Deadlift
Bar on the floor; with a flat back, drive through the hips to stand tall, then lower the bar along the legs.
How to do it
Setup
Bar over mid-foot, feet hip-width. Hinge at the hips and grip just outside the legs; shins touch the bar, back flat, shoulders slightly ahead of it.
Steps
- Brace and push the floor away – hips and chest rise together.
- Keep the bar dragging along the legs.
- Lock out by driving the hips through, not by leaning back.
- Return by hinging first, bending the knees once the bar passes them.
Common mistakes
Rounding the lower back: re-set the flat back before every rep. Hips shooting up first: the lift becomes a stiff-leg pull; start with the chest and hips rising together. Bar drifting forward: keep it on the legs the whole way.
Breathing
Big breath and brace at the top, exhale after the lockout or between reps.
