Muscles worked
What the deadlift trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Bar over midfoot. Walk up until the bar sits over the middle of your foot, about an inch from your shins. Feet about hip width apart, toes turned out slightly.
- 02
Grip. Hinge down and take a double overhand grip just outside your legs, so your arms hang straight and clear your knees. Wrap your thumbs around the bar and squeeze it hard.
- 03
Shins to the bar. Bend your knees until your shins touch the bar. Do not move the bar toward you; move your shins to it.
- 04
Set your back. Lift your chest until your back is flat from hips to neck. Your hips end up above your knees and below your shoulders, with your shoulders just in front of the bar.
- 05
Lats and slack. Pull your shoulders down as if squeezing oranges in your armpits, then pull up gently until the bar clicks against the plates and your body goes tight.
- 06
Breathe and brace. Take a big breath into your belly and brace your trunk as if about to be pushed, then hold it through the pull.
Step by step
How to do the deadlift
- Bar travels straight up over midfoot
- Shoulders just ahead of the bar
Pull 1s → Lockout 0.7s → Lower 2s → Reset 1s
Hatching marks the highlighted muscle groups.
- 01
Push the floor away. Drive through your whole foot and push the floor away. The bar leaves the floor as your knees straighten, with your back angle staying the same.
- 02
Keep it close. Let the bar drag up your shins and thighs in a straight vertical line. Your hips and shoulders rise at the same rate.
- 03
Hips through. Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward to meet the bar while your chest keeps coming up.
- 04
Lock out. Finish standing tall with your knees and hips straight and your glutes squeezed. Do not lean back or shrug at the top.
- 05
Lower with control. Push your hips back first and slide the bar down your thighs. Once it clears your knees, bend them and set the bar down over midfoot.
- 06
Reset each rep. Let the plates settle on the floor, rebrace, and take the slack out again before the next rep. Do not bounce the plates.
Cues to say in your head
- Bar over midfoot
- Shins to the bar
- Take the slack out
- Push the floor away
- Keep the bar close
- Hips through, stand tall
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Lower back rounding off the floor
Brace harder and set your lats before you pull. If your back still rounds, the weight is too heavy for today, so drop it until you can hold a flat back.
Hips shooting up first
Push the floor away with your legs and keep your chest up so hips and shoulders rise together. Hips that rise first turn the pull into a stiff-leg deadlift.
Bar drifting out in front
Start with the bar over midfoot and keep your lats tight so the bar drags up your legs. A bar out front gives the weight more leverage against you, so it feels heavier and loads your lower back more.
Jerking the bar off the floor
Take the slack out before you pull so the bar leaves the floor smoothly. Yanking it loosens your back position.
Leaning back at the top
Finish by standing straight with your glutes squeezed. Leaning back past vertical bends your lower back under load and adds nothing.
Squatting the bar up
Start with your hips higher than in a squat, shoulders just in front of the bar. Hips too low push your knees forward into the bar's path.
Grip giving out first
Use chalk and squeeze the bar hard. When double overhand fails on heavy sets, switch to a hook grip or a mixed grip with one palm facing you, keeping the underhand arm fully straight.
Stay safe
Deadlift on a flat, stable floor and use plates of full diameter, or blocks, so the bar starts at the right height. Work up in small jumps and stop a set when your back position starts to change, not when you can no longer move the bar. If you feel a sharp or shooting pain, pain that runs down a leg, or numbness, stop and get it checked by a medical professional before you pull again. A coach watching, or video filmed from the side, catches most form problems early.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 2 to 5 | 80–90% 1RM | 3 to 5 min |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 6 to 10 | 65–80% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Technique | 3 to 5 | 3 to 6 | 50–65% 1RM | 1.5 to 2 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Muscle sets
140–175lb
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps, 2 to 3 min rest. Keep sets short of the point where your back position slips. Higher reps are often better given to RDLs.
Warm up to 160 lb
Tap a set to see its plates.
45 + 10 + 2.5
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Deadlift questions
What muscles does the deadlift work?
Mainly the glutes, hamstrings, quads and the spinal erectors in your lower back, with the adductors helping extend the hips. Your lats, traps, grip and abs work hard to hold the position.
What is good deadlift form?
Bar over midfoot, shins touching the bar, a flat back, and the bar dragging up your legs as you push the floor away. Hips and shoulders rise together and you finish standing tall without leaning back.
Is it bad if my back rounds when I deadlift?
Your lower back should stay flat on every rep; if it rounds, the weight is too heavy, so lower it and work on bracing and setting your lats. Some experienced lifters allow slight upper back rounding on maximal attempts, but while you are learning, aim for a flat back from hips to neck.
What is a deficit deadlift?
A deadlift done standing on a plate or low platform, usually 1 to 3 inches high, so the bar starts lower and you pull through a longer range. It builds strength off the floor and uses more quads; expect to lift less than your normal deadlift.
Is a rack pull as good as a deadlift?
No, it is a partial. A rack pull starts from pins at or just below knee height and trains the top half and lockout with more weight, but it skips the start off the floor, so use it alongside the deadlift, not in place of it.
How many sets and reps of deadlifts should I do?
For strength, 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 5 reps at about 80 to 90 percent of your max, once or twice a week. For muscle, 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps, stopping before your form slips.
Train in Protocol
Log your deadlift by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.