The deadlift sounds like an exercise that should be avoided at all costs, but really it is just a term for “properly picking something up off the ground”. Honest! This could mean anything from picking up an overflowing laundry basket to a big bag of groceries. However, doing it with proper form is crucial and is often ignored by many. Hence, the overwhelming number of people that have injured their backs at one point in their lives due to poor lifting technique. So, here I’m going to explain the deadlift step by step:

First of all, let it be known that the deadlift can be executed with a barbell, a dumbbell, two dumbbells, or essentially any object capable of being lifted. For the sake of these instructions, I’m going to use the barbell since that is the classic choice. To start, one needs to set up a barbell with the desired weight on the floor. If the floor is too low for you to maintain good form, then use a squat rack at your local gym and set the metal pins above the floor so that the bar sits on them instead. Now, approach the bar so that your shins are either touching or at most one inch away. Any more distance will cause rounding in the lower back, which is certainly undesired. Now stand so that your feet are at about shoulder’s width with your toes pointed outwards just a slight bit (no more than 25 degrees). Now squat down and grab the bar evenly so that your arms are perpendicular to the floor and outside of your thighs. Keep in mind, though, there is a subtle yet major difference between squat position and deadlift position. With a deadlift, your pelvis is tilted further forward than a squat  thus causing your posterior to stick back further.  At this point, make sure that your weight is placed on your heels, that your lower back is arched, your chest is up, and your abdomen is tight. Now, comes the actual lift.

Once you are looking in front of you  and you have taken a deep breath and held it, go ahead and dig those heels into the floor as if you are pushing away the floor. On the ascent, the hips and shoulders should move in unison and the bar should travel in a straight line from the floor to the lockout position. If you notice your knees sticking over the bar then either tilt your pelvis more or lift from a higher pin position in the squat rack. In order to correct this, begin stretching the muscles that are preventing you from achieving proper form: the hamstrings and glutes.  Anyway, do NOT lock out your knees first and then lift the weight with your back, this puts unbelievable stress on the lumbar vertebrae and could lead to a herniated disc if not something worse.  Be sure to exhale forcefully after passing the most difficult point of the lift. This point is called the sticking point and once this tough part has passed you can then lockout by fully extending the hips, knees, and back. Full extension of the back means that the front of your shoulders should be situated slightly behind the hips. Lastly, inhale and hold the breath at lockout and return the weight to the floor.