Deadlift
Pick heavy thing up, put heavy thing down — the king of strength movements, done right.
Setup
- Bar over mid-foot, shins an inch away.
- Hinge down and grip just outside your legs.
- Flatten your back, pull the slack out of the bar, chest up.
How To Do It
- Push the FLOOR away — legs start the lift.
- Bar stays in contact with your legs the whole way up.
- Finish tall: hips through, glutes tight, no lean-back.
- Reverse the path down with control.
Breathing
Big breath and brace before you pull; exhale at lockout or on the way down.
Common Mistakes
- Yanking the bar with a loose back — tension first, then pull.
- Hips shooting up first — chest and hips rise together.
- Overextending at the top — stand tall, don't lean back.
Programming It
Three to five sets of 1-5. Volume here is expensive; most people do too much.
Why This Exercise Works
The deadlift is the most weight you will ever move in a straight line, and every kilo of it passes through the posterior chain and the grip. Nothing else loads the whole back of the body at once like this — which is also why one bad session costs more than in any other lift.
Where You Should Feel It
The whole back of the body at once — hamstrings and glutes driving, the entire back holding position, the grip complaining last. You should not feel it as pain anywhere. A deadlift that pinches in one spot in the lower back is a positional problem, not a strength one.
Where It Fits in a Program
Pick heavy thing up, put heavy thing down — the king of strength movements, done right. Programme it early, while you can still execute it well.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the deadlift: add load only when the first rep and last rep look the same. To regress it: pull from blocks or the rack until you can hold position from the floor.
Who It's For
Anyone who wants to be strong in a way that shows up outside the gym. It is also the most expensive lift to recover from, so it suits people who can keep the frequency modest and the technique honest. If your back is in a flare, pull from blocks or leave it out for a few weeks.
Equipment and Substitutions
What you need for this one: a barbell. If there is no bar free, the dumbbell and machine versions below are honest substitutes — the bar mainly buys you load, not a different stimulus.
Related Exercises
- Trap Bar Deadlift — Full Body — Posterior Chain, Quads
- Barbell Hip Thrust — Glutes
- Sumo Deadlift — Glutes, Quads, Back
- Suitcase Deadlift — Core, Obliques, Grip, Legs
- Romanian Deadlift (RDL) — Hamstrings, Glutes, Back
- Deficit Deadlift — Hamstrings, Glutes, Back
- Good Morning — Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back
- Preacher Hammer Curl — Brachialis, Biceps, Forearms
Common Questions
What muscles does the deadlift work?
The deadlift primarily trains the full body — posterior chain.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Three to five sets of 1-5. Volume here is expensive; most people do too much.
What are the most common deadlift mistakes?
Most often: yanking the bar with a loose back; hips shooting up first.
Do I need a barbell to do this?
This version uses a barbell, and it trains the full body — posterior chain. If there is no bar free, the dumbbell and machine versions below are honest substitutes — the bar mainly buys you load, not a different stimulus.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
Hips and lower back carry the deadlift, so an existing back issue is the one to respect. Reproducing your familiar pain is the signal to stop; normal training fatigue is not. Not medical advice.