The barbell deadlift works a variety of muscles at the same time. Technically, however, the exercise is more demanding than you might think at first glance. In our tutorial you will learn how to perform the deadlift perfectly.
Romanian Deadlift, also known by its English name ‘deadlift’, simply put, simulates lifting an object off the floor with a barbell. Deadlifting with the barbell therefore also trains many of the holding and supporting muscles that we use in everyday life and, if done correctly, can prevent many injuries. Technically, however, the deadlift is a very demanding exercise. You can learn how to do it correctly in the video above.
Deadlift (barbell deadlift) – stressed muscles
The deadlift – or deadlift with the barbell – is an effective full-body exercise. This is when a large number of muscles are addressed at the same time. The advantages are obvious: on the one hand you can save a lot of time during training; on the other hand, the exercise trains the interaction of several muscle groups at once – which is also beneficial for functional fitness in everyday life (lifting, carrying, sitting). In particular, the torso muscles (postural muscles), as well as the legs and buttocks are trained when deadlifting with barbells. Advanced athletes who are already using more weight also use the deadlift to challenge their neck and forearm muscles.
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Deadlift with barbell – correct execution in 3 steps
The starting position: Stand shoulder-width apart in front of a barbell with your shins almost touching the bar. Now open your hips (stick your buttocks out backwards), bend forward with your back straight until you can grab the bar with both hands outside your knees and breathe in deeply. If necessary, correct the posture: straighten your back, push your chest out, push your shoulders back.
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Personal trainer Erik Jäger shows the correct starting position for the deadlift (deadlift with barbell)Photo: Jessica Patterson
Getting up: Maintain core tension and, with a straight back, push the weight up out of your legs. The bar travels close to the shins and stops above the knees. In order to achieve a neutral stance (important!) you now bring your hips forward towards the bar. The bottom should be tense, the shoulder blades pull back. This ensures that the torso is stable and the spine is in a neutral position.
Standing up correctly during the deadlift: afterwards the spine should be in a neutral positionPhoto: Jessica Patterson
lower weight: Exhale slowly, take another breath and prepare to lower the weight. Push your bottom out and bend forward with your back straight. Guide the weight bar along your thighs toward the floor. When you reach your shins, reverse the movement again. Always push your knees slightly outwards and always keep your back straight.
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4 typical mistakes to avoid when deadlifting
- Don’t pull the weight up from your back. Even if the exercise is called deadlifts, the power comes from the legs. The torso only works to stabilize the spine to ensure it is in a straight position. It is best to imagine that you are planting your feet on the ground with all your might. This automatically activates the correct leg muscles.
- Deadlift is not squat! Many people almost squat on the deadlift and bend their knees way too much. The movement should be controlled from the hips and the knees should only be bent minimally.
- Anyone who cannot bend forward with a straight back and only slightly bent knees should regularly stretch their rear leg muscles. If this is shortened, the body quickly falls into evasive positions during the deadlift. Often the back is then rounded a little, which greatly increases the risk of injury.
- Don’t bend your arms! They should always be stretched and the shoulder blades pulled back.
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More useful tips from personal trainer Erik Jäger
- Beginners should not use any additional weight for the deadlift and only practice the movements with the bar. When you can do 12 clean reps, start with ten pounds per side and gradually increase.
- To get into the correct starting position more easily, it helps to place the ends of the bar on an elevation (e.g. stepper or stacked weight plates). This makes it easier for you to keep your back straight!
- More than twelve repetitions are not recommended at the beginning, because then the concentration often decreases and technical errors creep in.
- In addition to the classic deadlift (our example), there are many other deadlift variants: placing the weight on the floor, in a stretched position (Romanian deadlift) or with the trap bar – a mostly hexagonal tool (hence also called hex bar) with two or three grips. Each of these variants is similar to the classic deadlift, but the slightest change in execution always shifts the training focus slightly. You shouldn’t get bored with deadlifting that quickly.
Personal details: Erik Jäger is a functional fitness trainer and has been a successful personal and athletic trainer for many years. On his Instagram channel, the «Capital Coach» motivates people to exercise every day. His clients include numerous celebrities.