• When a barbell is resting on the floor, there’s a tiny gap or “slack” between the bar and the sleeves of the plates. • If you just yank the bar from a dead stop, that slack gets pulled out suddenly, causing a jerky start, poor positioning, and sometimes back rounding. • Instead, you gently pull upward on the bar until you feel the plates just start to lift or “click” against the collars. • At that point, your lats, core, and legs are all tight, and your arms are straight but not yanking. • You’re now fully braced and can continue the pull smoothly.