Benedikt Magnusson Deadlifts 426kg. Image credit: Egill Bjarki.
Deadlifts build back strength. Deadlifts teach you to keep your lower back rigid against a load. Keeping your back straight is critical to avoid injuries when lifting heavy objects from the floor.
But that’s also why Deadlifts have bad reputation. Rounding your back during Deadlifts increases risks of spinal disc injuries like hernias. You need to Deadlift with proper technique. This article will help you out.
What’s a Deadlift? Pull the barbell from the floor with both hands until your body is fully extended. Deadlift by pushing from the heels, and bringing your hips forward. Not by pulling with your lower back.
Here’s a video of myself doing Deadlifts. The 4th missed rep is my grip giving out. Notice I never pull back. I Deadlift by bringing my hips forward while pushing from the heels. This is proper Deadlift technique.
Benefits of the Deadlift. Deadlifts work your back, legs & forearms. Deadlifts don’t develop your legs like Squats do: your hips start higher. That’s why you can substitute Squats for Deadlifts in case of knee injuries.
- Back Strength. Your back stays straight while the weight of the bar tries to bend it. Keeping your back rigid builds back strength.
- Leg Strength. Bringing your hips forward strengthen your hamstrings & glutes. Straightening your knees strengthen your quads.
- Grip Strength. You need to grip the barbell hard so it doesn’t roll out of your hands when doing Deadlifts. This builds forearms & grip strength.
Use small plates if needed to get the correct bar height for Deadlifts
Before You Deadlift. Basic stuff you need to know before you even think about trying to Deadlift with correct technique.
- Bar Height. Deadlifts start with the bar at mid-shin level. Put plates on the floor if you don’t have/lack the strength to use 20kg plates.
- Lifting Shoes. Shoes with air or gel filling are compressible, impairing power transfer & stability. Wear shoes with hard soles. Chuck Taylor’s, weightlifting shoes, socks or barefoot are better than running shoes.
- No Straps. Never use straps for Deadlifts. If your grip is weak, Deadlift more. Switch to an alternate grip (baseball grip) & use chalk.
Proper Deadlift Stance. Remember position of laces vs. bar. Note the toes out.
Setup for Deadlift. Don’t move the bar to get into proper position. Walk to the bar & position your feet correctly. Then grab the bar & Deadlift.
- Foot Stance. Shoulder-width stance with toes slightly pointing out. Curl your toes up. Jump up a few times: that’s the stance for Deadlifts.
- Bar Position. Bar should be 5 to 10cm (2-4″) from your shins when standing. Remember the position of your laces under the bar.
- Chest Up. Make a big chest & lift it up. Pull your shoulders back. Keep this position at all time & your back will never be able to round.
- Look Forward. Looking down makes your back round. Looking to the ceiling can cause neck pain. Look forward during the whole lift.
- Grip Width. Too small & your hands touch your legs on the way up. Too wide & you have to pull the bar higher. Use about 51cm/20″ grip width.
- Gripping the Bar. Put the bar close to your fingers, not in the palm of your hands. This will minimize callus formation & torn skin.
- Straight Arms. Deadlifting with bent arms can tear your biceps muscles. Keep your arms straight. Tighten your triceps.
Proper Grip for Deadlifts: bar close to the fingers, not in the palm of your hands.
Performing The Deadlift. Deadlift by pushing from the heels & bringing your hips forward. Not by pulling back with your lower back. If you Deadlift correctly, you’ll feel most stress in your upper-back, glutes & hams.
- Shoulder-blades over Bar. Put your shoulder-blades directly over the bar, shoulders in front of the bar. Your hips will be at the correct height.
- Bar Against Shins. Pull the bar up in a straight line. The closer the barbell to your shins, the better. No need to scrape your shins.
- Push From The Heels. Simple trick: curl your toes up. This automatically puts the weight on your heels.
- Bar Close to You. Keep the bar in contact with your body during the whole lift, rolling the bar over your shins & thighs. The closer the bar, the less stress on your lower back & the more weight you can Deadlift.
- Squeeze You Glutes. Bring your hips forward by pushing from the heels & squeezing your glutes hard. This prevents pulling with the lower back.
- Lock The Weight. The Deadlift ends when your knees & hips are locked. No need to roll the shoulders or hyper-extend the lower back.
Bringing the Weight Down. Don’t lose time bringing the weight down. Do it controlled but not slow. The rule: hips unlock first, then knees.
- Chest Up, Look Forward. Neglecting to do both will make your back round. Keep your chest up, shoulders back & look forward.
- Bar Close to You. Keep the bar in contact with your thighs until it reaches knee level. It’s friendlier on your back.
- First Hips, Then Knees. Flex at the hips first to return the bar below knee level. Then bend at the knees until the bar is on the floor.
Deadlift hip position: shoulder-blades over the bar, shoulders in front of the bar.
Common Deadlift Errors. Common mistakes you need to avoid to minimize risks of injuries when doing Deadlifts.
- Hips Too High. Use your knees: it’s not a Stiff-legged Deadlift. Put the bar against your shins with the shoulder-blades directly over the bar.
- Hips Too Low. It’s not a Squat. Put the bar against your shins with the shoulder-blades directly over the bar. Shoulders in front of the bar.
- Bending Your Back. Increases the pressure on your spine thus increasing risk of injury. Keep your chest up at all time & look forward.
- Hyper-extending Your Back. As bad as bending. The Deadlift ends when your hips & knees are locked. No need to arch at the top.
- Rolling the Shoulders. Dangerous & inefficient. Your hip muscles move the weight, not your shoulders. Extend your knees & hips, stop.
- Shrugging at The Top. Unnecessary. If you need more trap emphasis do shrugs or Power Cleans.
- Pulling with Bent Arms. You could tear your biceps by pulling with bent arms. Keep your arms straight, tighten your triceps.
My coaches tell me when you deadlift your hips must be below your knees like a squat positon and then explode and when you pick it up the bar must go up aganist the shins, so right now my shins are filled with scabs i want to know am i doing it right?
Hips must be higher than your knees Dorian. It’s not a Squat, it’s a Deadlift. Try the Deadlift as explained in the article: shoulders in front of the bar, bar close to shins, shoulder-blades above the bar.
Nice article, nice site. I am just starting to work out for the purpose of gaining weight. This article on deadlifting is the best I’ve read. I will be sure to keep reading.
Hi Mehdi. I find myself re-reading the same articles as I get more reps under my belt with different exercises. This is such a fantastic resource.
I’ve been paying a lot of attention to my deadlift form and have been reading your website and Starting Strength. I’m confused on two issues with my form and was hoping you could point me in the right direction.
For what it’s worth, I’m 6′4″, about 205 lbs.
1) I have a very difficult time with my first rep. While my spotter says my back stays straight, it doesn’t feel rigid to me and the entire first rep just feels sloppy and not fluent. Once I get the first rep off, I get into my groove and pull the next few reps much easier, except when I completely rest the weight on the floor between reps. When I just come within 1/2″ from the floor and begin again, my form is fine. Is this a flexibility issue?
2) My knees bow out. I’ve tried adjusting my foot width, but they still tend to bow out with heavier weights and rub against the inside of my arms. Again, is this an adductor/abductor strength/flexibility issue?
3) And one thing about squats: I’m noticing a lot of soreness on the top 3″ of the middle of my quads, near my hips. I’m new to these deep (full) squats. I mention this because I’m beginning to wonder if it is due to a hip flexibility issue that is also causing my deadlift issues.
Thanks again Mehdi!
@Earl.
1) Tape yourself, so you can see what you can do. If 2nd/3rd reps are good but the first not, I think it’s mental or caused by not warming up properly. Try a better warm up.
2) Either your stance is to wide (jump up a few times, use that stance) or your grip is not wide enough. Knees shouldn’t touch arms.
3) That’s probably because you’re squatting very deep. You don’t need to squat very deep. I do it, but breaking parallel is enough. If you squat very deep, you’ll feel the most stress in the muscle above the knees .
Thanks Mehdi. Good advice on taping myself.
I think I may be confusing my deadlift stance with my squat stance and going a bit too wide.
Your help is always appreciated!
Deadlifts look bad for your back.
@Josh
All weight lifting exercises are bad for your back if you don’t do them correctly. Sitting on your chair behind your computer all day is also bad for your lower back (check for lordosis).
Hi Mehdi….first of all gr888 discussion and gr88 tips from u all….am 6′4″ tall and weigh around 205-210 pounds. i had major spinal cord operation done 3 years back and have a steel plate inside my back fixed at the lumbar level…..inspite of the injury i train out of passion for the sport….my max deadlift is 214 kgs(471 pounds) after injury….how can i increase my poundages further??….want to compete in strongman competitions one day…
@Shailesh
Try the 34 ways to increase your deadlift.
gr888 info Mehdi….thnx a lot…
Great article, Mehdi! It helped me add another 90 pounds to my deadlift! One minor question, though: Should you squeeze your shoulder blades together throughout the exercise?
@Niels
Squeezing no, however you should keep your shoulder-blades back & down during the whole lift to prevent your lower back to bend.
Hey Mehdi, Great site man. Its really a big effort in putting all this info together. I have been doing the strength program for few weeks. The issue I am facing is in deadlift. The program suggests a conventional stance for deadlift, but I have always used sumo stance and feel much comfortable doing it . Can you share your views regarding the two stances and can I use Sumo stance for 5*5 program?.
@Saggu
Thanks for the motivating words. Goal of the conventional deadlifts is to build back strength. Sumo deadlifts work legs more than back. You’re getting plenty of work for your legs from the squats already.
My lower back is never rounded, bhut my shoulders when i lift heavy move forward thus making my upper back round a bit, is this ok…Or should i pull my shoulders back when i lift?
@Max
If you can keep your lower back straight during the whole movement, your upper-back can round.
Thanks. I will correct that. And also, i can pull a lot more weight in a sumo stance this may be due to my heavey wide stanced squat training) but is this not as effective as building mass as the tradititional deadlift?
@Max
Sumo works legs more than conventional. Conventional works back more. If you need back emphasis pull conventional, otherwise sumo. If you’re into powerlifting, pull the way you’re strongest.
I’d given up on deadlifts recently… Just lead me to back injuries. Even though I had a professional in the area of back care and rehabilitation check out my technique and said it was spot on.
Even though I focus on bodybuilding, I have a martial arts background and refuse to stoop so low as the dull 10+ reps bodybuilders use. I crave strength and power and want to give deadlifts another try.
Last time i was curling more weight than i was deadlifting.
Have you had any experience with any of your trainee’s just not being ’suited’ to the deadlift, or any cases when one should divert their efforts to different compound exercises instead?
Cheers,
Also… Where should you be feeling the muscles work the most? I have fairly well developed lower back muscles (they are way more defined than my abs! way too much manual labour!), but even so, I only feel it working my lower back muscles, I hardly feel anything in my legs or anywhere else.
Not sure if I’ve done too much hill sprinting and other leg exercises and my legs are still stronger in proportion than my back or whether I’m supposed to be feeling it somewhere else?
Thanks for any help,
Cheers,
@Patmanpato
You shouldn’t pull the weight with your lower back, rather bringing your hips forward, squeezing the glutes. Although the deadlift is a pull exercise, it’s done by bringing hips forward. Only thing the lower/upper- back do is staying rigid against the load. The real movers are hips & knees. You’re probably not using the glutes, explains the pain. Try glute activation. Check this article.
hey great article, deadlifts are my new favourite exercise. Quick question though i’m getting a pain through my lower back and glutes when i’v stood up after putting down the bar ( so after finishing the exercise). This pain only occurs on the right side of my body, any ideas what it could be from? Cheers, and thanks for any help
@Tj
Lower back pain is usually cause by not using the glutes properly. You need to squeeze your glutes on the way up, not pulling back.
Hi Mehdi, quick question…
When doing your 1 deadlift set as part of the 5×5, how much time should you rest in between each repetition? I imagine it’s no different from the other exercises, but since the deadlift is particularly strenuous, I was wondering if there are any differences with regards to timing.
thanks!
Hi mehdi, on the video what height is the barbell in relation to the floor, as my bar doesnt reach half way up my shins with 20kg plates.
Don’t forget to mention that deads develop the traps too.
Regarding bar placement: your statement about the bar being ideally 5-10cm in front of the shins is not entirele true. The bar should be as close as possible to the shins. Yes, you might scrape them the first few times, but you’ll soon learn to keep them close, without hurting yourself. Note that the farther the bar is from you shins, the greater the lever arm of the force on the lower back, and thus the greater the force exerted by the weight of the bar on the lower back.
I have disproportionately short arms, so with my legs in the same position as yours, I have to bend way down to grip the bar. Keeping my back straight thus seems impossible, even if I drop my hips (uncomfortably) into a squat position. Do you have any tips on how I can execute a traditional deadlift without jeopardizing my spine? Thanks!
i have something to say. i deadlift at my school gym and my trainor said to find your spot on the ceiling and keep looking at it as you continue your reps
HEY, i heard from other peple that it’s good to workout your lower back when you want to work your abs. is that true in order to stop muscle tear???. what are some other lower back exercises??
- thanks for your help-
I’ve just started weight training, and I’m having some problems with deadlifts. Every time I try to do them, I end up hurting my knee when I come up with the bar; I feel like, a muscle in my knee pull and it hurts really bad. And it’s not that I’m using too much weight, I’m starting very light. Why is this happening? Can it be because I have weak knees, or could it be form related? And if it’s because I have weak knees, is there anything I can do to strengthen them?
What a fantastic write up. Currently been working out for just over a year, but the last few months, I dont seem to be improving. After a lot of reading, I know now where I’m going wrong, I hardly do any compound excersies, usually avoid them, because of the risk of injury. Your write up has gave me a good insite of how to do the deadlift the proper way, and I will be incorporating it into my workout starting this week. I also understand now the need for more protein and carb’s to improve muscle size and recovery.
Thanks for a great write up, keep it up.
I read an article a while ago, just spent 20 minutes looking for it but unfortunately cannot find it.
The focus was on retaining a neutral head position while deadlifting, I realise this may confuse most readers, but the emphasis was that if you chin up, deadlift, bent over row while looking forward to the WALL rather than forward according to where your spine points you, it could be dangerous.
first off i want to say i love ur sites here. im new to lifting and im trying to learn the proper tech for each lift and now i know why my lower back hurts when i do deadlifts. but my question i have is kinda off the subject of lifts. but of cardo is it important to have some sort of cardo mixed in with ur lifting. im used to running 4 miles every other day. and im hoping now to gain weight. so i stoped my cardo and i have been using protein shakes. also i work my abs every morning hard should i take protein shakes for when i work my abs or just when i lift weights. thanks for your time. if any one has any comments to help me out you can email me at willber_18 at yahoo dot com also i really want to learn how to lifting and mix it properly with cardo thank for everyones time
just to let everyone to know little about me im 5 foot 6 inches and im a 154 pounds just incase if that matters for if i need to do cardo or what ever tips anyone has again i do love this site very very helpfull
ive just begun weight training, im 6′2″ 213 lbs. Do you believe that I have a frame that would allow me to deadlift massive amounts of weight? I hope so because thats what im shooting for.
A friend of mine was using baseball grip for deads the other day, he said by alternating each time it would improve grip. I’m quite happy with overhand grip with 105kg - is it worth changing?
@steve
I am an almost identical build and had been training just for size for about a year. I’ve been using 5×5 for about a month now and can deadlift (105kg) 231lbs (1 x 5) without too much bother, taking the weight up by 2.5 kg every time I lift. While its not astronomical I’ve not experienced any pain or problems doing so - see how you get on mate!
good article. one question hopeing someone could answer for me. on the way down the bar always grazes my knees. not so bothered about the constant bruising that occurs as a result, but it makes me think my form must be incorrect. im wondering if im bending my knees before flexing the hips and that means the bar isnt past the kneecaps by the time they stick out. then again i find that if i flex my hips before bending the knees my back will start to round, which is a definate no go area because i already suffer from mild back pain. can anyone help?
There seems to be different ideas among powerlifters on shoulder placement. I just read today some Westside folks saying to start with shoulders behind bar and pull toward you — their arguement was that you get better leverage that way — but I know Rippetoe and other recommend what you are saying Medhi.
I’m new to powerlifting so my question for you Medhi is this: does this debate regarding the deadlift come up a lot?
@ Mehdi
What’s the difference b/w Deadlifts and Shrugs?
I mean I know that deadlifts are for the back and shrugs are for the shoulders… but if you use a barbell for shrugs(when you dont have extremely heavy dumbbells) don’t they become pretty much the same?
Deadlift=Deadlift
Shrugs=Deadlift + Shrugging your shoulders?
How if possible can a Shrug(w a barbell) be performed if not like a deadlift?
Newuxtreme - Shrugs typically are done off of a rack. You stand there with the bar at crotch height, then use your shoulders to lift the bar to waist height. A deadlift, by contrast, involves picking the bar up off the floor. If you start your shrugs on the floor, then yes, your first rep will be a deadlift + shrug, but then your subsequent shrugs will just be shrugs.
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