Barbell Deadlift Log

Position the feet shoulder-width apart (or not much more) with toes under the bar. The feet point straight ahead, or they can angle out slightly. Heels should stay flat on the surface. When you lift, the bar will travel close to the shins and may even graze them. Maintain a neutral spine position. Stabilize the abdominal muscles by bracing them. Squat down, bending at the knees. The form for descending to the bar is similar (but not identical) to the squat, with your back straight or arched slightly and not rounded at the shoulders or spine. Grasp the bar just outside the line of the knees with an overhand or mixed grip. Lift the bar by pushing upward with the legs from the knees. Breathe out on exertion. Be careful not to raise the hips first so the trunk moves forward and the back becomes rounded. Don’t try to haul the bar up with your arms. The arms stay extended under tension while gripping the bar as the legs push up. Think of the legs and shoulders moving upward in unison with the hips, the balancing point. The bar should almost graze the shins and rest around thigh level as you reach full height. Pull the shoulders back as much as possible without bending backward. Lower the bar to the floor with a reverse motion ensuring a straight back. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.