Hello there, fellow fitness enthusiasts!
Before I begin with this post, I’ll share a little backstory. When I first started actively lifting, I would be completely lost every time I stepped in the gym. I didn’t know any of the basics and found myself spending more time being confused from the setup of certain lifts, rather than the lift itself.
That being said, I decided to make this tutorial for any new athlete who may be intimidated by deadlifts!
Note: All of the photos in this post were taken by me.
The first thing we need to do is gather our equipment. We will be using the photo above as reference.
The first item that we need is a barbell, which is shown on the picture as ‘1’. Barbells can be found on any squat rack or they may be located in a barbell holder (these can be vertical or horizontal).
The second item we need is a barbell collar/clamp, which is shown on the picture as ‘2’. These make sure that the plates don’t move around every time they hit the ground.
The last items we need are weight plates (preferably bumper plates, which look like 45 pound plates, but can come in lighter weights), which are shown on the picture as ‘3’. Beginners can start with just the bar for the first few sets of deadlifts, or else use 10 pound bumper plates. It is important to master the movement before you move onto heavier weights in order to avoid injury.
After setting up for our deadlift, we can finally begin the movement.
1. Stand under the bar with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Make sure that the bar is aligned with the middle of your feet.
3. Grab the bar with a hook grip (in other words, both hands are overhand).
4. Bend your knees until your shins touch the bar. You want to make sure that your butt is NOT parallel to the ground, but is instead a little higher.
5. Move your hands in closer to your body so that your forearms are just touching the sides of your legs. You want to keep your body tight.
6. The most important cue in this movement, in my opinion, is to make sure that you feel the weight on your heels, not on the balls of your feet. You can achieve this by shifting your weight backward a little. You shouldn’t feel like you are going to fall over backwards, but you should instead feel that there is a comfortable amount of pressure on your heels. You are going to pull this weight with your hamstrings, so this cue will help to make sure you do that, and not with your lower back. Also, make sure to keep your back straight with a neutral neck! Don’t cock your head up, but instead look forward at the ground, as shown in the picture.
Note: If you can’t find get a good grip on the bar, make sure you use chalk on your hands beforehand. Liquid chalk is preferred, as it makes less of a mess than the normal kind.
7. Drive forward with your hips, while pushing down through your heels. You will definitely feel your hamstrings work during this part.
8. Bend your knees and lower the weight down until it is passed your knees. After this, you can let the weight fall to the ground (while still holding it), and return to the same position as Photo 2. Make sure not to just drop it from the top of the movement!
Congratulations! You’ve just performed your first deadlift. I recommend doing 5 sets of 5 repetitions. Practice makes perfect, so stay consistent and you will find yourself becoming stronger with every set.
Contrived Fitness 