Deadlift Guide

The deadlift is a weight training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press.



Form

The conventional deadlift can be broken down into three parts: the setup, the initial pull or drive, and the lockout.

Setup: When performing a deadlift, a lifter sets in a position that eccentrically loads the gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus while the muscles of the lumbar contract isometrically in an effort to stabilize the spine.

• Set behind the bar with it touching or nearly touching the legs.
• Begin by hinging at the hips and knees, setting one's weight predominantly in the heels while maintaining flat feet.
• Maintain the spine long and straight as the hips hinge back, taking care not to allow the knees to track forwards over the toes.
• Grip the bar outside of the legs.
• Depress the shoulders away from the ears to load the lats and to generate force throughout the spinal erectors.

Drive: The next section of the deadlift produces the highest amount of force. By pushing down through their heels while simultaneously pushing up and forward with their hips and maintaining a depressed scapula and a long tense spine, an individual can remain safe during this motion. This is considered the most difficult part of the entire movement due to the amount of work required to drive the bar off the ground initially.

• Take a deep diaphragmatic breath and hold it in during the movement, creating an outward pressure on the core to further stabilize the lumbopelvic hip complex and core throughout the motion.
• Keep the muscles of the back contracted tightly in order to maintain a safe posture throughout the motion.
• Drive up and forward with the hips and legs to stand erect and lift the bar.

Lockout: The finish is the most critical aspect of the motion. This requires being totally erect with a neutral spine and forceful hip extension to engage the muscles of the lumbar spine and abdomen in unison with the glutes.

• Drive the hips completely into the bar.
• Contract the glutei and the rectus abdominis to finish the movement with the pelvis in a neutral position. Contracting the glutes as well as the abdominal muscles is critical for lower back health and safety.

Lowering the weight: Performing the above steps in reverse order. As the muscles of the back and core must remain tight throughout the motion, one should simply hinge at the hips and knees to bring the weight down. Lowering the chest towards the knees while keeping the bar close is the safest way to complete the motion.