Deadlift Fix: Big Toe Down!

This . . . is no good.

If you find yourself rocking back on your heels or standing mostly on the outside edges of your feet while deadlifting, let’s fix this.

We want to stay balanced over the middle of the foot when lifting - both front-to-back (i.e., heel-to-toe) and side-to-side (i.e., from the inside edge of your foot to the outside of your foot). If you notice that you tend to get back on your heels or that you pull while standing on the outside “knife-edge” of your feet, take the simplest approach first - simply cue yourself, “Midfoot.” You are merely reminding yourself to stand with your balance over the middle of your foot.

This . . . is much better.

However, if that doesn’t work, try this cue: “Big toe down.” With this cue, you remind yourself to keep your big toe on the ground; it gives you a very small anatomical point to focus on - which tends to simplify things when we’re dealing with heavy loads - and it can help solve both of the issues we’re discussing in this article.

For a video on this topic, see below. We hope this helps you get stronger and live better!