Deadlift

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Some call it the king of all exercises, while others call it the queen. Either way the deadlift is exercise royalty. It uses almost every single muscle group to some extent, strengthens your core and entire posterior chain, and is an entirely functional exercise. It seems like it's hard to find a reason not to deadlift.

And it would be, if everyone was able to deadlift proper form. Unfortunately, it's one of the most commonly butchered exercises and has some pretty serious risks if done poorly. Due to the often heavy weights and stress it can put on your back, always be sure to lift with proper form.

The Basics

The deadlift is primarily used as a strength exercise. It is classified as a hinge movement. It is more generally classified as a lower pull movement. Since it involves significant activation of multiple muscle groups, it is considered a compound exercise.

Form

Set Up

• Stand with your feet about hip width apart and slightly turned out
• Bend down, hinging at the hips rather than squatting down to grasp the bar
• Hold the bar with an overhand grip about shoulder width apart
• Position the bar over the middle of your feet
• Pull up on the bar with enough force to get yourself set
• Brace your core, being sure to maintain a neutral spine
• Keep your arms straight and shoulder blades held back
• Your hips should be at comfortable height for you and knees somewhat bent
• Shins should be nearly vertical
• Your shoulders should be slightly ahead of the bar

Execution

• Keep your core braced and neutral throughout the entire movement
• Push the floor away and pull the bar up
• Keep the bar close to your legs
• Before the bar passes your knees, your hips and shoulders should rise at the same rate
• After the bar passes your knees, the shoulders should continue to rise as the hips extend forward
• Stand up straight at the top
• Lower the bar back down under control, hinging at the hips then bending the knees

Common Mistakes

Rounding Your Back

To put it lightly, rounding your back is not recommended. It greatly increases your risk of injury. Your entire core should be braced and held neutral throughout the whole lift.

Squatting the Deadlift

The deadlift is a hip hinge movement, which means most of the movement and work should come from the hips rather than the knees. Everyone has different proportions which changes the mechanics, but, in general, your torso should be about 30 degrees off parallel with the floor.

Hyperextending at the Top

At the top of the lift, it's tempting lean back. This isn't good as it arches your back and overly extends your hips, all while holding a large amount of weight. This places undue stress on your low back. Rather than leaning back, think about standing up tall at the top of the lift.

Letting the Bar Drift

If the bar isn't brushing your legs, it's likely too far away. Having it drift out makes the lift much harder and puts significantly more stress on your back. Keep the bar close to your legs by pulling it in towards you with your lats.

Additional Info

Risk vs Reward

As previously mentioned, the deadlift comes with a lot of benefits but also a fair amount of risk. As you start building up your deadlift, always maintain proper form and don't use a weight you can't handle. Take a look at the Related Exercises if you're looking for alternatives.

Related Exercises

Reviews

Performance Standard Ranks

The ranks assume that you are generally healthy, with no underlying health conditions or injuries and have the mobility to perform the exercise correctly. You can determine your rank by comparing your numbers to the tables below. Your rank is also tracked automatically when using our Workout Log feature.

Strength Standards

The tables show the one rep max* in pounds needed to reach each rank at different body weights (also in lbs). The 1RMs on the table are based on world records, balanced ratios, and the average time needed to attain each rank. To see personalized strength standards for every exercise, check out the Strength Standards page. You can also find your Strength Score to see how you rank as part of our Fitness Score System.

*Added weight if positive, assistance if negative. The planche and levers are also notable exceptions as they show the moment at the shoulder, not weight. For more info, check out the Moment Calculator page.

Muscular Endurance Standards By Body Weight With 1.0x BW Added Weight

The tables show the reps or isometric hold times (in seconds) needed to reach each of the muscular endurance ranks at different body weights. The reps on the table are based on world records, ratios, and the average time needed to attain each rank. To see personalized standards for every exercise, check out the Muscular Endurance Standards page.

The amount of weight used to test for muscular endurance of some of the exercises is a percentage of body weight. The percentage was chosen to be memorable and to require a Novice to Intermediate level of strength so that most trainees could reasonably use it while not having to do an excessive amount of reps.