Deadlift
Picking a heavy barbell off the floor trains more muscle at once than any other lift. The deadlift loads the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings as prime movers while the lats, traps, and grip fight to hold everything together. It is the standard for total-body pulling strength, and because the bar starts from a dead stop each rep, it teaches bracing like nothing else.
How to do the deadlift, step by step
- Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, shins about an inch away, feet hip-width apart.
- Hinge down and grip the bar just outside your legs with straight arms.
- Drop your hips until your shins touch the bar, chest up, back flat, lats tight.
- Take a big breath into your belly and brace like you are about to be punched.
- Push the floor away and stand up, keeping the bar dragging up your legs.
- Lock out tall with squeezed glutes — no lean-back — then push your hips back and lower the bar along the same path.
- Re-set your breath and position on the floor before every rep.
Form cues that fix most reps
Squeeze the slack out of the bar before it breaks the floor — you should hear the plates click first.
Think of the lift as pushing the floor away with your legs, not pulling with your back.
Protect your armpits: pinning the lats down keeps the bar close and the spine happy.
Common mistakes (and the fix)
Deadlift sets and reps
Match the rep range to your goal, not the other way around. These are the standard evidence-based ranges:
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 8–12 | 60–90 sec |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 15–20 | 30–60 sec |
How our free programs prescribe it
Day B3 × 5–8Upper / Lower
Lower B3 × 5–8PPL 6-day
Pull A3 × 5–8Powerbuilding 5-day
Pull · volume3 × 3–5
Deadlift FAQ
What muscles does the deadlift work?
The glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors drive the lift, while the lats, traps, forearms, and core work hard isometrically to control the bar. Few exercises touch this much muscle in a single movement, which is why deadlift progress shows up everywhere else.
How many sets and reps should I deadlift?
Deadlifts are expensive to recover from, so less is more: 2–4 working sets of 3–6 reps once or twice a week suits most lifters. Reset your position between reps rather than bouncing the plates.
Are deadlifts bad for your lower back?
Performed with a braced, neutral spine and sensible loading, deadlifts strengthen the lower back rather than harm it — the erectors adapt to load like any other muscle. Problems come from rounding under maximal weights and from adding load faster than technique allows. Learn the hinge light, progress gradually, and the lift becomes protective.
More lower back exercises
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