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Deadlift
Picking weight up off the floor properly — the most useful lift there is.
- Sets & reps
- 3 sets of 8 reps
- Type
- Compound (full body / posterior chain)
- What you need
- Barbell or dumbbells
Muscles worked
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Lower back
- Traps
- Lats
- Forearms
- Abs / core
Hamstrings, glutes, lower back, core, traps, spinal erectors, lats, forearms
What do these muscles do? →How to do it
- Step 1Stand with feet hip-width apart, bar over the middle of your feet.
- Step 2Hinge at the hips and bend knees slightly to grip the bar just outside your legs.
- Step 3Keep your back flat (not rounded) and chest up.
- Step 4Drive through your heels, straightening your hips and knees at the same time to lift the bar.
- Step 5Keep the bar close to your body as it travels up.
- Step 6Lower it back down with control by hinging at the hips first.
Watch it done
A demonstration of the deadlift from start to finish.
These videos are external resources found online and are not my own content. Feel free to do your own research as well.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back.
- Letting the bar drift away from the body.
- Jerking the weight up.
Can't quite do it yet?
Everyone starts somewhere. Try these easier variations until the full movement feels within reach.
- Romanian deadlift (RDL) — start from the top and only lower to mid-shin.
- Use dumbbells and a smaller range of motion to learn the hinge.
- Block pull — raise the bar on blocks or mats so you start higher up.
Why it's worth doing
- Teaches a lifting pattern that protects your back at home and work.
- Uses more muscle at once than almost any other movement.
Gym words, explained
- Hip hinge
- Bending forward by pushing your hips back, keeping your spine long.
- Posterior chain
- The muscles down the back of your body: hamstrings, glutes and back.