What the deadlift really is
The deadlift is picking a weight up from the floor and standing tall with it. You do this when you lift a jerrycan, a sack of charcoal or a child. It builds the muscles on the back of your body: buttocks, hamstrings, lower back and upper back, plus your grip.
Many people avoid it because they have heard it hurts the back. A rounded, rushed deadlift with a heavy weight can. A well-set deadlift with sensible loading is one of the best exercises you can do. The key is learning the hip hinge initially.
Learn the hip hinge
A hinge means moving at the hips while the spine stays long. It is not a squat, because your knees bend only slightly and your hips travel backward.
The wall drill
- Stand about a foot away from a wall with your back to it.
- Soften your knees slightly.
- Push your hips back to touch the wall without bending your upper body to compensate.
- Return to standing by driving your hips forward.
The stick drill
Hold a broomstick or light bar along your spine, touching the back of your head, between your shoulder blades and your tailbone. Hinge forward. If the stick leaves any of those 3 points, your back has rounded. Practise until you can hinge with all 3 contacts.
Spend a week or 2 on these drills before you load the bar. It will feel slow, and it pays back for years.
The setup, step by step
- Feet: hip width apart, with the bar over the middle of your foot, about 2 to 3 centimetres from your shins.
- Grip: bend over and hold the bar just outside your knees. Keep your arms straight.
- Shins to bar: bend your knees until your shins touch the bar. Do not push the bar forward.
- Chest and back: lift your chest slightly and tighten the muscles under your armpits, as if you are squeezing oranges. This sets your upper back.
- Brace: take a big breath into your belly and tighten your core.
- Pull the slack out: gently pull until you feel the bar tense against the plates without moving. You should feel loaded before the bar leaves the floor.
The lift
Push the floor away with your legs and keep the bar dragging up your legs, close to your body. Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward and stand tall. Do not lean back at the top. Squeeze your buttocks and stand straight.
To lower, reverse the sequence: hips go back initially, the bar slides down your thighs, then bend your knees once the bar passes them. Do not drop it from the top unless your gym allows it and you use bumper plates.
Choose your variation
- Kettlebell or dumbbell deadlift: the easiest to learn, with a lower starting height.
- Trap bar deadlift: you stand inside the bar, which feels more natural for many beginners and keeps the weight close.
- Romanian deadlift: start from standing, hinge down to just below the knee and stand back up. It trains the hamstrings and teaches the hinge.
- Conventional barbell deadlift: the classic. Use it once your hinge is good.
- Rack pulls: start the bar higher, on pins or blocks at knee height, to shorten the range if mobility is limited.
Safe progression
You do not need to max out. A simple method:
- Begin with 3 sets of 5 repetitions at a weight you could do for 8 or 9 reps.
- Train deadlifts once a week, or 2 times if the following day is light.
- Add 2.5 to 5 kilograms each week while every rep looks identical to the initially.
- If form breaks down, stay at that weight or drop back 10 percent.
- After 4 to 6 weeks, take an easier week with lighter loads.
Your lower back should feel worked, not sore in a sharp way. If you feel strain in your lower back before your legs and buttocks, you are probably rounding or the weight is too heavy.
Common mistakes and fixes
Rounding the back
Reduce the weight. Strengthen your upper back with rows and practise bracing. Raising the bar on blocks helps while you build mobility.
Bar drifting away from the body
The further the bar is from you, the harder your back has to work. Keep it dragging against your legs. Some lifters wear long socks or shin guards because the bar scrapes the skin.
Starting with hips too low or too high
If your hips start too low, it becomes a squat. If they are too high, your back takes the strain. Find the position where your shins just touch the bar and your back is flat. It will change slightly with your proportions.
Jerking the bar off the floor
Pull the slack out initially, then push. A yank is a good way to strain a muscle.
Leaning back at the top
Hyperextending your lower back at the finish adds nothing. Stand tall and finish with your hips.
Training tips for everyday life
- Strong deadlifts help when you carry heavy loads. Hinge at your hips when you pick up a bucket of water or a bag of rice, rather than bending from the waist.
- Do not deadlift when you are very tired. A sore, tired back is more likely to give in.
- Chalk or a mixed grip can help once the weight gets heavy, but train grip strength with farmer walks so you do not rely on straps forever.
When to check with a professional
If you have had a disc problem, sciatica or recurring lower back pain, get a physiotherapist's advice before deadlifting. Pain that travels down the leg or causes numbness is a reason to stop and be assessed, not to try harder.
Key takeaways
- Learn the hip hinge with a wall or stick drill before loading the bar.
- Set up with the bar over mid-foot, a flat back, braced core, and the slack pulled out of the bar.
- Keep the bar close to your body and finish tall by driving the hips forward.
- Progress by adding small weights each week and stop when form changes.
- Back pain that spreads down the leg or does not settle needs a physiotherapist.
