Barbell Deadlift (side POV)
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Body part
- Hips
- Type
- Strength
The barbell deadlift is a foundational hip-hinge strength exercise that drives power from the hips, glutes, and hamstrings, with the lower back, lats, and grip working hard to keep the bar locked tight to your body. Loading the bar straight off the floor, it is one of the best full-body lifts for building posterior-chain strength and is a common benchmark for raw pulling power.
How to do the Barbell Deadlift (side POV)
- 1Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and the barbell over your mid-foot, so the bar sits roughly an inch from your shins.
- 2Hinge at the hips and bend your knees to reach down and grip the bar just outside your legs, hands about shoulder-width apart.
- 3Drop your hips, lift your chest, and take the slack out of the bar so your back is flat and your shoulders are slightly ahead of the bar.
- 4Brace your core, then drive your feet through the floor and push the ground away, keeping the bar close as it travels up your shins.
- 5As the bar passes your knees, thrust your hips forward and stand tall, squeezing your glutes at the top with a neutral spine.
- 6Lock out fully without leaning back or hyperextending your lower back.
- 7Lower the bar by pushing your hips back first, then bending your knees, keeping it close to your legs all the way down.
- 8Reset your brace and setup before each rep, or lower the bar fully to the floor to finish the set.
Form tips
- Brace your core hard before every pull, as if bracing for a punch, and keep your spine neutral from start to finish to protect your lower back.
- Keep the bar dragging close to your body the whole way up and down, since a bar that drifts forward sharply increases the load on your spine.
- Engage your lats by imagining you are bending the bar around your shins to keep your upper back tight and the bar path vertical.
- Use a mixed or hook grip and consider lifting straps once the weight outgrows your grip, so your grip is not the limiting factor.
- Warm up your hips and hamstrings and start with lighter sets to groove your hinge before loading heavy.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back under load, which concentrates stress on the spinal discs and is a leading cause of deadlift injury.
- Starting with the hips too high so the lift turns into a stiff-legged pull, overloading the lower back instead of the legs and glutes.
- Yanking the bar off the floor with slack still in the system, which jerks your spine and wastes the leg drive you set up.
- Letting the bar drift away from your shins, which lengthens the lever arm on your back and makes the lift far harder and riskier.
- Hyperextending or leaning back at lockout, which loads the lower spine without adding anything to the lift.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the barbell deadlift work?
It is a hip-dominant pull that mainly works the glutes and hamstrings to extend the hips, with the lower back, lats, traps, and forearms working to keep the spine braced and the bar held tight to your body.
How wide should my stance be on the deadlift?
For a conventional deadlift, stand about hip-width apart with your feet under your hips and the bar over your mid-foot, then grip just outside your legs. A wider, toes-out stance is the sumo variation, which shortens the range but changes the movement.
Is the deadlift good for beginners?
Yes, when you start light and master the hip hinge first. Keep a neutral, flat back, push through the floor with your legs, and add weight only once your form holds up under load.
How many sets and reps should I do?
For building strength, 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps is a sensible default. Because deadlifts are taxing, most lifters keep total volume lower than other lifts and prioritize clean, full-effort reps.
Should I lower the bar slowly or drop it?
Control the bar down by pushing your hips back first and keeping it close to your legs. You do not have to lower as slowly as you lift, but avoid letting the bar crash or pulling your back out of position on the descent.
