%20(1).svg)
Deadlift Form
Originally published on Ph.D Juha Hulmi's blog as the last part of the deadlift- series. Purpose of this post is to guide the appropriate deadlift technique in a simple way. This version is improved on 11/2023.
M.Sc Exercise Science (Exercise Physiology), University of Jyväskylä
How to perform the deadlift effectively and safely? We need a repeatable, simple, and easy-to-learn method for learning the movement. In this article, we will go through easy and immediately applicable instructions for the deadlift. With this guide, all trainees, regardless of their body type or training level, can efficiently and safely perform the movement.
The technique of the deadlift is largely about getting to the correct starting position. The lift itself is easy to execute when the initial position is right. For the sake of clarity, this article mainly focuses on the technique of the conventional deadlift. However, the sumo deadlift is also covered, and many technical aspects of the sumo and narrow deadlift are similar, which is why it is practical to first go through the narrow deadlift. First, let's look at how the legs and hands should be positioned.
Position of feet and hands
Feet
For most people, the strongest position for a deadlift is with the feet approximately hip-width apart, and this is a good place to start. The stance is typically much narrower than when squatting. From this, you can experiment with narrower or wider stances to find what feels best and strongest. There's no one-size-fits-all answer to the right width for your feet: some people deadlift with their heels almost touching, while others use a wider stance. In short: Just start with your legs with your feet hip-width apart.
Another thing to consider is how much external rotation your legs have (how much your toes point forward or to the side). Slightly turned-out feet allow for better external rotation of the hips, increasing the role of the adductors and external rotators in the lift. The starting position also becomes slightly more optimal when your thigh bones move a bit "out of the way" and your back can align a bit more vertically. The optimal amount of external rotation is highly individual, but a good general guideline is to have your toes pointing around 10-30 degrees outward. However, you don't need to overthink this; simply standing with your feet about hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward is great.
Quick test to figure out optimal amount of external rotation: Take a hip-width stance with your toes pointing straight ahead. Now, push your hips forward by squeezing your glutes strongly together. Often, your feet naturally want to turn slightly outward. If this happens, the degree of external rotation is likely close to the optimal position for you.
Hands
For the grip, two things need to be considered: grip width and how to hold the bar. The right width is straightforward to determine: Keep your arms as straight as possible. So, the grip width should be approximately shoulder-width apart - just as wide as your arms naturally hang when you're standing. A wider grip makes the lift and the starting position mechanically a bit more challenging.
There are different ways to hold the bar: with a mixed grip, "hook grip" or a regular overhand grip. It's a good idea to start with a regular overhand grip (where both of your knuckles are facing forward), as shown in the picture above. However, without the use of lifting straps, your grip strength with this grip will likely give out before reaching maximal weights or during longer sets, before the required leg strength would be a limiting factor. But lifting with a regular overhand grip also develops your grip strength well.
The most common grip when lifting heavy weights is a mixed grip, where one hand's palm faces forward and the other inward. This grip makes it easier to hold on to heavier weights because it prevents the bar from rolling and slipping out of your hands. The downside is that this grip can potentially lead to muscle imbalances and, very rarely, biceps tears in the hand where the palm faces forward (Beggs 2011). Possible muscle imbalances caused by using a mixed grip can also be avoided by alternating the hands regularly.
The hook grip eliminates the downsides of the mixed grip and allows for a strong grip on the bar. However, using this grip may require some getting used to, as it can be a bit uncomfortable for your thumbs, and it's usually considered a bit more advanced variation.
It's recommended to start with a regular overhand grip, but whatever grip you use, you should hold the bar so that it's closer to your fingers than your wrists. A common (albeit relatively minor) mistake is taking the bar too deep into the palm. The bar should be closer to your fingers as that's where it ends up when lifting heavy weights anyway.
On the right, the bar is too "deep" in the palm. On the left, the bar is closer to the fingers, allowing the bar to be positioned further along the hand - also enabling an easier setup for the starting position. Image from Greg Nuckols' Stronger By Science blog.
Next, let's go through the steps of setting up for the deadlift!
Getting into the starting position
Summary:
1. Stand with the bar over the midfoot.
2. Grip the bar without bending your knees or lowering your hips.
3. Push your shins forward so they touch the bar.
4. Straighten your back.
5. Tighten your back muscles (lats).
6. Pull.
Now, let's take a closer look at each step.
Step 1. Bar Over the Midfoot.
Stand by the bar so that the centre of your foot is directly under the bar. You can imagine the bar as if it were slicing your foot in half. The bar is about 2 cm away from the shins. "Midfoot" means the midpoint of the entire foot, from heel to toe. Not just the part between the shinbone and the toes. Keep the bar in this position throughout the entire setup for the starting position.
Note: It's advisable to do deadlifts without shoes or with as flat and stable shoes as possible.
Step 2. Grip the Bar
As you have the bar positioned above the center of your foot, reach down and grip it without lowering your hips or bringing your shins closer to the bar (yet). In other words, just bend down to grab the bar. Note that your arms should remain straight, not bent, when viewed from the front. Your back is still rounded at this stage and that's ok, it's better to straighten and tighten it later.
Step 3. Bringing the Shins to the Bar.
Press your shins against the bar. As you do this, your hips will automatically move to the right height. A common mistake at this point is to push the shins so far forward that the bar moves forward, which lowers the hips too much. Your shins should touch the bar so that the bar doesn't move forward. At this stage, it's also helpful to push your knees slightly outward, causing your hips to externally rotate. The knees will often make contact with the elbows at this point, which is fine as long as your hands don't push the knees inward. Another common mistake here is shifting your weight onto your toes. This can be corrected by leaning slightly backward, so your weight is centered in the middle of your foot.
Step 4. Straightening the Back.
Now, we'll need to straighten the back. The goal is to activate the spinal erector muscles, starting from the thoracic spine, to straightening and tighten the entire back down to the lower back.
You can help this process with the following mental cues:
- Imagine lifting your "chest up."
- Imagine straightening your lower back.
- Imagine pressing your belly button down toward the floor.
When the hips and the bar remain in place, and the back is straight, all the pieces are in the right position for the most efficient and safe starting position as possible.
Note: Do not retract the shoulder blades together as you might do in, for example, the bench press. In the deadlift, the proper position for the shoulder blades is anatomically described as "depressed" and separated from each other.
Regarding where to set your eyes, it's generally a good idea to look about 1-5 meters ahead along the floor, depending on your preference and habit. This means looking downward.
A common mistake at this stage is pushing the bar forward with the shins or lowering the hips too much. The goal is to maintain the same position as earlier, but now your back straightened.
Step 5. Tightening the Wide Back Muscles.
To activate and tighten the wide back muscles, it's helpful to think: "Pull the bar close to your shins." This is also aided by turning your elbows toward yourself, so they point backward. Keeping the back muscles tight is important for keeping the bar close to your body and preventing it from swinging forward.
Step 6. Lifting the Bar off the Ground.
Before lifting the bar off the ground, it's important to tense your entire body and take the "slack" out of the bar to maintain a good position throughout the lift.
Helpful mental cues for the lifting phase:
- Imagine pushing your feet through the floor.
- Imagine leg-pressing the bar up.
Don't think of lifting the bar with your hands or back.
First, start generating force into the bar (imagine pushing your feet through the floor) without actually lifting it off the ground. The idea is to pull the "slack" out of the bar, as many barbells have a bit of slack that's best tightened before lifting it. You'll often hear a "click" when this extra play is taken up. You'll feel it too. Mental Image: If you were pulling a car with a rope, you'd want the rope to be tight along the entire length for the most efficient force production rather than jerking it. In other words, you want to be "tightened" before lifting the bar. This allows you to maintain good technique throughout the lifting phase.
A common mistake is trying to lift the bar as fast as possible. Sudden force production without tension typically results in the hips rising, the back rounding, and the starting position falling apart, leading to a less safe and less efficient lift. Trying to lift the bar as fast as possible doesn't necessarily help with the initial pull, as producing large forces statically takes about 0.5-3 seconds (unless you have exceptional speed/power- capabilities).
Starting position set correct. How to lift the bar up?
The initial phase of the lift (breaking the bar off the ground) is mainly driven by the quadriceps, and the subsequent movement is largely hip extension relying on the glutes, adductors and hamstrings (however, multiple muscle groups are working isometrically also).
Effective mental cues for lifting the bar off the ground are:
1. When breaking the bar off the floor, "push your feet through the floor."
2. Once the bar rises off the ground to about mid-shin level, imagine forcefully pushing your hips forward until full extension.
At this stage, it's helpful to visualize doing this work primarily with your glutes, meaning you're squeezing your glutes together, which leads to hip extension. At the end, your glutes should be engaged, hips fully extended, and your lower back maintaining its natural arch. This ensures your spine remains in a neutral position, and makes the end part of the lift much stronger.
So, first, lift the bar off the ground by pushing your feet through the floor, and then complete the movement by pushing your hips forward.
During the phase of lifting the bar off the ground, there's no need to hurry. Especially when learning the movement, it's better to push your feet through the floor steadily and forcefully, without any sudden jerking, while maintaining a tight position.
The finish
The lifting phase concludes when you are standing upright with the bar. Your hips, knees, and spine should be fully extended, meaning they are in a straight line. In the conventional deadlift, the knees and hips extend together at the end.
A typical mistake is to over-extend at the end of the movement. This is easily corrected by focusing on the "push your hips forward" phase to actively do this work with your glutes, i.e. squeezing your glutes together. At the end, the glutes should be engaged, the hips fully extended and the lower back naturally arched. This keeps the back neutral and makes the end of the movement much stronger.
.webp)
Left correct, glutes tight and lower back neutral. On the right, an overextension.
Lowering the bar
The bar is lowered down in the same manner as it was lifted, but in reverse order. During the descent, you first push your hips backward while lowering the bar. Once the bar passes your knees, begin bending them and continue lowering the bar to the ground. This allows the bar to move in a vertical line downward and return to the center of your foot, achieving a good starting position.
Note: When the bar is lowered to the ground, each new repetition starts from a complete stop on the floor. It's not recommended to bounce the bar from the bottom back into another repetition, as this hinders repetition consistency.
Why is the bar usually lowered quickly?
Typically, the deadlift is performed almost entirely concentrically (meaning the lifting phase). This is an exception compared to most other strength training exercises. In other words, when deadlifting, you usually lift the bar up and then lower it quickly without a more controlled eccentric phase. Unlike many other movements, it's often challenging to slow down the lowering phase when deadlifting heavy weights. The general recommendation is for a relatively fast but controlled descent. However, it's also possible to perform the eccentric phase more slowly, if you can keep up the form.
Sumo Deadlift
The steps previously presented, as well as other aspects of the lift, work in a similar manner for the sumo deadlift, with the exception of foot width. In the sumo stance, you need to add one step between steps 3 and 4: actively pushing your knees out and thus emphasizing external rotation of your thighs. The width of your stance and the amount of external rotation depend on personal preference and individual body structure. As a rule of thumb, your foot positioning should be such that your shins are vertical when viewed from the front and side. So, it's good to experiment with your stance and find a position where this is achieved and the lift feels strong.
In the sumo deadlift, toes typically point outward at around 30-45 degrees. If you can fully extend your hips forward and keep your knees in line with your toes (pointing in the same direction as your toes), your stance is likely correct. If your knees don't stay pressed outward, your stance might be too wide, or your toes might be pointing too far out. You need to experiment and find the right position for you. Note that because your feet have more external rotation, you should place the bar a bit closer to your shins (the exact distance depends on the degree of external rotation), just as you did with the conventional stance.
Differences in the release phase of the sumo deadlift
The initiation of the sumo deadlift is mostly the same as the conventional deadlift, with the added step of pushing your knees out and emphasizing external rotation of your thighs. This difference helps you maintain a wider stance, and breaking the bar from the ground is slightly more quad-dominant. You should focus on "pushing your feet through the floor" for a bit longer, typically until the bar reaches your knees or slightly beyond. Afterward, the "hip forward" phase is shorter. It's essential to press your knees out throughout the lift to keep your hips in external rotation and maintain strength. When the bar clears your knees, drive your hips forward by squeezing your glutes together.
Breathing
Proper breathing in the deadlift is very important for creating a strong, stable core, which supports your spine and strengthens your lift. This technique is an essential topic on its own, and more details can be found in another blog post.
A concise summary about breathing in the deadlift: Take a deep breath before starting the lift, hold your breath, and, at the same time, tense your core as if you were bracing for a punch to your midsection.
In the deadlift, it's generally a good practice to take a deep breath when you've gripped the bar (between steps 2 and 3). However, you can also take a breath just before the bar leaves the ground or while standing upright before the lift. If you choose to inhale at the very beginning before gripping the bar, the other steps must be relatively quick to avoid dizziness.
Final words
Just like any skill, a deadlift is a movement that requires learning to do well and to develop maximum strength safely. It is not just lifting the bar up and down; it needs to be performed correctly. With practice you will get better and here's the fun thing: the stronger and more you practice, the easier it will get, and soon you won't need to think about the technique that much, if at all.
Hoping for great deadlift sessions!
- Julius
Check out our smart workout coach by clicking here!
Individualized and evidence-based personal training made easily accessible to everyone.
