Deadlift
Primary muscles: Lower back. Assisting muscles: Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lats, Middle back, Quadriceps, Traps.
How to do it
- Stand in front of the loaded bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees, hinge down and grab the bar with an overhand grip at shoulder width, keeping your back straight — the starting position.
- Breathe out and lift the bar by driving through your legs, bringing your torso upright at the same time, chest up and shoulder blades pulled back.
- Inhale and lower the bar under control, bending your knees and hinging your torso forward at the waist with a flat back, until the bar touches the floor.
- Repeat the movement.
Key to the execution: Keep your back flat and the bar as close to your body as possible throughout the movement.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back on the way up, putting pressure on the spine.
- Lifting the bar away from your body, straining your lower back.
- Straightening your torso first and then your legs, instead of both at the same time.
Alternatives: exercises for the same muscles
Log your sets and see your progress
In the PlanSports app you pick the exercise, log weight and reps, and each exercise page shows your best weight and progression. The AI coach puts the exercises into a 4-week program.
Back exercises › Training programs by sport ›The exercise pages are compiled by PlanSports; if you have an injury or pain, talk to your coach or doctor first.