Six Steps to a Better Deadlift
By: Zack Harris
Tags: Health, Wellness, Fitness, Life, Self Improvement

Photo by Alora Griffiths on Unsplash

The barbell deadlift is a compound exercise that works almost every major muscle group. While it is phenomenal for developing full body strength, it also has the potential to be dangerous if performed improperly.

For all of its benefits, it could be argued that the deadlift’s risks outweigh the rewards if you don’t take the time to execute it with precision technique. So in order to help you maximize those rewards while minimizing the risks, I’ve comprised a checklist of six steps that will walk you through every step of a properly performed deadlift — from start to finish.

#1. Find Your Ideal Foot Placement

Ankle mobility and limb length will play a factor in what exact stance is best for you, but here are a couple of general guidelines:

As for how far underneath the bar your feet should be ; if you’re looking straight down, the bar should be right around the middle of the foot. A visual cue is to think about the bar “cutting your foot in half”.

; if you’re looking straight down, the bar should be right around the middle of the foot. A visual cue is to think about the bar “cutting your foot in half”. As for how far apart your feet should be; try simply performing a few vertical jumps and pay attention to where your feet are landing. Use this stance as a reference point to how far apart you may want to space your feet underneath the bar.

#2. Use the “Balloon Analogy” to Brace Your Core Correctly

Being told to “brace your core” is a common coaching cue. What is not so common, however, is being told how to brace the right way.

The first thing a lot of people think of doing when they’re told to “brace” is to tighten up their abs by sucking in their stomach. This will cause the lower back to round under a load, and is the exact opposite of what you want to do.

Instead, learn how to properly brace your core by using the “balloon analogy”.

How to do it: Imagine a balloon is between your hands. If you press down on it, it expands 360 degrees. Now apply this same idea to your core by doing the following:

Place your hands onto your midsection. Let your thumbs wrap around your sides, going towards your lower back area.

Take in a deep , nasal-only breath.

, nasal-only breath. You will feel expansion 360 degrees — around the stomach, the sides, and into your lower back. This is your body’s “internal weightlifting belt” turning on. (Which is the same way you should be bracing to get the most out of an actual weightlifting belt.)

Remember that the #1 function of the core is to stabilize the spine under load. That stability is achieved with a 360 degree brace.

#3. Screw Your Feet Into the Ground

Imagine there is a thick piece of paper between your feet and you want to rip it in two. Let’s just assume this is one seriously thick piece of paper, and in order to rip it, you need to generate tension throughout the entire lower body.

You can do this by thinking of “screwing your feet into the ground”.

While keeping the feet flat on the floor, try to actively pull your feet apart from each other.

You’ll find that the tension you’re creating at the feet will also cause the knees to push outwards.

This arc of tension will continue all the way up to the hips, glutes, and hamstrings.

“Screwing your feet into the ground” is a quick fix to keep the lower body tight from the feet up.

#4. Create Tension in the Mid Back and Lats

Keep your arms completely straight and reach your hands down your body as far possible while maintaining an upright posture. Now reach your hands back behind your body. At this point, you should be feeling tension all throughout the lats and middle back region — this is the same tension that you want to create when you reach down to grab the barbell.

Of course, the barbell will prevent you from actually reaching your hands behind your body when you’re putting this to practice during a deadlift, but understanding how to set the lats in this manner is the first step in taking the slack out of the bar (more on that soon), and this position should remain constant throughout the entire duration of the set.

Keep in mind that especially in a compound move like the deadlift, if any part of the body is allowed to remain “loose”, it can cause the entire chain to collapse. So being sure to properly pretension both the lower and upper body is critical. If you feel yourself losing tightness anywhere, put the weight down and reset — or discontinue the set.

#5. Take the Slack Out of the Bar

If the weight on the bar is 225 pounds, think about pulling with around 220 pounds of force as you place your hands onto the bar and pull your body into position. You should hear a “click” coming from either side of the barbell — that’s the sound of the bar being pulled into the weight plates. This will allow you to leverage your bodyweight against the barbell, and from this point you can set your body back into an ideal position to pull — typically a position that has your shoulders nearly directly over the barbell.

#6. Leg Press the Floor Away, Lockout With a Neutral Posture, Repeat

Once you’re ready to pull, think about performing a maximum effort leg press through the floor. Drive forcefully until you reach the point of lockout, and once you’re there, don’t hyperextend the lumbar spine. You may have seen lifters arch their lower back at the top of a deadlift, but all you need to do is stand straight up. Anything beyond a neutral posture is hyperextension and can excessively compress your lower back.

From the lockout, you have the option of either simply dropping the weight to the floor or lowering the bar back down in the same fashion in which you brought it up.

Photo by Anastase Maragos on Unsplash

In Summary

Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and if the barbell deadlift is a staple in your routine, keeping these six steps in mind will help optimize your performance while minimizing your risk of injury.

Find your footing, brace your core, create full-body tension, pull the slack out of the bar, and leg press the floor away until lockout: Six steps to a better — and safer — deadlift.

Thanks for reading! Have a question? Want something covered in a future article? Let me know in the comments!

Click here to be notified whenever a new story is published. — Zack