2. Bloody shins are pretty common in my experience. Wearing pants on days you deadlift will usually cure this, but it sounds like you’ve already given this a go without success. A surefire way to avoid bloody shins is to use a trap bar if your gym has one. The Ace bandage should not hinder the movement and is worth experimenting with. Good luck!

1. Should I be letting the bar totally rest of the floor between reps? Right now I kind of just “clank” the plates and the floor so I know I got down but I pretty much bear all the weight throughout the 5 reps. It was never a problem before but recently since I got up to 275lbs on the lift my back really tightens up at the end of the 5 sets and doesn’t feel right until I finish my drive home.

2. I can’t seem to do the lifts without making my shins bleed. I guess I scraped them once and now every time I start I rip the scab off and blood pours out. I tried wearing sweatpants but I still get the bleeding. I’m thinking of wrapping an Ace bandage around the shin tomorrow but I dunno if that will hamper the movement.

Thanks again for your site!