Andy - you got me thinking a bit with your post about learning the proper technique. Something Steve Cotter (the kettlebell dude) preaches a lot is that 'Strength is a skill'. This seems like a contradiction in terms but it yields quite a lot if you think about it. What I take from it is that you need to learn how to APPLY strength. Some muscles may be strong, others may not. Tendons may be strong, or they may be weak. The CNS may be fully recruited or it may not. The joints may be holding you back, or they may not. These sudden jumps in poundage come when you figure out something that was holding you back (or train it): in this case, how to apply the grip strength you already had. Without that technique, your strength was effectively useless to you in terms of training the deadlift, since you couldn't lift anything heavier than your grip strength would allow. Thus, it was basically useless for training your legs and back. Raw strength (which many big guys possess) is often useless unless you know how to apply it in a practical situation. So...strength is a skill. Unless you learn the technique, you'll never get stronger past a certain point.
