THIS is Destroying Your Deadlift

You’ve got deadlift problems. Perhaps your deadlift swings away from you when you break the bar off the ground. Maybe you spend too much time between reps with the bar sitting on the floor. It may be that you find yourself moving your butt up and down in the neverending quest to find that just right position for your hips before you start the pull. The possibilities are endless.

Hey. Relax. It’s not you. It’s the floor.

No, I don’t mean you need a more robust lifting platform, or that there’s actually something wrong with your floor. I mean that the deadlift rests on the floor between reps - which makes it different from the squat, the press, or the bench press - and it’s this seemingly insignificant detail that might be causing you to ruin your deadlift.

Because the bar sits on the floor between reps, it permits you to perform all sorts of ridiculous antics while it’s down there. You rock forward, you lean on the bar, you rock back, you take three thousand breaths before setting your back for the next rep - the list of potential shenanigans goes on. In short, you perform all sorts of unnecessary tomfoolery, and this is extremely detrimental to your deadlift.

You’ve never even dreamed of doing this sort of nonsense in the squat. Because you are supporting the bar all of the time in the squat, you are highly motivated to be efficient between reps. Of course you stay balanced over your midfoot between reps - holding several hundred pounds on your back while balanced on the balls of your feet seems rather silly, so you never do it. You also spend relatively little time between reps - enough time to take a breath or two and get tight again - because you want to get the set over with and get that heavy bar off your back sometime today.

When you do silly things between reps of your deadlift - and this sort of thing happens all the time - you cause several problems. First - and this is the big one - all this unnecessary movement greatly reduces your chances of getting in the correct position for the next pull. Second, you exhaust yourself. The bottom of the deadlift is the only resting position for a deadlift work set, but it’s a lousy resting position, and you already know this. You’re crouched over, so your back and legs get tired down there, and it’s not much fun breathing in that position for very long. Third, you make your work set take much longer than it should. Get the set done, already.

How can you fix this problem? Keep it simple and be religious about your 5-step setup.

The 5-step setup applies for the first rep, of course, but it is especially important for all subsequent reps. Here’s a quick recap (watch the included video for a better and more complete understanding), but it’s steps 3-5 that we’re going to focus on in the next section:

5-Step Deadlift Setup

1. Stance: Shins 1” inch from the bar. Narrow stance with toes slightly turned out.

2. Grip: Bend at the hips to grab the bar while keeping your shins as vertical as possible - do NOT touch the bar with your legs yet. (also, never push down on the bar, i.e., don’t rest with your own weight on the bar)

3. Shins: Bend your knees (i.e., drop your butt slightly) until your shins lightly touch the bar.

4. Chest: Squeeze your chest up to set your back.

5. Pull: Drag the bar up your legs.

We use the 5-step setup for every rep, but for every rep after the first one, steps 1 and 2 are already completed. They’re already completed because you’re going to set the bar down right over the middle of your foot (“stance”), and you’re not going to let go of the bar (“grip”). If you set the bar down a little out of position, that’s not a problem - simply roll the bar to the correct spot over the middle of your foot. Keep your shins OFF the bar while doing this, make sure that you are balancing on your midfoot (not the balls of your feet), and don’t push down on the bar (if anything, keep a little upward tension on the bar).

Is this fool setting up for his 1st rep . . . or has he just finished his 1st rep? you’ll never know, and that’s the way we like it.

Think of it this way: Set the bar down so that it looks like you’ve just completed steps 1 and 2 of your very first rep. If Lawrence takes a picture of you at this moment, he shouldn’t be able to tell if you’re about to do your first rep or if you’ve set the bar down after a rep.

If you do this, then the rest of the setup for that next rep is simple. It’s steps 3-5: shins lightly to the bar, squeeze the chest up, and pull.

Keep it simple, and keep it repeatable.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

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The 9th Circle of Deadlift Hell: The Drifting Barbell

(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 12/30/22)

You’ve memorized the 5 step setup for the deadlift, you rehearse it in your head every night as you lie in bed, and yet, somehow, you still struggle with step 5 - “Drag the bar up your shins.” No matter how hard you try, that stupid bar seems to always swing away from your legs as you pull it off the floor.

In the deadlift, the barbell needs to be in a close, committed relationship with your shins as you pull it off the floor, and a bar that swings away from you betrays that relationship and makes for a much harder deadlift, so if you’re struggling to escape this 9th circle of deadlift hell, try out one of the following fixes:

Use Chalk
This is so obvious as to be painful, but please, for the love of all that is good in the world, use chalk when you’re lifting, and use chalk especially when deadlifting. Get some chalk on your hands before you start warming up the deadlift, and then apply some more chalk before you pull your work set(s).

If you won’t use chalk, summon up your inner Kelly Clarkson and just walk away. You’ve decided not to lift weights today, so leave the gym and come back when you’ve changed your mind.

As you can tell, the phenomenon of not using chalk aggravates me somewhat. Most people use chalk, and the phenomenon is - not surprisingly - restricted only to those who would lift more and be stronger if they also used chalk. I have other words on this topic, but they are not fit for print.

Chalk affects your ability to transmit force to the bar efficiently, and that, in turn, affects your ability to control the bar and keep it close. Use chalk.

Use the Appropriate Grip
You can’t use double overhand forever, so start using a hook grip, an alternate grip, or straps before your grip starts to become an issue. If you persist in using a grip that isn’t working for you, I have other words for you, too.

Grip affects your ability to transmit force to the bar efficiently, and that in turn affects your ability to control the bar and keep it close. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Get a grip.

Midfoot Balance
The combined center of mass of the lifter-barbell system should be balanced over the middle of the foot. In other words, you and the barbell together should be balanced - not on the balls of your feet and not on your heels - but rather right over the middle of your feet.

People often get onto the balls of their feet in steps two or three of the setup process - the “bend at the waist and take a grip” step or the “bend your knees to bring your shins to the bar” step, respectively - and this will cause the bar to swing away from you as you break it off the floor. The easiest fix is to simply make sure that you stay midfoot as you execute these steps, but if you find that you’ve rocked forward a bit onto the balls of your feet, simply rock back a bit until you are balanced over the middle of your feet again. Ideally, you want to do this before step four (i.e., before you squeeze your chest up to set your back).

“Pin It to Your Shins”
Your lats are responsible for keeping the bar close, i.e., keeping it on your shins, but you don’t need to think about your massive lats while deadlifting. Instead, just cue yourself to keep the bar pinned to your shins as you squeeze the bar off the floor. Pin it to your shins.

Step 4: Squeeze Your Chest Up . . . Then Pause
During step four of the setup process, you squeeze your chest up and set your back in rigid extension. Many people will squeeze their chest up and immediately try to break the bar off the floor. This often results in hips that drop and a bar that swings away from the lifter (if it actually comes off the floor at all).

Instead, try this: Squeeze your chest up hard like you always do (without dropping your hips), putting a lot of tension on the bar, and then . . . pause one second.

Do NOT relax that tension that you’ve placed on the bar - keep pulling. It should feel like the bar is bending upward in the middle, and indeed, if it’s heavy enough, it will be. THEN put even more tension on the bar, pulling harder until the bar comes off the floor.

This pause has helped a number of lifters for two reasons. First, it tends to discourage dropping the hips right before pulling the bar off the floor. Second, it also allows step four to function as a quick diagnostic step of sorts - when you’ve got a decent amount of tension on the bar, you can assess whether or not you and the barbell are still balanced on your midfoot and you can also assess whether or not you’re trying to keep the bar pinned to your shins. If you’re not doing one of these tasks, you can make a small correction and then pull the bar off the floor.

If your deadlift keeps swinging away, see if one of the tips above helps. Dante will be cheering for you.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?

Are You Finishing Your Deadlift Wrong?

A common problem in the deadlift is a misunderstanding of what finishing the lift should look and feel like. This typically results in one of two situations - a lifter who doesn’t completely open the hips and therefore doesn’t actually complete the rep or a lifter who overdoes it and ends up finishing the lift with the back in overextension.

One of these results is insufficient, and the other is unnecessary. Both of them look ridiculous, so we’re going to try and fix this.

To see these errors demonstrated as well as how to correct them, watch the video below.

A finished deadlift (Figure 1) will have the knees fully extended, the hips fully extended, the chest up, and the shoulders back. In other words, the knees will be straight, the hips will be straight, and the shoulders will be behind the barbell. In even simpler terms, the lifter simply stands all the way up.

Figure 1: A correctly finished deadlift

If you find that you’re not finishing your deadlift, i.e., if your hips don’t open all the way and you look like you’re leaning over the bar like the fool in Figure 2, simply cue yourself to “Stand up” or “Stand up tall.”

Figure 2: An unfinished deadlift - don’t be like this fool.

If, on the other hand, you find that you’re overdoing the top of the deadlift, i.e., if you’re finishing the lift with your lumber spine in overextension (Figure 3), you can still use the cue “Stand up” (or “stand tall”) or you can also simply tell yourself, “Don’t lean back.”

Figure 3: An “overdone” deadlift - don’t be like this fool, either.

Fixing either of these problems is not complicated, but you’ve got to be aware that you have the problem in order to fix it, so we recommend that you either have a coach, or if that’s not possible, make sure that you record your lifts so that you can watch them.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

Are You Ruining the EASIEST Part of the Deadlift?

Lowering the deadlift back to the ground should be the easiest part of the lift, but for many lifters - usually newer lifters, but not always - this portion of the lift presents some difficulties. Let’s remedy this situation (and for a look at these solutions in action, check out the included short videos).

The Problem
When we teach the lowering portion of the deadlift, we cue people to reach back with the hips and slide the barbell down the thighs, bending at the hips in the process. A significant (and common) problem arises, however, when the lifter tries to keep his back vertical while setting the bar down. We have these wonderful things called knees, and when we try to keep the back vertical (i.e., when we try to remain upright) when lowering the deadlift, we end up having to lower the bar around the knees instead of in a nice, easy, vertical path straight back down to the ground.

Lowering the bar around the knees makes the lowering process much harder and indeed rather uncomfortable. Additionally, it causes the lifter to set the bar down in the wrong place (i.e., in front of the midfoot instead of directly over the midfoot), which means the lifter now has to correct the bar position before the next rep. This is an additional and unnecessary variable that now has to be handled, so let’s fix this with the two solutions below.

In what is a counterintuitive moment for many people, trying to keep the back more vertical actually makes things harder on the back . . . so let’s not do that.

Solution #1
One useful approach is to look at the middle of your foot when setting the bar down and tell yourself to sight the bar into place. In other words, you are aiming for the middle of your foot. The act of looking at the middle of the foot tends to cause most people to bend over, which is exactly what we want.

Solution #2
However, if that doesn’t work for you, give yourself the following cue: “Bow to the floor.” It’s that simple. The act of bowing to someone or something involves bending at the hips and keeping the knees relatively straight (we’re not looking for locked knees), and this is exactly what we want to do when setting the bar down. The knees do get to bend eventually, but they bend very little until after the bar passes them.

So, the next time you are lowering your deadlift, tell yourself to bow to the floor, and then set the bar down quickly. It makes life a lot easier, and you can use the energy you just saved on your next rep.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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The Deadlift: You're Doing This Wrong - Part 6

This is Part 6 in our series of articles on common deadlift errors and how to fix them. Today’s error is that of trying to jerk or yank the barbell off of the floor.

Jaden . . . is NOT doing this wrong. He’s about to pull very smoothly.

This is a common problem for new lifters, and indeed, you might even be able to get away with this error when the weight is light, but it will cause problems when the weight gets heavy (your back will flex or you’ll get pulled forward), and by then, you’ll have created a bad habit that’s harder to break.

This error is usually related to step 4 of the deadlift setup process. In step 4, the lifter squeezes the chest up to set the back in extension, and when you do this, be sure to start applying some tension to the bar; in other words, there needs to be some upward pull on the bar when you set your back. Below are a few cues that can help (and we covered some of these in a previous article as well):

“Bend the bar” or “Bend it before you break it”
When you squeeze your chest up to set your back, try to bend the bar upward in the middle. If the bar is heavy enough, it actually will bend, but try to bend it upward regardless of the weight on the bar. “Bend it before you break it” simply means that you try to bend the bar before you try to break it off the floor.

“Pull the slack out of the bar” or “Pull the click out of the bar”
Barbells and plates have some “slop” in them, and when you set your back hard and apply tension to the bar through your long, straight arms, you should be pulling upward enough that this slop disappears. If you do this correctly, you’ll hear a click from the bar and the plates.

“Heavy in the hands”
When you apply upward tension as you set your back, do so hard enough that the bar starts to feel heavy as you’re hanging onto it. This is because you are starting to support some of the weight as the floor starts to support less of the weight.

After using one of these cues to help you set your back with tension on the bar, simply remind yourself to break the bar smoothly off the ground (or “squeeze” the bar off the floor), and you’ll have created a smooth, strong deadlift.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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The Deadlift: You're Doing This Wrong - Part 5

This is Part 5 in our series of articles on common deadlift errors and how to fix them. Today’s error is that of having a compromised grip.

Don’t worry - Brianne is NOT doing this part wrong.

Grip should never be the limiting factor when deadlifting. After all, the deadlift is a tremendous developer of leg, hip, and back strength, so it seems rather silly and shortsighted to blunt the training effect of the deadlift simply because we’re doing stupid things with our grip. Of course, YOU’RE not being stupid with your grip, but some people are.

Two points here:

1. Your double overhand grip won’t cut it anymore.
When the weight gets heavy enough, a double overhand grip will no longer do the job (a double overhand grip is one wherein both hands are pronated, i.e., hands in front of the barbell with palms facing backward).

This isn’t a strength issue - the double overhand grip is simply not a terribly strong position for the hands to begin with, so don’t stress out about it. Instead, simply start using either a hook grip or a mixed grip (AKA “alternating grip” or “switch grip”).

There are no bonus points for taking your double-overhand-grip-deadlift as heavy as possible. We care about heavy deadlifts . . . nobody cares about not-so-heavy-and-artifically-limited-double-overhand-grip-deadlifts.

2. Chalk is mandatory. Tell your lifting buddy to stop being a fool about this.
Friction is important for grip, and everyone’s hands have a certain amount of natural moisture - oil, sweat, etc. - that inhibits friction. The absorption of this moisture - and the corresponding increase in grip strength that accompanies this absorption - is why rock climbers and gymnasts use chalk, and it’s why we use chalk when lifting.

Chalk is useful in all lifts (yes, even squatting, benching, and pressing), but it is absolutely critical in pulling movements such as the snatch, clean, and the deadlift. Use chalk. Put some on your hands when you start your lifting, reapply when you start warming up your deadlift, and certainly reapply when you get to your deadlift workset(s).

All my thoughts on people who don’t use chalk (or enough chalk) start to get rather grumpy past this point, so I’ll stop here.

In summary, use the appropriate grip and use chalk - these two points will help you develop a stronger deadlift and therefore a stronger you.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)

If you found this helpful, you’ll love our weekly email. It’s got useful videos, articles, and training tips just like the one in this article. Sign up below, and of course, if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe at any time.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Would you like to get quality coaching from a Starting Strength Coach?