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Deadlift

Gym (men) / Popular

Hinge and brace for strong pulls while managing grip, setup, and lockout mechanics.

What coaches agree on

  • Choose your stance and deadlift variation — conventional, sumo, or trap bar — based on your own limb lengths and leverages, since the ideal setup depends on individual anatomy.
  • Save your heaviest deadlift session for once, or at most twice, a week, and use a separate lighter session if you want more practice without adding fatigue.
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  • Set the bar directly over your mid-foot and drag it up tight against your shins by actively engaging your lats, so the bar travels in one straight vertical line.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the lower back round under a heavy pull is the single most common and most dangerous deadlift mistake. It's usually less about a weak back and more a sign the hips aren't strong or mobile enough to hold the position, so the back caves in to compensate.
  • Setting up with the hips too low turns the deadlift into a squat, so the hips shoot up first and dump extra load onto the lower back.