of the deadlift that will give you the most DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Because of this, many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to powerlift – the lift does not count if you drop it). So, practice on putting the bar down properly. It’s just as (if not more) important as practicing picking it up.

How to Grip The Bar, Straps, and other Equipment

Grip strength is a huge part in the deadlift, because if you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

There are two main grips that you see with the deadlift. The first is the double overhand grip. With this grip, your palms are both facing towards your body.

http://bit.ly/2hgwCUE

[neilmillerne]

Strength Training 101: How to Do The Deadlift

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

And soon, it will be yours.

There’s nothing more satisfying than picking up a ton of weight off the floor and holding it in your hands.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson, the Icelandic Strongman/Powerlifter once said (while deadlifting 1005 lbs), “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do a deadlift.”

Now, that may be a bit extreme, but deadlifting is truly a romantic lift.=

On deadlift day, I don’t need assistance or a spotter – it’s just me, the barbell, and the weight. I love nothing more than to put my headphones in, put on a favorite playlist, and focus on nothing but me and that weight.

This is the next article in our strength training from our lead female NF Coaching instructor, Staci, covering all things strength training.

As for her story, she went from this to this thanks to heavy strength training:

And for her credentials, here she is easily deadlifting 400+ lbs at bodyweight of 150 lbs:

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

Staci has been part of Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years, and is now the lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

You might be reading this article, or on the hunt for strength training basics, and you’re overwhelmed:

Am I doing my deadlifts correctly?

What kind of workout should I follow?

How often should I train?

What if I’ve never worked out in a gym before?

Deadlifting in itself is not dangerous – but like with any movement, deadlifting incorrectly can be. Properly executing the deadlift will allow you to build a stronger posterior chain, less fragile joints, and a body that can handle whatever life throws at you.

We love the Deadlift more than any other exercise at Nerd Fitness, but it’s also one of the more intimidating exercises out there. It’s also easy to get wrong, and easy to injure yourself if you start to develop bad habits with it!

Many people are afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs, because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

Strength training and fear of injury can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. Your coach gets to know you, builds a program based on your experience and goals, will check your form on each movement (via video), and keep you accountable and on track!

You can learn more about our coaches and schedule a free call with us by clicking the image below:

Okay, today we’re going to fall in love with the deadlift, and make sure you can do them right!

Why Should Everybody Deadlift?

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise. In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.

Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.

Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.

Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (and probably with poor form!).

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, using better form when picking things up in real life will become second nature.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic every day life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object years from now!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.

Let’s take a look at how to do them right.

Choosing a Deadlift

NOTE: Before we begin, if you have a spinal injury (or really any injury), please check with your doctor before you start.

In the deadlift you’ll be lifting dead weight (motionless) off the ground hence the name).

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

And here is the Romanian Deadlift:

To deadlift, you take a loaded barbell (which is not in motion on the floor), grab it, and stand up with it until your shoulders, hips, and knees locked.

Your arms will stay straight throughout the lift. At the end of the lift the weight, depending on the length of your arms, will be at about hip height.

There are many different kinds of deadlifts:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip width apart.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

5) Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, Straight Leg Deadlift -These are variations that are all commonly confused. Bret Contreras has a great post where he goes into the differences between these variations in detail here.

6) Deficit Deadlift / Rack Pulls: These are movements that increase the range of motion or decrease the range of motion (respectively) and are used as accessory movements.

7) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

Today we are going to cover principally the conventional deadlift (we will cover variations in future articles).

Other than a barbell and weights, there are two optional equipment items you should consider:

Flat shoes, if your gym requires shoes. Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Many powerlifters wear deadlift slippers – basically just a fancy sock that’s approved footwear for competition.

Chalk is optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful. However, after you start to put some weight on the bar chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar.

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence – however, each piece of the deadlift has little intricacies that need to be done right, or you will hurt yourself.

If you’re somebody that is itching to get started with deadlifts now, or all of the above is overwhelming, I hear ya. It’s why we took all of this and turned it into an easy-to-digest downloadable guide so you can start deadlifting with confidence.

Grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

The Conventional Setup

While your choice of deadlift may vary depending on your body type or training goals, the conventional deadlift is a great starting point for just about any situation.

Let’s dive into the basic conventional deadlift setup:

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

Stand with your feet about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

Now, from here, until you are actually lifting, don’t move the bar!

Next, without moving the bar, or your hips, lean over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so they touch.For now, a simple double overhand grip will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

Now that you’re holding onto the bar (and not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar (stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar). Squeeze your chest up. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your back should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift.

We DON’T want your back to round or hyper extend (left and right images below).

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyper extended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

Keeping a neutral spine throughout the lift is vital, and thus it is important you set up right. Note that while your spine has a natural curve to it, that curve should not be over exaggerated.

In addition to your spine, use the muscles in your upper back to help lift your chest up (Think about what King Kong looks like when he’s ready to pound his chest).

At this point: your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar, and your arms should be straight and perpendicular to the floor. This is where the fun part comes!

Depending on your specific body, the set up position may look different from the person standing next to you. This is normal!

Think about it – since we want our arms to be straight, someone with super long arms will have a different look to their setup than someone with short arms.

The Deadlift

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Make sure that before you pull there is no slack in the bar – your muscles should already be slightly engaged and your entire body tight.

Take a deep breath in, and while keeping your entire back and core tight and your chest up, drive through your heels and pull! 

A popular cue that helps many lifters execute the right form is to visualize the deadlift not as a pull, but rather a push. Imagine you are pushing the world away from the bar… rather than pulling the bar up.

Like you’re holding onto the bar and driving your feet down through the earth.

As you pull, remember:

All of your weight should be on your heels and mid foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!).

During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.

Think about leading with your chest as you drive through your heels, and make sure you keep it up and tight.

Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are literally just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all.

The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.

As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.

At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.

At the top, do not hyper extend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

Now, at this point, the first thing I want you to do is do NOT lose tightness in your body. We are going to practice putting the bar down (not dropping it).

Setting the Bar Down

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended, only backwards.

Unlock your hips and knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time. Unlocking your knees first will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar. This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Notes on dropping the deadlift:

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift, and it is the part of the deadlift that will give you the most DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Because of this, many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to powerlift – the lift does not count if you drop it). So, practice on putting the bar down properly. It’s just as (if not more) important as practicing picking it up.

How to Grip The Bar, Straps, and other Equipment

Grip strength is a huge part in the deadlift, because if you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

There are two main grips that you see with the deadlift. The first is the double overhand grip. With this grip, your palms are both facing towards your body.

http://bit.ly/2hgwCUE

[ruthellisneda]

Strength Training 101: How to Do The Deadlift

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

And soon, it will be yours.

There’s nothing more satisfying than picking up a ton of weight off the floor and holding it in your hands.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson, the Icelandic Strongman/Powerlifter once said (while deadlifting 1005 lbs), “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do a deadlift.”

Now, that may be a bit extreme, but deadlifting is truly a romantic lift.=

On deadlift day, I don’t need assistance or a spotter – it’s just me, the barbell, and the weight. I love nothing more than to put my headphones in, put on a favorite playlist, and focus on nothing but me and that weight.

This is the next article in our strength training from our lead female NF Coaching instructor, Staci, covering all things strength training.

As for her story, she went from this to this thanks to heavy strength training:

And for her credentials, here she is easily deadlifting 400+ lbs at bodyweight of 150 lbs:

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

Staci has been part of Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years, and is now the lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

You might be reading this article, or on the hunt for strength training basics, and you’re overwhelmed:

Am I doing my deadlifts correctly?

What kind of workout should I follow?

How often should I train?

What if I’ve never worked out in a gym before?

Deadlifting in itself is not dangerous – but like with any movement, deadlifting incorrectly can be. Properly executing the deadlift will allow you to build a stronger posterior chain, less fragile joints, and a body that can handle whatever life throws at you.

We love the Deadlift more than any other exercise at Nerd Fitness, but it’s also one of the more intimidating exercises out there. It’s also easy to get wrong, and easy to injure yourself if you start to develop bad habits with it!

Many people are afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs, because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

Strength training and fear of injury can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. Your coach gets to know you, builds a program based on your experience and goals, will check your form on each movement (via video), and keep you accountable and on track!

You can learn more about our coaches and schedule a free call with us by clicking the image below:

Okay, today we’re going to fall in love with the deadlift, and make sure you can do them right!

Why Should Everybody Deadlift?

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise. In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.

Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.

Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.

Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (and probably with poor form!).

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, using better form when picking things up in real life will become second nature.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic every day life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object years from now!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.

Let’s take a look at how to do them right.

Choosing a Deadlift

NOTE: Before we begin, if you have a spinal injury (or really any injury), please check with your doctor before you start.

In the deadlift you’ll be lifting dead weight (motionless) off the ground hence the name).

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

And here is the Romanian Deadlift:

To deadlift, you take a loaded barbell (which is not in motion on the floor), grab it, and stand up with it until your shoulders, hips, and knees locked.

Your arms will stay straight throughout the lift. At the end of the lift the weight, depending on the length of your arms, will be at about hip height.

There are many different kinds of deadlifts:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip width apart.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

5) Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, Straight Leg Deadlift -These are variations that are all commonly confused. Bret Contreras has a great post where he goes into the differences between these variations in detail here.

6) Deficit Deadlift / Rack Pulls: These are movements that increase the range of motion or decrease the range of motion (respectively) and are used as accessory movements.

7) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

Today we are going to cover principally the conventional deadlift (we will cover variations in future articles).

Other than a barbell and weights, there are two optional equipment items you should consider:

Flat shoes, if your gym requires shoes. Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Many powerlifters wear deadlift slippers – basically just a fancy sock that’s approved footwear for competition.

Chalk is optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful. However, after you start to put some weight on the bar chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar.

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence – however, each piece of the deadlift has little intricacies that need to be done right, or you will hurt yourself.

If you’re somebody that is itching to get started with deadlifts now, or all of the above is overwhelming, I hear ya. It’s why we took all of this and turned it into an easy-to-digest downloadable guide so you can start deadlifting with confidence.

Grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

The Conventional Setup

While your choice of deadlift may vary depending on your body type or training goals, the conventional deadlift is a great starting point for just about any situation.

Let’s dive into the basic conventional deadlift setup:

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

Stand with your feet about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

Now, from here, until you are actually lifting, don’t move the bar!

Next, without moving the bar, or your hips, lean over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so they touch.For now, a simple double overhand grip will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

Now that you’re holding onto the bar (and not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar (stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar). Squeeze your chest up. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your back should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift.

We DON’T want your back to round or hyper extend (left and right images below).

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyper extended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

Keeping a neutral spine throughout the lift is vital, and thus it is important you set up right. Note that while your spine has a natural curve to it, that curve should not be over exaggerated.

In addition to your spine, use the muscles in your upper back to help lift your chest up (Think about what King Kong looks like when he’s ready to pound his chest).

At this point: your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar, and your arms should be straight and perpendicular to the floor. This is where the fun part comes!

Depending on your specific body, the set up position may look different from the person standing next to you. This is normal!

Think about it – since we want our arms to be straight, someone with super long arms will have a different look to their setup than someone with short arms.

The Deadlift

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Make sure that before you pull there is no slack in the bar – your muscles should already be slightly engaged and your entire body tight.

Take a deep breath in, and while keeping your entire back and core tight and your chest up, drive through your heels and pull! 

A popular cue that helps many lifters execute the right form is to visualize the deadlift not as a pull, but rather a push. Imagine you are pushing the world away from the bar… rather than pulling the bar up.

Like you’re holding onto the bar and driving your feet down through the earth.

As you pull, remember:

All of your weight should be on your heels and mid foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!).

During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.

Think about leading with your chest as you drive through your heels, and make sure you keep it up and tight.

Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are literally just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all.

The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.

As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.

At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.

At the top, do not hyper extend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

Now, at this point, the first thing I want you to do is do NOT lose tightness in your body. We are going to practice putting the bar down (not dropping it).

Setting the Bar Down

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended, only backwards.

Unlock your hips and knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time. Unlocking your knees first will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar. This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Notes on dropping the deadlift:

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift, and it is the part of the deadlift that will give you the most DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Because of this, many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to powerlift – the lift does not count if you drop it). So, practice on putting the bar down properly. It’s just as (if not more) important as practicing picking it up.

How to Grip The Bar, Straps, and other Equipment

Grip strength is a huge part in the deadlift, because if you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

There are two main grips that you see with the deadlift. The first is the double overhand grip. With this grip, your palms are both facing towards your body.

http://bit.ly/2hgwCUE

[joshuabradleyn]

Strength Training 101: How to Do The Deadlift

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

And soon, it will be yours.

There’s nothing more satisfying than picking up a ton of weight off the floor and holding it in your hands.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson, the Icelandic Strongman/Powerlifter once said (while deadlifting 1005 lbs), “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do a deadlift.”

Now, that may be a bit extreme, but deadlifting is truly a romantic lift.=

On deadlift day, I don’t need assistance or a spotter – it’s just me, the barbell, and the weight. I love nothing more than to put my headphones in, put on a favorite playlist, and focus on nothing but me and that weight.

This is the next article in our strength training from our lead female NF Coaching instructor, Staci, covering all things strength training.

As for her story, she went from this to this thanks to heavy strength training:

And for her credentials, here she is easily deadlifting 400+ lbs at bodyweight of 150 lbs:

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

Staci has been part of Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years, and is now the lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

You might be reading this article, or on the hunt for strength training basics, and you’re overwhelmed:

Am I doing my deadlifts correctly?

What kind of workout should I follow?

How often should I train?

What if I’ve never worked out in a gym before?

Deadlifting in itself is not dangerous – but like with any movement, deadlifting incorrectly can be. Properly executing the deadlift will allow you to build a stronger posterior chain, less fragile joints, and a body that can handle whatever life throws at you.

We love the Deadlift more than any other exercise at Nerd Fitness, but it’s also one of the more intimidating exercises out there. It’s also easy to get wrong, and easy to injure yourself if you start to develop bad habits with it!

Many people are afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs, because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

Strength training and fear of injury can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. Your coach gets to know you, builds a program based on your experience and goals, will check your form on each movement (via video), and keep you accountable and on track!

You can learn more about our coaches and schedule a free call with us by clicking the image below:

Okay, today we’re going to fall in love with the deadlift, and make sure you can do them right!

Why Should Everybody Deadlift?

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise. In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.

Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.

Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.

Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (and probably with poor form!).

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, using better form when picking things up in real life will become second nature.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic every day life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object years from now!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.

Let’s take a look at how to do them right.

Choosing a Deadlift

NOTE: Before we begin, if you have a spinal injury (or really any injury), please check with your doctor before you start.

In the deadlift you’ll be lifting dead weight (motionless) off the ground hence the name).

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

And here is the Romanian Deadlift:

To deadlift, you take a loaded barbell (which is not in motion on the floor), grab it, and stand up with it until your shoulders, hips, and knees locked.

Your arms will stay straight throughout the lift. At the end of the lift the weight, depending on the length of your arms, will be at about hip height.

There are many different kinds of deadlifts:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip width apart.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

5) Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, Straight Leg Deadlift -These are variations that are all commonly confused. Bret Contreras has a great post where he goes into the differences between these variations in detail here.

6) Deficit Deadlift / Rack Pulls: These are movements that increase the range of motion or decrease the range of motion (respectively) and are used as accessory movements.

7) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

Today we are going to cover principally the conventional deadlift (we will cover variations in future articles).

Other than a barbell and weights, there are two optional equipment items you should consider:

Flat shoes, if your gym requires shoes. Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Many powerlifters wear deadlift slippers – basically just a fancy sock that’s approved footwear for competition.

Chalk is optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful. However, after you start to put some weight on the bar chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar.

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence – however, each piece of the deadlift has little intricacies that need to be done right, or you will hurt yourself.

If you’re somebody that is itching to get started with deadlifts now, or all of the above is overwhelming, I hear ya. It’s why we took all of this and turned it into an easy-to-digest downloadable guide so you can start deadlifting with confidence.

Grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

The Conventional Setup

While your choice of deadlift may vary depending on your body type or training goals, the conventional deadlift is a great starting point for just about any situation.

Let’s dive into the basic conventional deadlift setup:

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

Stand with your feet about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

Now, from here, until you are actually lifting, don’t move the bar!

Next, without moving the bar, or your hips, lean over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so they touch.For now, a simple double overhand grip will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

Now that you’re holding onto the bar (and not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar (stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar). Squeeze your chest up. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your back should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift.

We DON’T want your back to round or hyper extend (left and right images below).

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyper extended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

Keeping a neutral spine throughout the lift is vital, and thus it is important you set up right. Note that while your spine has a natural curve to it, that curve should not be over exaggerated.

In addition to your spine, use the muscles in your upper back to help lift your chest up (Think about what King Kong looks like when he’s ready to pound his chest).

At this point: your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar, and your arms should be straight and perpendicular to the floor. This is where the fun part comes!

Depending on your specific body, the set up position may look different from the person standing next to you. This is normal!

Think about it – since we want our arms to be straight, someone with super long arms will have a different look to their setup than someone with short arms.

The Deadlift

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Make sure that before you pull there is no slack in the bar – your muscles should already be slightly engaged and your entire body tight.

Take a deep breath in, and while keeping your entire back and core tight and your chest up, drive through your heels and pull! 

A popular cue that helps many lifters execute the right form is to visualize the deadlift not as a pull, but rather a push. Imagine you are pushing the world away from the bar… rather than pulling the bar up.

Like you’re holding onto the bar and driving your feet down through the earth.

As you pull, remember:

All of your weight should be on your heels and mid foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!).

During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.

Think about leading with your chest as you drive through your heels, and make sure you keep it up and tight.

Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are literally just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all.

The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.

As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.

At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.

At the top, do not hyper extend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

Now, at this point, the first thing I want you to do is do NOT lose tightness in your body. We are going to practice putting the bar down (not dropping it).

Setting the Bar Down

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended, only backwards.

Unlock your hips and knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time. Unlocking your knees first will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar. This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Notes on dropping the deadlift:

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift, and it is the part of the deadlift that will give you the most DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Because of this, many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to powerlift – the lift does not count if you drop it). So, practice on putting the bar down properly. It’s just as (if not more) important as practicing picking it up.

How to Grip The Bar, Straps, and other Equipment

Grip strength is a huge part in the deadlift, because if you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

There are two main grips that you see with the deadlift. The first is the double overhand grip. With this grip, your palms are both facing towards your body.

http://bit.ly/2hgwCUE

[johnclapperne]

Strength Training 101: How to Do The Deadlift

Deadlift day is my favorite day of the week.

And soon, it will be yours.

There’s nothing more satisfying than picking up a ton of weight off the floor and holding it in your hands.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson, the Icelandic Strongman/Powerlifter once said (while deadlifting 1005 lbs), “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do a deadlift.”

Now, that may be a bit extreme, but deadlifting is truly a romantic lift.=

On deadlift day, I don’t need assistance or a spotter – it’s just me, the barbell, and the weight. I love nothing more than to put my headphones in, put on a favorite playlist, and focus on nothing but me and that weight.

This is the next article in our strength training from our lead female NF Coaching instructor, Staci, covering all things strength training.

As for her story, she went from this to this thanks to heavy strength training:

And for her credentials, here she is easily deadlifting 400+ lbs at bodyweight of 150 lbs:

A post shared by Staci Ardison (@staciardison) on Oct 11, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

Staci has been part of Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years, and is now the lead female trainer in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!

You might be reading this article, or on the hunt for strength training basics, and you’re overwhelmed:

Am I doing my deadlifts correctly?

What kind of workout should I follow?

How often should I train?

What if I’ve never worked out in a gym before?

Deadlifting in itself is not dangerous – but like with any movement, deadlifting incorrectly can be. Properly executing the deadlift will allow you to build a stronger posterior chain, less fragile joints, and a body that can handle whatever life throws at you.

We love the Deadlift more than any other exercise at Nerd Fitness, but it’s also one of the more intimidating exercises out there. It’s also easy to get wrong, and easy to injure yourself if you start to develop bad habits with it!

Many people are afraid of the deadlift and avoid it at all costs, because they’re afraid of splitting themselves in half or getting injured in another way.

Strength training and fear of injury can be scary enough to keep MOST people from starting, which is actually why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. Your coach gets to know you, builds a program based on your experience and goals, will check your form on each movement (via video), and keep you accountable and on track!

You can learn more about our coaches and schedule a free call with us by clicking the image below:

Okay, today we’re going to fall in love with the deadlift, and make sure you can do them right!

Why Should Everybody Deadlift?

The deadlift is a true full body movement.

While most people would consider it a “back” exercise, others will argue that it’s a “leg” exercise. In my book, it’s an everything exercise.

When you deadlift, you use every single muscle in your body:

Your arms, forearms, and hands hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift.

Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable.

Your back and core help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure.

Your posterior chain and legs to act as a lever and lift the weight.

Whenever anyone asks me where I got my shoulders/abs/etc, I answer the same: deadlifts.

Why do a million crunches when I can just do deadlifts instead?

Way more fun! Plus, deadlifting is actually more effective.

On top of that, the deadlift is a basic human movement. Other than the squat, there might not be another movement that is more “functional.”

From the grocery store, to moving a piece of furniture, to picking your child up off the floor – you are deadlifting (and probably with poor form!).

As you build solid form deadlifting in the gym, using better form when picking things up in real life will become second nature.

This means you’ll be less likely to injure yourself now and later down the line (not only because you are stronger, but because your body knows how to properly handle weight).

And this goes further than just picking up objects – how you move while shoveling snow, doing yard work, and doing other basic every day life tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting.

Don’t be that guy/gal with back problems from lifting that random object years from now!

Oh, and by the way, the effectiveness of the deadlift isn’t limited to an age or gender – even grandma thinks they’re cool.

The deadlift is awesome – perhaps the purest measure of strength: either you can pick the weight off of the ground, or you can’t.

Let’s take a look at how to do them right.

Choosing a Deadlift

NOTE: Before we begin, if you have a spinal injury (or really any injury), please check with your doctor before you start.

In the deadlift you’ll be lifting dead weight (motionless) off the ground hence the name).

Here is the Conventional Deadlift, as demonstrated by me (Staci) and Jim from the NF Coaching Program:

And here is the Romanian Deadlift:

To deadlift, you take a loaded barbell (which is not in motion on the floor), grab it, and stand up with it until your shoulders, hips, and knees locked.

Your arms will stay straight throughout the lift. At the end of the lift the weight, depending on the length of your arms, will be at about hip height.

There are many different kinds of deadlifts:

1) Conventional Deadlift – Your hands are just outside your feet, standing at about hip width apart.

2) Sumo Deadlift – Your hands are inside your feet with a wider stance.

3) Hex or Trap Bar Bar Deadlifts – Use a specialty bar made just for deadlifting which changes the biomechanics.

4) Snatch Grip Deadlift – Your hands will use a wide grip like in the Snatch.

5) Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift, Straight Leg Deadlift -These are variations that are all commonly confused. Bret Contreras has a great post where he goes into the differences between these variations in detail here.

6) Deficit Deadlift / Rack Pulls: These are movements that increase the range of motion or decrease the range of motion (respectively) and are used as accessory movements.

7) Dumbbell Deadlift Variations: For either accessory work, or if you don’t have access to a barbell and weights.

Today we are going to cover principally the conventional deadlift (we will cover variations in future articles).

Other than a barbell and weights, there are two optional equipment items you should consider:

Flat shoes, if your gym requires shoes. Chucks work great. I personally prefer to deadlift in either socks or zero drop minimalist shoes. Many powerlifters wear deadlift slippers – basically just a fancy sock that’s approved footwear for competition.

Chalk is optional and initially won’t be incredibly useful. However, after you start to put some weight on the bar chalk will be enormously helpful for hanging on to the bar.

The deadlift can actually be taught in one sentence – however, each piece of the deadlift has little intricacies that need to be done right, or you will hurt yourself.

If you’re somebody that is itching to get started with deadlifts now, or all of the above is overwhelming, I hear ya. It’s why we took all of this and turned it into an easy-to-digest downloadable guide so you can start deadlifting with confidence.

Grab our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you sign up in the box below:

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

The Conventional Setup

While your choice of deadlift may vary depending on your body type or training goals, the conventional deadlift is a great starting point for just about any situation.

Let’s dive into the basic conventional deadlift setup:

*NOTE: Always warm up properly, and start with just the bar, even for deadlifts!

Load the bar and secure the plates with collars. If you are just starting out with the movement, begin with 5-10 lb plates, using boxes or blocks to elevate the bar to about where it would be with 45 lb plates attached (if your gym has training plates that are this size, even better!). You may also be able to use your gym’s power rack for this.

Stand with your feet about hip width (8-12 inches) apart, and your feet slightly angled outwards (5-10 degrees).

Look down – the bar should be over the middle of your feet. If you’re wearing laced shoes, the bar would be approximately over the tied part of your shoelaces.

Now, from here, until you are actually lifting, don’t move the bar!

Next, without moving the bar, or your hips, lean over and grab the bar. Your legs should still be straight at this point. Your grip width will be slightly outside of your legs, but not so they touch.For now, a simple double overhand grip will work. We will discuss options in grip in more detail later!

Now that you’re holding onto the bar (and not moving it), move your hips down. While you do this, your shins will come forward until they touch the bar (stop moving your hips down when your shins touch the bar). Squeeze your chest up. As you do this, your back should flatten, and your back should go into a neutral spine position.

This is the final starting position of the deadlift.

We DON’T want your back to round or hyper extend (left and right images below).

If you’re just starting out, getting into a neutral spine might feel like you’ve gone too far (hyper extended), so don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help or to record yourself so you can see what you’re doing.

Keeping a neutral spine throughout the lift is vital, and thus it is important you set up right. Note that while your spine has a natural curve to it, that curve should not be over exaggerated.

In addition to your spine, use the muscles in your upper back to help lift your chest up (Think about what King Kong looks like when he’s ready to pound his chest).

At this point: your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar, and your arms should be straight and perpendicular to the floor. This is where the fun part comes!

Depending on your specific body, the set up position may look different from the person standing next to you. This is normal!

Think about it – since we want our arms to be straight, someone with super long arms will have a different look to their setup than someone with short arms.

The Deadlift

If your setup looks and feels good, you’re ready to lift.

Make sure that before you pull there is no slack in the bar – your muscles should already be slightly engaged and your entire body tight.

Take a deep breath in, and while keeping your entire back and core tight and your chest up, drive through your heels and pull! 

A popular cue that helps many lifters execute the right form is to visualize the deadlift not as a pull, but rather a push. Imagine you are pushing the world away from the bar… rather than pulling the bar up.

Like you’re holding onto the bar and driving your feet down through the earth.

As you pull, remember:

All of your weight should be on your heels and mid foot. You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire time (though that is not a part of deadlifting!).

During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest, or vice versa. You may have heard of the term “stripper deadlift” – this is when your butt rises first before your chest.

Think about leading with your chest as you drive through your heels, and make sure you keep it up and tight.

Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are literally just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all.

The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will literally be dragging it up your thighs. This is why you see many powerlifters with chalk or baby powder covering their legs (and why they typically wear socks that cover their shins, to prevent cuts and scrapes). Do not let it come forward. If you were to draw a line that follows the bar’s path from the floor to lockout, it should be a straight, vertical line.

As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. So while you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet, pushing your butt under the bar.

At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall and proud with your chest open, like if you were King Kong getting ready to pound his chest.

At the top, do not hyper extend and lean back. You want to keep your spine neutral and everything tight.

Now, at this point, the first thing I want you to do is do NOT lose tightness in your body. We are going to practice putting the bar down (not dropping it).

Setting the Bar Down

Your body should descend all at the same time, just as it ascended, only backwards.

Unlock your hips and knees and slowly lower the bar to set it down (make sure you unlock them at the same time. Unlocking your knees first will cause a lot of awkward movement, and possibly your lower back to round).

Don’t lose tightness until you let go of the bar. This is extremely important – a large amount of deadlift injuries come from people getting super excited about making a lift, losing tightness, and then putting the bar down wrong.

You want this to be a quick movement – lowering the deadlift slow will take a lot out of you and leave you sore for days.

Notes on dropping the deadlift:

The eccentric part of the deadlift (lowering it) is actually riskier than the concentric (picking it up) part of the deadlift, and it is the part of the deadlift that will give you the most DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Because of this, many coaches will advocate dropping your deadlift (especially with advanced athletes where they can’t afford to sacrifice performance later in the week).

I would recommend putting the bar down (especially if you want to powerlift – the lift does not count if you drop it). So, practice on putting the bar down properly. It’s just as (if not more) important as practicing picking it up.

How to Grip The Bar, Straps, and other Equipment

Grip strength is a huge part in the deadlift, because if you can’t hold on to the bar, you can’t lift it!

There are two main grips that you see with the deadlift. The first is the double overhand grip. With this grip, your palms are both facing towards your body.

http://bit.ly/2hgwCUE