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Deadlift
The exercise that works the most muscle at once, and the one with the worst reputation, almost always for the same reason: people start by lifting instead of setting up. Done well, the weight goes up because you push the floor, not because you pull with your back.
Deadlift with Nora. Nora and Hugo are our models, created with artificial intelligence, on a competition floor.
What it works
- Hamstrings and glutes, which extend the hip
- Your whole back, from lower back to traps, working without moving so it doesn't round
- Forearms and grip, which are usually the first thing to give out
How to do it
- 1Set your feet and the bar
Feet hip-width apart, narrower than most people think. The bar over the middle of your foot, almost touching your shins. If the bar is far away, the weight will pull you forward for the whole rep.
- 2Grip without moving the bar
Go down by bending your hips and knees and grip outside your legs, hands shoulder-width apart. The bar doesn't move toward you: you go to it.
- 3Set up before you pull
Chest up, shoulders just in front of the bar, arms straight like two ropes. Squeeze your armpits as if you wanted to crack a nut, and take the slack out of the bar by pulling gently until you feel the weight, without yanking it.
- 4Push the floor
Take a breath, brace your abs and push with your legs, keeping your back in the same position you started in. Hips and chest rise together; if your hips shoot up and your chest stays down, all the weight goes to your lower back.
- 5Finish standing and come back down
At the top, stand tall without leaning back or overdoing the chest. To lower it, push your hips back first and, once the bar passes your knees, bend them. If you're far from your max, lower it under control; if it's heavy, dropping it is normal.
The mistakes you see most
- Rounding your lower back. The classic mistake and the reason for nearly all the discomfort. It usually happens because the weight is too heavy or because you start pulling before setting up. If your back changes shape on the third rep, the set ends there.
- Starting with the bar away from you. Every inch the bar sits in front of mid-foot is leverage against you. That's why you set up for the deadlift first and lift second.
- Hips rising before the chest. If your hips rise on their own, the exercise stops being a leg exercise and becomes a back extension with a lot of weight. It's usually fixed by taking a plate off and thinking about pushing the floor.
- Pulling with your arms. Your arms don't pull, they only hold. Bending your elbows with a loaded bar is one of the few ways to really injure a biceps.
Variations
- Romanian. Start standing and lower by pushing your hips back with your knees almost fixed, without touching the floor. It works the hamstrings much more and is easier to do well.
- Sumo. Feet very wide and hands inside your legs. The range is shorter and it loads the glutes and adductors more; it suits many people with certain hips or leverages better.
- With dumbbells or a kettlebell. To learn the movement without having to set up a bar. Less weight, but the movement is the same.
- With a hex bar. You step inside and grip at the sides. The weight stays closer to your body and asks less of your lower back; it's the friendliest way to start.
Frequently asked questions
Deadlift or Romanian deadlift?
They don't compete. The conventional one starts on the floor and moves more weight; the Romanian starts standing, doesn't touch the floor and focuses on the hamstrings. If you're learning, the Romanian is more forgiving.
Do I need a belt?
To learn, no. A belt gives you something to brace your abs against when loads are heavy, and you need to know how to brace for that. Worn from day one, it just hides technique that isn't there yet.
Mixed grip or straps?
When your grip gives out before your legs, both work. The mixed grip (one palm facing forward, the other back) twists your shoulders a little, so switch sides between sets. Straps let you train your back without your forearms being the limit.
How many reps?
It's a costly exercise: it's very tiring and technique breaks down fast. Most people do fine with sets of three to six reps, leaving a rep or two in the tank, instead of long sets where the last reps are done badly.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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