Movement Mastery – How to Deadlift

Chances are, you know someone with chronic back pain.  Americans spent a staggering $86 billion (eighty-six billion dollars!) on spinal treatments in 2005.  The interesting thing is that this increase in spending seems to have had no positive impact, and researchers concluded that spinal problems actually *increased* during the decade that witnessed a 65% hike in back remedy spending.  Having worked with plenty of friends and clients and discussed the topic with peers, it seems clear that this Madoff of a wasted investment could have been solved by one simple word: deadlift.

The deadlift strengthens the posteriour chain, stabilizes the spine, and when you learn the proper technique, it prevents hernias, ruptured discs and other debilitating injuries.  The key in that last sentence is 'when you learn the proper technique.'  And that time is now.

Deadlifting is as simple as pulling a loaded barbell from a dead stop on the ground, but there are a few keys you MUST know before trying this essential movement:

1.    The bar needs to be at mid-shin height.  This is accomplished quite naturally when using the standard 45lb/20kg plate, but plenty of newbies will find a bar loaded with one of these on each side a bit too challenging for their first attempts.  Other than using bumper plates or other specially designed plates of the same size, the best way to get the bar to the right height is by propping it up evenly on both sides.  You can simply stack a few plates on either side or use something else like plyboard, mats, etc.
2.    Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and ever so slightly pointing outward, so that the bar lines up with the midfoot.  We’ll go into much greater detail in the future about why this midfoot position is critical, but for now, just stand so that half of the laces on your flat-soled shoes (weightlifting shoes, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, etc. . . . something with no cushioning) are visible on either side of the bar when you look down.  This will put the bar somewhere between 2” to 4” away from your shins whilst standing upright.
3.    Bend over to grasp the bar by pushing your butt back first, then bending the knees.  You must keep your back neutral or ‘straight’, which is to say that the back should keep the same natural curve you have whilst standing.  The tilt forward will all come from the bend in the hips.
4.    Grasp the bar with both hands just outside your knees.  For heavier sets, use an alternating grip of one hand facing toward you and the other away.  You can also use this alternate grip in conjunction with the hook grip, which is performed by looping the thumb around the bar and under the middle finger.  When lifting, the pressure of the weight pushes the thumb into the middle finger, creating a tighter grip than if you simply grasped around the bar.  You MUST keep your arms straight, because deadlifting by jerking the bar or flexing your biceps during the movement can and will result in torn biceps at heavier weights.
5.    Squeeze your chest up and align your body so that your shoulder blades are over the bar.  From the side, this will look like the shoulders are in front of the bar, but this is because the shoulder blades appear further back than the front of the shoulder when in the correct position.  Your shins should now be in contact with the bar.
6.    With your weight on your heels, flex your hips to bring the weight up, keeping your back flat.  As the weight travels up, use your lats to press the straight arms back toward your legs so that the bar is in contact with your legs the entire way up.  Your knees will naturally start to straighten at the appropriate time when you initiate from the hips.
7.    End by standing up straight with the knees and hips locked.  Do not shrug the bar, roll your shoulders back or hyperextend the lower back.  Once you stand up ‘at attention’, you’re done.

Now that you’re armed with these tips on correct deadlifting form, you can apply them and begin to notice amazing gains in strength and lean mass.