The primary motion in a deadlift shouldessentially be back and forth.
The hip hinge is the essence of the exercise, one where many people mess up.
Your Starting Position Sucks
A good deadlift actually begins before you even pick up the weight.
The video above, byATHLEAN-X, goes over how to set up for a proper deadlift.
All of this, of course, needs to happen rather fluidly and quickly.
Itll come with practice.
There are a number of reasons you round your back when you pick up heavy things.
You probably just arent used to maintaining this initially awkward position.
Dont worry, youll get better with more practice and as your body gets stronger.
It probably feels a bit awkward, too.
From start to finish, your arms should remain straight and fully extended.
Your arms should never assist by pulling or yanking the barbell up.
Keep your elbows locked and close to your body.
This video byOmar Isufexplains in great detail why its crucial to keep those arms straight.
He explains that extended arms help keep your lats in the action.
(Starting to see the pattern here?)
If your shins are right up against the bar, try moving it back a couple inches.
If youre too far, then move a bit closer.
To fully lock out a deadlift, your hips and knees need to be locked into position.
To reinforce this idea, check out the video above byDiesel Strength & Conditioning.
The other day I wasnt confident that I could pull 250 pounds, but I tried anyway.
I failed spectacularly to even budge the weight on my first attempt.
Luckily, a friend of mine who had been watching told me I needed to commit.
Just get down and pull as fucking hard as you could, he told me.
When I did just that, the weight came (well, staggered) up.
Theres no testing the weight.
You either pick it up or you dont.
Any hint of hesitation can ruin your setup and mess you up mentally.
Illustration by Sam Woolley.
Images byOmar Isufandadrian valenzuela.
