Step 1 — Bar Position (Start Right = Everything)
The setup is the deadlift. Get this wrong and no amount of strength or effort will produce a safe or effective lift. Most deadlift injuries happen because the setup was wrong, not because the person was weak.
The bar should sit directly over the mid-foot — not the toes, not the heel. Roughly an inch from the shins. If the bar starts too far forward, your back takes over the lift immediately. Stand close. The bar should almost touch your shins as you set up. This is not optional — it is the foundation of everything that follows.
Step 2 — Grip the Bar
Hands go just outside the legs — not wide, not narrow. Double overhand grip for all beginners and for all working sets until the weight demands otherwise. A mixed grip (one hand over, one under) can be used for heavier lifts but should not become a habit at lower weights — it creates a rotational stress on the spine over time. Wrap the thumbs fully around the bar.
Step 3 — Set Your Position
This is the most important step of the entire lift. Before you pull anything, your position must be correct.
Push the hips back — do not squat down. This is the most common setup error on the deadlift. The deadlift is a hip hinge, not a squat. The hips are higher than a squat position, the shins are roughly vertical, and the torso is angled forward. Chest up, shoulders slightly in front of the bar, back neutral — not rounded. Think: proud chest and tight core before the bar moves an inch.
Step 4 — Brace Properly
Take a big breath into your stomach — not your chest. Your belly should expand, not your ribcage. Then brace your core as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This creates intra-abdominal pressure — the mechanism that protects your spine under load. Hold that brace throughout the entire lift. This is exercise science, not gym folklore — the research on spinal loading and intra-abdominal pressure is well established.
Step 5 — The Drive Phase
Do not think about pulling the bar up. Think about pushing the floor away. This cue shifts the emphasis to the legs and posterior chain, where the power comes from. Drive through the heels. The bar travels in a straight vertical line — it should drag up the shins throughout. Shin scrapes are not an error — they are a sign the bar path is correct. Keep the bar in contact with the legs throughout the entire lift.
Step 6 — Lockout
At the top, stand tall with hips fully extended. Squeeze the glutes firmly — but do not lean back. Leaning back at lockout hyperextends the lumbar spine under load. The cue is simply: stand tall and squeeze. That is the complete lockout. Nothing more is required.
Step 7 — Lowering the Bar
Push the hips back first — then bend the knees once the bar passes them. This is the reverse of the setup. Do not drop the bar or let it crash to the floor on every repetition. A controlled descent builds strength, protects the floor, and keeps the movement pattern intact for the next repetition.
Common Mistakes — In Order of How Often I See Them
The single most dangerous error in the deadlift. A rounded lower back under load is the leading cause of disc injury in the weights room. It is almost always caused by poor setup or weight that is too heavy. Fix: reduce the weight and reset the position. No exceptions. If your back rounds, the set is over.
The bar drifts forward as it rises, multiplying the stress on the lower back dramatically. The bar must stay close to the body — dragging up the shins — throughout the entire lift. If it is drifting forward, either the setup was wrong or the weight is too heavy.
The knees are too far forward at setup, turning the deadlift into a partial squat. The bar cannot travel in a straight line because the knees are in the way. Push the hips back. Hinge — do not squat. If your knees are significantly in front of the bar at setup, reset.
Yanking the bar suddenly with no prior tension sends shock load directly through the spine. Take the slack out of the bar first. Establish tension throughout the body. Then lift smoothly. The transition from floor to air should be gradual, not explosive.
The hips shoot forward and the lower back hyperextends at lockout. Stand tall and squeeze the glutes. That is the complete lockout. Thrusting beyond vertical adds no benefit and compresses the lumbar spine under load.
The root cause of most of the above. Master the movement pattern first. The weight follows. Ego is the enemy of progress and the leading cause of back injuries in the weights room.