How to Deadlift Properly
a.) Improving overall strength & conditioning
b.) Building a stronger and more aesthetic back
c.) Enhancing the quality of muscles already attained
Even if you don’t plan on pulling 1000 pounds, or half of that even, the deadlift is still one of the absolute best exercises to perform for overall strength. If I could only choose one exercise to do for the rest of my life – the deadlift would be a clear winner.
Depending on what stance or grip you choose, and the load of the weight, it is possible to workout every single muscle in the body with this movement.
Choosing Your Form
Now let’s take a look at the form you should focus on:
- ) First, stand under the barbell with your feet pointed slightly outward, and about shoulder-width apart.
- ) Bend over and grip the barbell just outside your legs (slightly wider grip than your feet).
- ) Bend your knees until the bar is barely touching your shins
- ) Maintain a strong core and neutral spine by keeping your chest up high.
- ) Begin pulling with your legs, essentially a reverse squat movement.
- ) As the barbell approaches your knees, continue pulling through to the top.
- ) As you approach the top of the movement thrust your hips forward until you are up.
- ) Set the weight down, slow and controlled (this is half of the rep).
Injury Prevention
I highly recommend checking out my list of recommended wraps, sleeves and other equipment to keep you safe during your workout. You can click HERE to open up a new tab to that page.
Important things to Note:
The deadlift can vary in many different ways depending on what your goals are with the exercise. If your goal is to lift the most weight possible at a powerlifting meet, you might want to try using a hybrid grip with one hand pronated, and the other hand supinated (overhand and underhand grip).
Additionally, you can also widen your stance significantly and perform a Sumo deadlift. This variation uses much more legs than back and has a slightly different bar path.
If you want to build a nice symmetrical and conditioned physique, you might want to utilize less weight and keep your grip consistent on both hands. A traditional deadlift grip with your hands in the overhand position will be best here.
The deadlift can be extremely taxing on your central nervous system, which can then result in back pain or soreness – especially for several days after. With that being said, It is key to lift with proper form to avoid any negative benefits and prevent injuries from occurring.
If done correctly, the deadlift can be one of the deadliest tools in an athletes arsenal, whether the end goal is powerlifting, strongman, athletics, or simply looking better and feeling better – the deadlift is absolutely key.
Finally, the deadlift is primarily a leg exercise and the back only serves as a stabilizer during the lift.
The video below is an excellent tutorial and visual example of how to perform this lift properly and may be the best explanation I have ever heard. I don’t think I could have demonstrated it any better so the obvious choice is to feature it here:
