How to Deadlift: A No-BS Guide to Proper Form

Step 1: The Setup

Most deadlift problems start with a bad setup. Get this right and the pull almost takes care of itself.

Foot Position

Stand with feet about hip-width apart. Narrower than you think—this isn't a squat. The bar should be over your mid-foot (about an inch from your shins). Toes can point straight or slightly out, whatever feels natural.

Here's the test: when you look straight down, the bar should cut your foot roughly in half. If it's over your toes, you're too close. If you can see your whole foot, step closer.

The Grip

Bend over and grab the bar with straight arms, hands just outside your legs. Your shins will touch the bar when you're in position. If they don't, either the bar wasn't over mid-foot, or you're sitting too deep.

Grip options: double overhand works until it doesn't (grip becomes the limiting factor around 225-315 for most people). Then you switch to mixed grip (one palm facing you) or hook grip (thumb under fingers—hurts but works).

Setting the Back

This is where people mess up. With your grip set, push your chest up while keeping your hips where they are. You're not squatting down—you're pushing your chest forward and up.

Think about showing the logo on your shirt to someone in front of you. Your back should be flat, not rounded. Some slight upper back rounding is okay with heavy weight, but your lower back should never round.

The setup sequence:
1. Walk to bar, mid-foot underneath
2. Bend and grip (don't move the bar)
3. Shins touch bar
4. Chest up, back flat
5. Arms straight, shoulders slightly ahead of bar

Step 2: The Brace

Same bracing principle as the squat: big breath into your belly, push your abs out, create 360-degree pressure around your midsection. This protects your spine and gives you a solid core to push against.

Take the slack out of the bar before you pull. This means pulling up on the bar just enough that you feel tension but the plates don't leave the ground. You should hear the bar click against the plates. Now you're connected to the weight, not about to yank on it.

Step 3: The Pull

The cue that changed everything for me: push the floor away, don't pull the bar up. Think about driving your feet through the floor while your chest rises. This keeps your back angle constant off the floor.

The bar should travel in a straight vertical line. This means it stays close to your body—dragging up your shins, brushing past your knees, sliding up your thighs. If it drifts forward, you're working harder for no reason.

Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward to lock out. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Stand tall—don't lean back. Over-arching at the top is just as bad as rounding at the bottom.

The pull cues:
• "Push the floor away" (not "pull the bar up")
• "Chest and hips rise together"
• "Drag the bar up your legs"
• "Squeeze glutes to lock out"
• "Stand tall, don't lean back"

Step 4: The Descent

Lower the bar by pushing your hips back first—like you're closing a car door with your butt. Once the bar passes your knees, bend them to set it down. Control the descent; don't just drop it (unless you're in a gym where that's okay and you're going heavy).

For multiple reps, touch-and-go is fine—just don't bounce the bar. Reset your brace at the bottom of each rep if needed. Some people prefer dead-stop reps (fully resetting between each rep), which is harder but builds more strength.

Common Problems and Fixes

Rounded Lower Back

This is the big one—the injury risk that scares people away from deadlifts. Your lower back rounding usually means: the weight is too heavy, your setup is wrong, or you're not bracing properly.

Fix: Drop the weight and nail your setup. Think "chest up" before every rep. Film yourself from the side—you might not feel your back rounding. If it's a flexibility issue, work on hip mobility separately.

Bar Drifting Forward

The bar swings away from your body during the pull, usually because you're thinking "up" instead of "back." This puts more stress on your lower back and makes the lift harder.

Fix: Engage your lats before you pull. Think about bending the bar around your legs or "protecting your armpits." The bar should feel like it's scraping up your shins (long socks or deadlift socks help).

Hips Shooting Up First

Your butt rises before your chest, turning the deadlift into a stiff-leg pull with a rounded back. Usually means your starting position has your hips too low (you're trying to squat the deadlift).

Fix: Start with your hips higher. In a proper deadlift setup, your hips are above your knees but below your shoulders. Think about your chest and hips rising at the same rate.

Jerking the Weight

Yanking on the bar instead of building tension. This snaps you out of position and usually means a rounded back and a failed lift.

Fix: Take the slack out of the bar before you pull. Build tension gradually—it should feel like the bar is about to leave the ground for a full second before it actually does.

Hyperextending at Lockout

Leaning way back at the top, usually with the bar in front of you. This crunches your lower back and doesn't prove anything.

Fix: The lockout is just standing tall with your glutes squeezed. If you need to lean back to finish the lift, the bar drifted forward—fix that instead.

Conventional vs. Sumo

Sumo deadlift (wide stance, hands inside knees) isn't cheating—it's just a different lift. Which one is better depends entirely on your body structure: torso length, leg length, hip anatomy.

Start with conventional. It teaches the hip hinge pattern that carries over to everything else. After 6-12 months, try sumo if you're curious. Some people find it clicks immediately; others hate it. Neither is wrong.

Programming Tips

Frequency: Once or twice a week is plenty. Deadlifts are taxing on your nervous system. More isn't always better.

Reps: 1-5 reps for strength, 6-8 for building muscle. High-rep deadlifts (10+) aren't dangerous, but form tends to break down when you're tired—lower reps are usually smarter.

Warm-up: Don't skip it. Empty bar, then 40%, 60%, 80% of your working weight. Each set should feel crisp before adding more weight.

When to stop: When your form breaks down. A rep with a rounded back isn't worth it. Leave one or two reps in the tank most sessions.

The Simple Summary

Setup:
- Bar over mid-foot, grip just outside legs
- Shins touch bar, chest up, back flat
- Take slack out, brace hard

The Pull:
- Push floor away (don't yank)
- Keep bar close to body
- Chest and hips rise together
- Squeeze glutes to lock out, stand tall

Common fixes:
- Rounded back → lighter weight, chest up
- Bar drifting → engage lats, "protect armpits"
- Hips shooting up → start with hips higher
- Jerking → take slack out first

The deadlift rewards patience. Don't rush the setup. Don't chase weight at the expense of form. Film yourself regularly—what feels right doesn't always look right.

Get a program with deadlifts programmed intelligently for your level, or check out our squat form guide for the other essential compound movement.