Barbell Deadlift

Starting position

1. Step up to the bar so it is over the middle of your feet. Feet hip width apart, toes forward or turned out slightly.
2. Bend down and grip the bar overhand, slightly wider than your legs.
3. Bend your knees until your shins touch the bar. Hips above your knees, shoulders over the bar or slightly in front of it.
4. Straighten your back: chest up, shoulder blades pulled together, eyes on the floor 1–2 metres ahead.

Execution

1. Take a breath, hold it and brace your core.
2. Push the floor away with your legs: the bar travels up in contact with your shins and thighs.
3. Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward and stand up fully without leaning back.
4. Lower the bar in reverse: hips back first, then bend your knees once the bar passes them. Exhale at the top or after you set the bar down.

Common mistakes

• Rounded back — the main lower-back injury risk. If your back rounds, the weight is too heavy.
• The bar drifting away from your legs — more load on the lower back.
• Hips rising faster than your shoulders — it turns into a stiff-legged back pull.
• Leaning back at the top — unnecessary stress on the spine.

Beginner tips

• Use light weights for your first sessions and film yourself from the side.
• Use standard-size plates or blocks so the bar starts at the right height.
• Do 3–6 reps per set: in long sets your technique gets tired before your muscles do.

Alternatives

• Barbell Romanian Deadlift — shorter range, more work for the glutes and hamstrings
• Hyperextension — strengthens the lower back without heavy weight