To deadlift properly, hinge at the hips, brace your trunk, keep the bar close, and stand tall with a neutral spine.
The deadlift looks simple: pick the bar up and put it back down. Getting it right—rep after rep—comes from a clean setup, tight bracing, and a bar path that stays close to your body. This guide shows how to deadlift properly with clear cues, easy fixes, and a plan you can run this week.
Setup Fundamentals
Before you grab the knurling, lock in the pieces that make the pull feel the same every time. Set the bar over your midfoot. Walk in until your shins are a thumb’s length from the bar. Choose a grip you can hold without twisting your shoulders. Now you’re ready to hinge.
Small changes at the start ripple through the whole lift. Shoes with a flat, firm sole keep you grounded. A steady brace keeps your ribs stacked over your pelvis. The goal is a repeatable setup that makes heavy reps feel like lighter ones.
Grip, Stance, And Bar Path
Stand with feet under your hips and toes slightly out. Reach straight down and place your hands just outside your legs so your arms hang vertical. From the floor to lockout, keep the bar glued to your shins and thighs. If the bar drifts, the lift gets harder and your back works overtime. Keep the steel close and the pull gets smoother.
How to Deadlift Properly: Step-By-Step Form
Eight Steps From Floor To Lockout
- Approach: Place the bar over your midfoot with shins 2–5 cm away.
- Grip: Hands just outside legs. Start double-overhand; move to hook or mixed when the bar slips.
- Set Your Hips: Push them back to load the hamstrings, then bend the knees until your shins kiss the bar.
- Brace: Breathe in, expand belly and sides, and lock your ribs down.
- Set Your Lats: Pull the bar to your shins like you’re “bending” it toward you.
- Break The Floor: Push the floor away, keep the bar tight to you, and let hips and shoulders rise together.
- Lockout: Stand tall with knees straight and hips through; no leaning back.
- Return: Hinge first to the knees, then bend them and slide the bar down your legs to the floor.
Deadlift Setup Checklist
The table below compresses the core setup into quick cues you can run each session.
| Item | What To Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Stance | Feet under hips, toes slightly out | Lets knees and hips share the load |
| Bar Position | Bar over midfoot | Shortest path and stable balance |
| Grip Width | Hands just outside legs | Vertical arms and knee clearance |
| Spine | Neutral from head to tailbone | Spreads load across tissues |
| Shoulders | Slightly in front of bar | Leverage for the first pull |
| Hip Height | Between squat and RDL | Matches your build and bar path |
| Lat Tension | Pin the bar to you | Keeps the bar close and safe |
| Footwear | Flat, firm soles | Stable base; no heel squish |
| Belt | Use on heavy sets | Helps create 360° pressure |
Big Cues That Stick
- Chest up, ribs down. Keeps the brace tight without flaring.
- Hips back, then drive. Hinge to load, then push the floor.
- Bar close, drag the shins. The bar should graze your legs.
- Stand tall. Finish with hips through and no lean.
Say the cue out loud on your setup. Short words beat long thoughts when the plates are humming.
Why Backs Round And Simple Fixes
Rounding shows up when the bar drifts, the brace leaks, or the load outpaces control. Fix the distance first: set the bar over midfoot and keep your lats “on.” Next, breathe deep into belly and sides and lock the ribs down. If the weight still pulls you out of shape, trim the load or use a trap bar day to keep training the pattern while you rebuild tight reps.
How To Deadlift With Proper Form — Common Fixes
Fast Tweaks For Frequent Problems
- Knees crash the bar: Set shins to the bar before gripping; think “knees out” as you break the floor.
- Hips pop up early: Start with a touch more knee bend and push the floor, not the bar.
- Bar scrapes knees: Hold lat tension and think “zipper path” straight up the legs.
- Hands tear: File calluses, chalk up, and use straps on volume work that isn’t a max test.
These fast fixes make how to deadlift properly feel repeatable across sets and weeks.
Conventional, Sumo, And Trap Bar
Conventional: works well if you have solid hip flexion and long arms. Sumo: wider stance, more hip and adductor work, and a shorter range that helps many lifters keep a rigid spine. Trap bar: hands at the sides and load in line with you, which often feels friendlier on backs and forearms. Pick the style that lets you keep a neutral spine and a straight bar path.
Warm-Up That Primes Your Pull
Start with two to three minutes of light movement. Add 8–10 hip hinges, a 20-second plank, and light band rows to wake up the lats. Then build ramp-up sets: an empty-bar RDL for 10, then 4–5 ascending sets of 3–5 reps until you reach your first work set. Keep all ramp-up reps clean and crisp.
Breathing, Bracing, And The Belt
Think “360 degrees.” Breathe into the belly and sides, then hold that pressure while you start the lift. A belt helps you feel and create that pressure on heavy sets. Set the buckle where you can still take a full breath; one finger under the belt is a good check. Place it slightly higher if your hip bones dig into it during the hinge.
Programming Basics That Work
Most lifters do well with two deadlift slots a week: one heavier day and one lighter technique or speed day. Keep hard sets in the 3–6 rep range for strength and use 6–10 for accessory work. Leave a rep in the tank on most sets so form stays tight and progress keeps rolling. For technique days, pull with 60–70% of your best and chase clean bar speed.
Want deeper background? The NSCA deadlift technique breakdown shows the same core cues you just read, and the ACSM position stand outlines set, rep, and loading ranges that align with the templates below.
Sets, Reps, And Load Guide
Use this table to plug a plan into your week. Pick a goal lane, then match sets, reps, and load. Adjust one variable at a time.
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Load Target |
|---|---|---|
| Technique | 4–6 × 3–5 | RPE 5–6 or 60–70% 1RM |
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–5 | RPE 7–9 or 75–90% 1RM |
| Power | 5–8 × 2–3 | Moderate load, fast speed |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 × 6–10 | RPE 6–8 or 65–75% 1RM |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 10–15 | RPE 5–7 or 50–65% 1RM |
| Peaking | 1–3 × 1–3 | RPE 8–9 or 85–95% 1RM |
| Deload | 2–3 × 3–5 | RPE 4–5 or 50–60% 1RM |
Accessory Work That Builds Your Pull
Pick two to three moves that target your weak links and rotate them every six to eight weeks. Strong lats keep the bar close, strong quads start the bar from the floor, and strong hips finish the lockout.
- Romanian deadlift: top-half hinge that feeds hamstrings and glutes.
- Barbell or chest-supported row: lats for tight bar path.
- Front squat or leg press: knee drive for the start.
- Hip thrust: lockout pop.
- Back extensions: trunk endurance with body-weight or a light plate.
Grip Options And Hand Care
Start with double-overhand so your grip grows. When the bar spins, try hook grip or mixed. Hook trades thumb ache for serious hold. Mixed feels easy but make sure the underhand side stays tight and close so it doesn’t drift. Trim calluses with a fine file, use chalk on work sets, and use straps on higher-rep accessories so your back—not your fingers—sets the limit.
Bar Speed And Load Progression
Use speed as feedback. If every rep turns into a grind, the load is too high for the day. Nudge the plates by 2.5–5 kg when sets feel smooth, or add a rep and keep the load. Small jumps beat big stalls. Keep a simple log so you can repeat the last strong week when life gets messy.
When To Use Variations
- Romanian deadlift: teaches the hinge and builds the top half.
- Paused deadlift: pause just off the floor to fix early hip rise.
- Tempo deadlift: 3-second lowering to groove control.
- Block pulls: shorten the range to train lockout.
- Deficit pulls: small deficit to train the start.
Recovery, Soreness, And Back Care
Soreness in the hamstrings and glutes shows up when you change volume or switch styles. Sharp pain, tingling, or pain that climbs each set calls for a stop. Swap to a lighter variation, reduce range, or train single-leg hinges until symptoms settle. Walking and easy back extensions the next day often help blood flow and comfort. If pain lingers, skip the lift for the week and keep other training moving.
Safety Notes You Should Not Skip
- Clear the area and set collars snug.
- Pull the slack out of the bar; don’t jerk it from the floor.
- If a rep stalls at the knees, put it down, rest, and try again next set.
- Stay present on the descent—no drops in busy gyms.
Coaching Yourself On Video
Prop your phone at hip height from the side. Check three things: the bar travels straight up, hips and shoulders rise together, and your spine stays neutral from setup to lockout. Tweak one cue at a time, then film the next set. Five seconds of video beats guessing.
Putting It All Together
Here’s a simple weekly ladder to cement how to deadlift properly: warm up, build to a crisp top set of five, back off for two sets of five, then finish with two accessories. Keep the bar close, brace hard, and move with intent. Repeat next week with a small plate jump or one more rep per set. Clean, steady progress wins.