Deadlift

FORM GUIDE:

Click to enlarge

SETS:

5

REPS:

5

WEIGHT:

Max

KEY POINTS:

LOWER BACK:
Neutral – the normal inward curve. No rounding or excess arch.

FOOT PLACEMENT:
Whole foot flat on the floor, toes turned out about 15°. Hip width apart.

BRACE YOUR CORE:
Holding in a breath increases pressure in your torso which puts force on your spine. This creates a “natural belt’ that supports your back. 

SHOULDER BLADES:
Your shoulder-blades, mid-foot and the bar must be aligned when you setup, this is the most efficient way to pull heavy weight off the floor.

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The Deadlift
The Deadlift

Main deadlift cues

  • Lock your hips and knees. Don’t lean back at the top

  • Take a full breath into your diaphragm to allow better core bracing. Hold your breath the entire time you are picking up the weight.

  • Roughly shoulder width apart and symmetrical - use the rings on the bar to make sure.

  • When lifting heavy, you should be able to pull on the bar and feel tension.

  • Don’t bend your arms. Keep them straight through the whole movement.

  • Between each rep, let the bar touch the floor. You can also take a breath in between reps here too.

Safety & Learning

All exercises need a focus on safety, but with the deadlift we will be lifting more weight than any other movement so need to ensure we don’t have a rounded back when picking up the weight.

We perform lower reps on the core compound movements (deadlifts, squats, bench, overhead press) to build strength, whilst other back movements will be higher reps to focus on physique.

More deadlift videos…