Deadlift

Lifting a barbell from the floor by hinging at the hips — the fundamental full-body strength lift for the posterior chain.

Setup

Bar over the middle of your feet, feet hip-width. Hinge down and grip just outside the legs. Shins touch the bar, back flat, chest up.

How to do it

1. Take the slack out of the bar, brace, then push the floor away with your legs.
2. Bar stays in contact with the legs the whole way up.
3. Hips and shoulders rise together — no hips shooting up first.
4. Finish tall with glutes squeezed; do not lean back.
5. Lower by hinging the hips back first, then bending the knees.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back to reach the bar.
• Jerking the bar off the floor instead of pushing through the legs.
• Letting the bar drift away from the body.

Scale it

Easier: Romanian deadlift with dumbbells, or pull from an elevated surface.

Harder: Add load gradually — the deadlift rewards patience and clean positions.

Pairs well with