{"id":703,"date":"2025-10-19T10:12:54","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T10:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/?page_id=703"},"modified":"2025-11-08T11:23:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T11:23:36","slug":"complete-deadlift-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/exercise-guides\/complete-deadlift-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to perform the Deadlift (Step-by-Step Form &amp; Muscles Worked)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Man gripping bar preparing to deadlift \" class=\"wp-image-170 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Man gripping bar preparing to deadlift \" class=\"wp-image-170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4720792-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Deadlift? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Deadlift is a highly popular exercise and is a great exercise to test your overall body strength. It is one of the most fundamental exercises in strength training and the reason for this is because it works multiple muscle groups and is highly transferrable and beneficial in your every day activities. It involves lifting a barbell of the floor until you are standing upright and the barbell will around roughly hip level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Deadlift is a compound exercise which means it works multiple muscle which makes an excellent choice for building strength and muscle. Many people are afraid to perform the deadlift and worry about injuring themselves, but the exercise is completely safe as long as you warm up correctly, perform the exercise with good technique and work up gradually. However, this exercise is not recommended if you have history of back pain, hip pain, weak hip stabilisers. Always consult a qualified professional before beginning any exercise. This exercise can be intimidating at first but it will soon become muscle memory and you will soon benefit from improved strength, posture and grip strength. In this guide we will go through the key muscle worked in the deadlift and how to perform it step by step so you can perform your first deadlift. This guide may also be useful for experienced lifters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What muscles are trained in the Deadlift? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As the deadlift is a compound movement and works almost the whole body it works lots of different muscles. Although the muscles target differ depending on the type of deadlift variation such as sumo and Romanian deadlifts,  in this guide we will be specifically looking at the conventional deadlift. Here is a breakdown of all the muscles that are targeted in the deadlift: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Primary Muscles <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lower Back <\/strong>&#8211; One of the primary muscles in deadlifts is your lower back. The lower back acts as a support to the body by connecting your upper and lower body and play a role in keeping your torso upright during the lift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Glutes <\/strong>&#8211; Glutes play an important role, especially as you start to bring your hips forward and they are maximally activated toward the lockout part of the deadlift. They assist in maintain posture and improve overall power throughout the lift. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hamstrings <\/strong>&#8211; these muscles assist in stabilising the knees and hips during the early parts of the lift, particulary from the early to mid phase and also play a key role in controlling the descent of the bar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Quadriceps <\/strong>&#8211; The quads play a role mainly at the start of the lift as you are initially lifting the barbell of the ground. They do this by extending the knees as you lift of the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Secondary Muscles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Core <\/strong>&#8211; The cores stabilises and protects the spine by creating intra-abdominal pressure during the lift. It also helps generate power as a strong brace can transfer force from the legs and hips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Forearms <\/strong>&#8211; These muscles support you by helping you hold and grip the bar. This becomes especially important as the weight start to become more heavier and having a strong grip becomes necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lats (Latissimus Dorsi)<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; This is also another stabilising muscle. The main role of this muscle in the deadlift is to help you maintain tightness and works as a magnet to almost keep the bar in contact your with you and as close to you as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trapezius (Traps) <\/strong>&#8211; The traps are split into 3: Upper, Mid and Lower. The upper traps work by maintain your shoulder position and not getting pulled down by the bar. The middle traps help with posture when you pull you shoulders togehter by keeping them tight and helps with tightness in upper back. The lower traps work from below but also support your shoulder and help keep your upper back stable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rear delts and Rhomboids <\/strong>&#8211; These muscles assist in bringing your shoulder blades together and also support in maintain a tightness in upper back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Adductors (Inner Thigh)<\/strong> &#8211; These muscles work as stabisers and support in hip extension. Having weak adductors can lead to knees caving inwards. Adductors can also help with generating power through hips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-by-Step: How to perform the Deadlift <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Follow these simple steps to perform the Deadlift safely and effectively: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Positioning yourself with the bar  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The first step before executing the deadlift is being in the correct position in relation to the bar with the correct stance. Do the following to ensure you are in the correct starting position: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stance and bar setup<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Start with your feet positioned at around hip width apart, you can go slighlty wider or narrower but best to start with this<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The barbell should be roughly around your mid foot and approximately 1 inch away from your shins.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Point toes slighlty outward. For some sort of idea of what this would like it would be around 10-30 degrees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gripping bar and getting tight <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Set your hips back with your knees with a slight bend in the knee but do not bend too much so it looks like you are squatting into the deadlift<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Grip the bar by grabbing it outside of your knees with an overhand grip if its your first time. Their are also other grips you can use such as mixed grip and hook grip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">You then want to want to bring your shins so that it touches the bar. Keep a neutral spine and ensure back is straight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Pull the slack out of the bar. This just means you pull up into the bar slowly while your arms are straight and you will hear a click, this is where the barbell makes contact with the inner part of the plate as their is a slight gap. This allows you to gradually build tension and you will have a much more smooth and controlled deadlift.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Brace your core &#8211; To do this imagine being punched, your body automatically braces when you are preparing to be punched. You want to do the same with the deadlift. This will help you stay tight and also protect your spine. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Executing the Deadlift <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">You want to really drive your feet into the ground and push your feet against the floor. It maybe helpful to do this without shoes on as you will feel you can generate more power with your feet being more in contact with the floor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As you are executing the deadlift ensure the barbell stays in contact with your body the whole time. Remember that the close the barbell is to you the easier it is to lift so you want in contact with you the whole time. A good way to imagine it is if were a holding an object such as a chair or a table for example. If you tried holding it with your arms stretched out as far away from you you will struggle to hold it but if it was close to your body it will be significantly easier. Same applies with the deadlift. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Once the bar goes past your knees you want to thrust your hips forwards, similar to how you would perform hip thrusts. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">At lockout you want to stand upright with shoulders back and your hips and knees fully extended.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: The Descent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Hinge at your hips by pushing your hips back while maintaining a neutral spine <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Continue Keeping the bar in contact with you <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Once the bar is below your knees bend your knees so you are back to starting position<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">For a great visual guide I recommend checking out this video by <strong>Jeremy Ethier<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XxWcirHIwVo?feature=oembed\" title=\"How to PROPERLY Deadlift for Growth (5 Easy Steps)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\"  frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the Deadlift? The Deadlift is a highly popular exercise and is a great exercise to test your overall [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":429,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-703","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=703"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1290,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/703\/revisions\/1290"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/calcx.uk\/strengthlearn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}