All of my athletes are forbidden to bounce the bar off the platform while deadlifting. Irrespective of whether they use sumo or conventional techniques. Why? Because during the moment when the bar is bouncing off the platform, the athlete momentarily looses control of the bar. And as mentioned earlier, the bar can bounce a few centimetres away from the athlete. This can shift the entire centre of balance towards the athletes toes. It is the purpose of every coach and athlete to train perfect form in a competitive movement to the point of automation. Because when the weight of the bar reaches 95% or greater, the athlete does not think about form but is solely focused on lifting the weight. How can you automate perfect form if the bar keeps bouncing of the platform, if you do not assume the starting position with every repetition? I can not imagine my athletes performing deadlifts with 80% for 4 sets of 8 repetitions. Bouncing of the bar must be completely excluded from the training process. But, this is only my professional opinion. This opinion may not necessarily be shared by other athletes and powerlifting specialists.

Boris Sheiko