The Deadlift: My Do's and Don'ts for Lifting Heavy Things Safely
If I could only pick one strength exercise for the rest of my life, the deadlift would be right at the top of the list. You pick something heavy up off the floor and put it back down. That's it. It's also something you do every day, whether it's a bag of groceries, a laundry basket, or a kid who refuses to walk another step.
The deadlift has a reputation for being "bad for your back," but in my 20+ years of coaching, the problem is almost never the movement itself. It's how people set up, how they pull, and how much weight they rush onto the bar. Here's what I teach every client.
The Do's
Do set up with the bar close. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, about where your laces are. When you reach down, the bar should be close enough to brush your shins. A bar that drifts away from your body gets a lot heavier, fast.
Do hinge from the hips. Push your hips back like you're closing a car door with your butt. Your knees bend, but the hips do most of the work. If you're squatting the bar up, you're missing the point of the lift.
Do brace before you pull. Take a big breath into your belly, tighten your midsection like you're about to get poked in the stomach, and hold it through the rep. That brace is what keeps your spine steady.
Do "take the slack out." Before the bar leaves the floor, pull up just enough that you feel the bar and your body lock together. You might hear a little click from the plates. Then push the floor away.
Do finish tall. Stand all the way up with your glutes squeezed and your shoulders stacked over your hips. Then lower the bar with control, hips back first, the same path it came up.
The Don'ts
Don't round your back to reach the bar. If you can't get to the bar with a flat back, raise it up on blocks or plates and work from there while your mobility catches up. There's no prize for pulling from the floor with a bad position.
Don't jerk the bar off the ground. Yanking it up is how people lose their brace. Build tension first, then lift smoothly.
Don't lean way back at the top. Leaning back and cranking your lower back isn't "locking it out." Stand tall and stop there.
Don't let ego load the bar. Add weight only when your form looks the same on the last rep as it did on the first. Film a set from the side and watch it back. The camera doesn't lie.
Don't train through sharp pain. Working hard is uncomfortable. Pain that's sharp, shooting or getting worse is a sign to stop and get it checked out.
Where to Start If You're New
You don't need a barbell on day one. I usually start people with a kettlebell deadlift, where the weight sits between your feet and you practice the hinge with something light. From there we might move to a trap bar, which lets you stand inside the weight and feels more natural for a lot of people, before we ever touch a straight bar. Each step builds the pattern so the heavier stuff feels like a progression, not a leap.
Start lighter than you think you need to. Two or three sets of five clean reps is plenty while you learn.
Lift Well for Life
The deadlift isn't something to fear. Done right, it builds strong legs, a strong back and a strong grip, and it makes everyday life a little easier. The key is learning it properly and progressing with patience.
If you'd like a second set of eyes on your deadlift, that's exactly what I'm here for. You can train with me 1-on-1 or with a partner in my home studio here in London, or work with me through remote coaching from anywhere in Canada, where you send me your videos and I'll coach you through every rep. Learn more at whosyourtrainer.com.
Yours, in health,
-Coach Dave
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