Barbell Deadlift

Also called deadlift and conventional deadlift.

Works

Lower back, plus calves, forearms, glutes, hamstrings, lats, upper back, quads and traps

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Intermediate

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Stand in front of a loaded barbell.

1. While keeping the back as straight as possible, bend your knees, bend forward and grasp the bar using a medium (shoulder width) overhand grip. This will be the starting position of the exercise. Tip: If it is difficult to hold on to the bar with this grip, alternate your grip or use wrist straps.
2. While holding the bar, start the lift by pushing with your legs while simultaneously getting your torso to the upright position as you breathe out. In the upright position, stick your chest out and contract the back by bringing the shoulder blades back. Think of how the soldiers in the military look when they are in standing in attention.
3. Go back to the starting position by bending at the knees while simultaneously leaning the torso forward at the waist while keeping the back straight. When the weights on the bar touch the floor you are back at the starting position and ready to perform another repetition.
4. Perform the amount of repetitions prescribed in the program.

Cues

• Bar over mid-foot, shins an inch away.
• Hinge down, grab, pull the slack out.
• Chest up, lats on.
• Push the floor, bar stays on the legs.
• Lock out with the glutes, don't lean back.

Common mistakes

• Back rounds off the floor.
• Hips shoot up first.
• Bar drifts away from the shins.
• Jerking the bar off the floor.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a cranky lower back. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Harder

Easier

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