Wiki
Write an article
Wiki/Exercises/Conventional Deadlift

Conventional Deadlift

full bodybarbell
Labelled anatomical illustration of the major muscles of the human body, front view
Labelled anatomical illustration of the major muscles of the human body, front view. Illustration by Mikael Häggström, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Primary muscle

full body

Equipment

barbell

Secondary muscles

back, legs, glutes

How to perform

Stand with the bar over your mid foot, feet roughly hip width. Hinge down and grip the bar just outside your legs. Drop your hips until your shins touch the bar, lift your chest, and pull the slack out of the bar. Take a big breath, brace, and drive your feet through the floor. Keep the bar in contact with your legs the whole way up, and finish standing tall with your glutes squeezed. Do not lean back at the top. Lock out by standing straight. Common mistakes: hips shooting up first leaving the back to do the work, the bar drifting away from the shins, and rounding the lower back under load.

Technique video

How To Deadlift: Starting Strength 5 Step Deadlift by Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength), on YouTube. Embedded with no tracking cookies until you press play.