Deadlift

Watch the video below to see a demonstration of proper form and technique for the deadlift exercise. You can also check out some more lower back exercise videos or find exercises for other muscle groups.

Instructions for Deadlift

To perform a set of deadlift:

1. Starting Position

   Stand with your feet hip width apart and push your hips back, while keeping your knees directly over your ankles, until your hands are just below your knees. Holding this trunk position, lower your whole trunk down by bending the knees until you can grab the bar with a pronated grip shoulder width apart. The bar should be above the middle of your foot. Your trunk should still be in a neutral position at this bottom position.

2. Concentric (Upward) Motion

   Drive into the ground with your feet to raise the bar to the height of your knees, without changing the angle of your trunk. Continue driving into the ground with your feet to now bring your hips forward until they are over your feet. Your trunk should move as a unit, with your shoulders coming back over your feet as your hips come forward.

3. Top position

   Pause at the top position for a 2 sec count while maintining whole body tension and the alignment of your trunk.

4. Eccentric (Lowering) Motion

   Without losing the alignment of your trunk, push your hips back while keeping your shoulders directly over the bar. Your knees should remain over your ankles at until the bar passes below them. Continue to lower your body as a whole until the bar touches the ground. Remember to breathe normally throughout the entire movement.

5. End position

   Repeat steps 1 through 4 until you have completed the desired number of deadlift repetitions before resting.

This completes one set of deadlift.