The Deadlift: A Trick for Setting Your Stance

In the deadlift, we approach the bar and set our stance with our shins one inch from the bar. We do this because this process places the bar right over the middle of the foot for the vast majority of people (and no, you’re not in the minority here - sorry, you’re just not). Simple as this approach may be, people still get it wrong, and this often has to do with shin position when we look down at the bar.

We want our shins to be vertical when we look down at the bar and take our stance. If you find that you have to lean over to actually see the bar’s position relative to your shins, as is often the case due to loose sweatshirts, stomachs getting in the way, carelessness, etc., you will naturally shift your hips backward to maintain balance. If this happens, the shins will shift backward as well, and they will no longer be vertical. This is a problem since a vertical shin is the reference point against which you measure bar position.

Correct shin position, i.e., vertical shins

Here, the lifter’s stomach prevents him from seeing the bar’s position relative to his shins.

Incorrect shin position (shifted backward) caused by leaning over

If you use this incorrect (i.e., “shifted backward”) shin position as a reference point, you’ll unwittingly set up too close to the bar. This can be seen in the pictures below. With the shins in an incorrect position, the lifter sets up one inch from the bar, but you’ll notice that when he stands up straight again (i.e., with vertical shins), his shins are too close to the bar, which tells us that he is too close to the bar. The fool.

Due to an incorrect shin position, the lifter is standing too close to the bar, which we can see . . .

. . . when he stands up straight again. Now, he is so close that his shins are almost touching the bar. This is no good.

The solution is simple - stand straight up, and look at your right or left foot by turning your head to the side and looking down (i.e., you are bending over to the side, not bending forward). See the photo below for an example. Your hips won’t need to shift backward to do this, which means your shins won’t shift backward, which means you’ll still have a nice, vertically oriented shin position to use as a reference. From there, you make sure that your shins are one inch from the bar, which means you’re well on your way to an excellent and satisfying set of heavy deadlifts. And life is grand.

Simply look to the side and then down.