You step up to a barbell, lower yourself, and grip the bar. You lift until you’re standing tall with it. That image of a person standing tall at the top of a deadlift, holding that loaded bar, muscles flexed and bulging from head to toe, conveys power and pure, raw strength.

Known as the king of exercises for its intense total-body work, the deadlift is the quintessential full body movement, lighting up your entire lower body, lower back, upper back, shoulders, biceps, and core, and an array of smaller muscles.

What exactly is the deadlift?

The deadlift is, in essence, a heavily loaded hip hinge. If you visualize that, it can help you avoid moving like a squat, which is a very common type of poor form.

What the deadlift does for you:

Making the deadlift a key part of your program can lead to immense strength gains, particularly to the posterior chain [like your lats, traps, deep core, glutes, hamstrings]. It can send you bursting through size gains, but can also be a great fat burner, since your entire body is engaged. Your posture will be greatly improved as long as your form comes first. Not to mention an array of smaller benefits like impeccable grip strength. The deadlift will also absolutely show up in improvements on your other lifts

Put simply, this one lift, if included properly in your workout program, can unlock unbelievable gains and enhance all of your other main lifts.

But, if improperly done, it can set you back, risk all sorts of injury and ruin your lower back. Deadlifting with poor technique creates far more risk for injury than the reward you’ll get from the lift. 

You certainly can’t just skip it, however. The deadlift, or some exercise closely related to the deadlift, is a must for any serious training program. It is imperative to perfect this lift – keeping a version of the deadlift in your workout just might do more for you than any other single lift out there!

So let’s examine how to properly execute a deadlift, and point out a few key things to be vigilant to avoid:

Remember: Technique is more important here than perhaps any other lift!

Good technique drastically reduces chances of injury, by putting you in the most stable position to control the weight and engage the muscles that are meant to handle it.

It also drastically increases the effectiveness of the lift. Ensuring your body is being engaged in the right ways ensures you get the most out of every set.

With perfect form, you work the right muscles in the right way, and the effects will be stunning.

How to Deadlift:

START with Feet shoulder-width, shins against the barbell, bar over the middle of your feet.

GRIP the barbell with a shoulder width grip.

(OVERHAND OR mixed grip? – The basic double overhand grip is best for most people, especially beginners. The mixed grip has its advantages, but can lead to muscular imbalances and asymmetrical grip strength)

DRIVE through the floor to raise up

WHEN the barbell reaches the top of your knees, bring your hips forward to take you up the rest of the way.

FINISH Locked at the top, hips and knees, with legs straight and shoulders back and down (put your shoulders in your back pocket)

HINGE your hips back and lower your legs to return the weight to the ground.

WHAT TO AVOID:

Rounding your back

This is the quickest way to injure yourself with a deadlift. Your back must stay neutral throughout the deadlift. If you’re having a hard time with this, you’re likely either attempting the deadlift with too much weight, or starting the lift with poor form and never correcting.

Fix:

Pay attention to your cues! Chest up, show the logo on your shirt to the person in front of you. Drive through your legs, never lift with your back.

Take it slow, and practice with just the bar, or with light weight as a warm up. Remember that perfect form is far more important than the numbers on the plates.

unbalanced on the way up

Keep the barbell as close to your body as possible throughout the lift. Dragging the bar along your shins is ideal, although it may sound unpleasant. Failing to adhere to this rule can throw off your balance drastically and set you up for failure (the bad kind).

fix:

Setup is key for this one. Double check your foot positioning, and that your body is aligned properly. This can also happen due to an uncoordinated lift, with your hips moving too soon or too late.

turning it into a squat

Another common effect of allowing your form to be poor. You should be moving through your hips the entire time, not your legs.

fix:

Straighten through the hips! Break the movement down into steps, and practice with low weight if you need to.

How does the deadlift fit into your program

The deadlift is possibly your most important lift, period. It should be the main lift of a day in your split. It should lead your workout off as the first thing you do after warming up.

THE last word

Deadlifting is a complex undertaking, with myriad risks and incredible rewards. You can blast through all your goals, sculpt your body, protect yourself against pain and injury, and unlock incredible levels of athleticism. But if your technique is poor, you risk crippling injury, and if you don’t program the deadlift wisely, you can find yourself stuck lifting the same weight for long periods of time.

With STRONGlab and our elite coaches, you can have side-by-side guidance to perfectly executed, immaculately implemented deadlifts. Our comprehensive guidance will plan your program, design your nutrition plan, and push you past your limits and straight to all your goals.

Stronglab live, in-person training in Manhattan is live now – one-on-one and small groups! Visit our pricing page or take our quiz to find exactly the right program for you!