Why is the deadlift so great? To put it bluntly, when you deadlift you use every single muscle in your body! A deadlift uses your arms, forearms, and hands to hold onto the barbell and make sure the bar stays in the right position and stays stable throughout the lift. Your shoulders and traps hold the weight and hold it stable. Your back and core are used to help keep your entire body tight and stable to help keep your spine secure. Your glutes and legs are used to act as a lever and lift the weight.
Learning how to effectively deadlift will take your workout to a whole new level. Did you know deadlifting is more effective than crunches at building a strong core? Mastering a solid form for your deadlift benefits you outside of the gym as well. Shoveling snow, doing yard work, and other everyday tasks will all dramatically improve from deadlifting and make you less likely to injure yourself.
How to Properly Deadlift:
When doing a deadlift you’ll be lifting a dead weight off the ground (hence the name). It’s actually not very complicated. Here are the basics of how to do a conventional barbell deadlift:
- Warm up and start with just the bar.
- Step up to and under a barbell with your feet angled slightly outward, at hip-width apart.
- Bend over and grip the barbell with both hands at shoulder width.
- Bend your knees until the bar almost touches your shins.
- With a neutral spine, flex your butt and brace your stomach.
- Pick the bar up off the ground “press DOWN into the floor with your feet through your heels”.
- Continue pressing down with your legs until the barbell passes your knees, then thrust your hips forward until you are standing up.
- Reverse your movement until the bar returns to its starting place on the ground.
Mastering Deadlift Form:
- Prior to lifting, inhale and take a deep belly breath, while keeping your entire back, butt, and core tight with your chest puffed out, drive down through your heels and the bar should lift off the ground. Your weight should be on your heels and midfoot.
- During the movement, your entire body should move upwards at the same speed. This means that your butt should not rise faster than your chest.
- Your arms should stay straight the entire time. They are just there to hold onto the bar – they are not bending or pulling at all. Your legs and core are doing all the work!
- The bar should stay in contact with your body the entire time – you will drag it up your thighs.
- As you are pulling, you should be squeezing your glutes. Once the bar passes your knees, think of getting your hips under the bar by squeezing your glutes. While you’re pulling with your arms, you’re pushing through the floor with your feet.
- At the top of the movement, you should be standing tall with your chest open. Do not hyperextend and lean back. Keep your spine neutral and everything tight.
The deadlift is one of the best exercises around. Whether you want to build muscle, burn fat, or increase strength, it’s the one movement every lifter must do. But it only helps you out if you learn to do it right!
