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Barbell · Posterior Chain

How to Deadlift Without Wrecking Your Back

The deadlift is simple in concept — pick the bar up — and unforgiving in execution. Here is the setup that keeps your spine safe and your pull efficient.

· 2 min read

Deadlift demonstration

More lifters get hurt rounding their back on a deadlift than on any other lift, almost always from rushing the setup. A deadlift is won or lost before the bar leaves the floor.

How to do it

  1. 1Bar over mid-foot — stand with the bar roughly over your shoelaces, close enough that it stays against your shins.
  2. 2Hinge and grip — push your hips back to grip the bar just outside your knees, keeping your shins close to vertical.
  3. 3Set your back flat — drop your hips until your shoulders sit just above the bar and your back is flat, not rounded.
  4. 4Take the slack out — pull the bar tight against the plates before you move, so the first inch isn't a jerk.
  5. 5Drive the floor away — push through your legs and extend your hips and knees together; keep the bar brushing your legs on the way up.

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Sets and reps

3–5 sets of 3–5 reps is standard for strength, with full recovery (2–3+ minutes) between sets — the deadlift is taxing enough that quality drops fast if you rush the rest.

Common mistakes

  • Rounded lower back. A rounded spine under load is the single biggest risk in this lift. If you can't keep it flat at a given weight, the weight is too heavy for today.
  • Bar drifting away from the body. A bar that drifts forward turns into a much heavier lift and stresses your lower back. Keep it dragging up your shins and thighs.
  • Hips shooting up first. If your hips rise before the bar leaves the floor, your legs are doing too little and your back too much. Drive the floor away with your legs, not just your back.

Safety note

Deadlifts reward a conservative approach to loading — add weight only once every rep of the current weight looks identical.

Set the position, take the slack out, then stand up. The deadlift is a strength test of the setup as much as the pull.

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