The deadlift is a full body compound weight lifting exercise (one of the big 3 lifts for powerlifters) that stresses over 80% of the body’s musculature. When done correctly, deadlifts add slabs and pounds of lean muscle mass to your body. It works the entire back, traps, forearms/grip, hamstrings, quads, biceps, and buttocks.
You involve the major large muscle groups of the body (back and legs) while recruiting the underlying stabilizer muscles to strengthen the tendons, joints, and connective tissues with the body. The deadlift is a muscle mass building movement that involves squatting and then pulling or picking up heavy weights from the ground up (a natural movement since the body is made for squatting and pulling heavy stuff, and in every day life you squat and pull/pick up stuff all the time). It will help you build lots of muscle mass and get stronger with consistent effort. You'll need an olympic barbell with weight plates.
photo credit: Cronfield
Basic Deadlift Execution
1) Load an olympic barbell with weights and stand in front of the bar. If it's your first time doing them, then start light or start with just the olympic bar (weighs 45 lbs). I recommend practicing proper form with just the bar to avoid risking injury. Continue practicing for a few sessions with very light weight until you have the proper form and exercise mechanics for deadlifting.
2) Bend down into the bottom of a squat position near the bar. This is the parallel position where the thighs are parallel or below parallel with the ground with eyes looking straight fixed at a single point ahead. The bar should now be near the knees and/or touching the shins at this squat position.
Next, grasp the bar with hands 3-5 inches wider than shoulder-width apart using an overhand grip. The arms should be fully extended and locked. Retract your shoulders back with a slight arch in the lower back. Keep your head straight and eyes looking slightly up.
3) At this point, the bar should be in line with your head (vertical alignment from bottom to top). Maintain a flat back with a slight arch. Do not round your back forward. You can also use chalk for a tighter grip.
Notice you'll need a decent degree of hip and lower back flexibility for the squatting/starting position. If you can't fully squat down and grab the bar with shoulders locked/extended, then do some static stretches for the hips and lower back.
4) In this bent-over squatting position, pull the bar up slowly and controlled by driving your legs “into the ground”. Rather, think of your legs of "driving into the ground" or "feet pressing the ground away from you (you're increasing the distance between the ground and the bar)." Do not round your back as you pull the weight up.
Driving legs “into the ground” means that the legs should do the initial pushing as you pull the bar up. Imagine pushing your legs away from the ground to move the bar up. Throughout this positive phase, tighten your body. Again, the back should not be rounded. Squeeze the bar tightly throughout the pull for stability and tightening the grip (again chalk helps).
5) Continue pulling until you straighten the knees and contract your legs until you have the bar in standing position (step 1). Hold the bar, contract/clench the buttocks, and pause for 1 second while standing.
Your head should still be straight with eyes level or looking slightly up. Do not over arch or lean your back in this standing position. Throughout this phase, keep the arms and elbows locked straight. Do not bend the elbows or arms as if you were to barbell curl.
6) Slowly lower the bar to starting position by bending your legs and knee first. Maintain a flat back and tighten body. Do not rush lowering the weight. Start lowering the bar by bending at hips, then knees, and let the arms guide down back to the floor into the starting position.
Believe it or not, the majority of injuries resulting from deadlifting actually takes place on the lowering/eccentric portion of the lift. Lower the weight all the way down until it touches the floor while keeping the bar close to your body, knees, and shins.
7) This is one full repetition. Once the bar is on the floor, re-adjust your grip and check for a flat back, level head, and locked arms extended to continue your set until desired reps are completed.
Video Demos of Deadlift
photo credit: Cronfield
Notes:
Alternatively, you can use a variety of different grips for the deadlift. A grip variation is the mixed over/under grip where you use an overhand grip with one hand (pronated palms away) and an underhand grip (supinated palms facing you) with the other hand. Another one is the double underhand grip (both hands use the underhand supinated grip). Don't forget to keep the elbows locked when pulling the weight. You want to keep the entire body tight and stable throughout the heavy movement. Form first, then weight.
For more detailed instructions on performing the deadlift, check out Coach Rippetoe's 5x5 training primer, "Starting Strength". He lays out all you need to know to execute this complex movement for strength and mass. Additionally, you can pick up the Starting Strength: Basic Barbell DVD with detailed video demonstrations of the deadlift, squat, and bench press. Finally, be sure to visit the Starting Strength Wiki page; an accompanying guide for step-by-step instructions on compound free weight movements that subscribes to the 5x5 training template.
Compound Barbell Deadlift Variations:
- sumo deadlift; squat wider like a sumo wrestler and place your hands on the bar inside your thighs, here's a video demo on proper sumo deadlift form,
- rack deadlift; a very popular variation of the deadlift that many powerlifters and bodybuilders use, place the bar inside a squat rack/power cage and adjust the pins at knee level (or place the bar at knee level if you're using an open rack/half squat rack), place the bar at the knee level and start the deadlift at this height, rack deadlifts places more emphasis on the back and traps and you're able to pull more weight from the knee at this position, remember to use good and proper form because as you get heavier, form tends to break down naturally if you don't pay special and extra conscious attention during the movement
- dumbbell deadlift; use 2 heavy dumbbells instead of the barbell, you can use the conventional grip, mixed over/under grip, double under grip, or neutral grip where the dumbbells are held at your sides with palms facing the side
- trap bar deadlift; trap bar is used placing more stress on the quads and hamstrings, using a trap bar offers those with shorter arms an advantage in pulling more weight, you'll need a trap bar for this variation
You can pick up a trap bar at amazon.com here
- stiff legged deadlift, SLDL; this variation stresses the hamstrings and lower back, ensure a slight bend from the knees, do not lock your knees for the whole movement, imagine thrusting your hips and buttocks (like you're about to sit back) back into a sitting position, dumbbells, barbell, and kettlebells can be used
- one arm deadlift; use barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell and do the movement with one arm at a time, alternate each side, extremely challenging
- suitcase side deadlift; not only does this stress the back, it also targets the obliques and abdominal for maximum strength-building effectiveness, stand to the side parallel to the bar and execute the lift, alternate each side, I first learned about this variation from Pavel Tsatsouline's "Beyond Bodybuilding" and this is an excellent variation to further challenge the body in a unilateral fashion, you can do this with a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell as shown in the video below
- over/under (alternate) grip; you could use an overhand grip with both hands, underhand grip with both hands, or over/under grip
*Don’t be afraid to use chalk for a stronger grip. Avoid using wrist wraps if you’ve just started doing deadlifts.
The deadlift is an exceptional free weight compound movement for building functional strength and muscle mass. Done for low reps, they're excellent for mass and strength building. Done for high reps (12-20+), they're perfect for cardiovascular conditioning and fat burning. Work them today and prepare for a tough lifting journey to a stronger and leaner body.
Train Hard. Train Safely. Train Smart.
If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or email me at ZQH245@gmail.com or ZQH250@gmail.com
Visit the Starting Strength Wiki page for a comprehensive primer on tough, productive, and result-producing strength training for muscle and size
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