How to perform a deadlift
The Deadlift - one of the most important compound lifts in your armoury. Here’s a breakdown of the technique so you can put this exercise at the forefront of your strength training.
Breakdown of deadlift phases
🌀 Prelift/build tension
- before you lift the bar off the floor, create tension in the body by bracing your trunk, retracting your shoulders, taking a deep breath in. ‘Take the slack out the bar.’
🌀 The first pull
- push the floor away hard and maintain tension in your trunk and mid back. The bar will leave the floor in a vertical path.
🌀 The second pull
- once the bar is at knee height, extend through the hips to stand upright, keep bar path vertical. Maintain tension in trunk.
🌀 Upright position
- stand tall and straighten your knees and hips without leaning back. Stay braced - squeeze glutes and quads. Maintain tension in trunk. Breath out if required.
🌀 Return the bar
- guide the bar down to the floor safely via the same route it came up, keeping it close to the body. There are variations of this phase where the downward phase speed is altered. If you’re learning, I suggest returning the bar slowly to develop your eccentric strength.
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As with any weight training, start with low/no load and develop technique. Always choose technique over weight.
Need a regression? Check out our hinge foundation exercises.
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