How to increase your deadlift safely

The deadlift lets you move more weight than any other lift, which is exactly why it rewards good habits and punishes sloppy ones. Here's how to keep it climbing without hurting your back.

The same setup every rep

1. Bar over the middle of your foot, feet about hip width.
2. Grip just outside your legs, arms straight.
3. Push your hips back until your shins touch the bar. Chest up, back flat.
4. Pull the slack out of the bar until it clicks against the plates, then push the floor away.
5. Keep the bar dragging up your legs and stand tall. Don't lean back at the top.

Reset at the bottom of every rep. Bouncing off the floor lets your back round a little more each time.

Program it with restraint

• Heavy deadlifts once a week is enough for most people. They're very tiring.
• Keep most sets at 2 to 5 reps. Form breaks down on long sets of heavy pulls.
• Add weight in steps of 2.5 to 5 kg, and hold the weight when a set gets slow.
• Train the hinge a second time with a lighter variation like the Romanian deadlift.

Variations and accessories

• Trap bar deadliftQuads, Glutes
• Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes
• Barbell hip thrustGlutes
• Barbell rowUpper back, Lats
• Back extensionLower back, Glutes
• Farmer's carryForearms, Traps

The trap bar deadlift is easier on the lower back and great for building pulling strength. Rows and carries build the upper back and grip that hold the bar in place.

Tip: Grip giving out first? Use a mixed grip or straps for your heaviest sets only, and train grip with carries. Don't let your hands cap your legs.

If your back is sore

Lower back soreness after deadlifts usually means the weight jumped too fast or your back rounded on the last reps. Drop the weight, tidy the setup and build back. If it's pain rather than soreness, read training around an injury and Liftsmith's injury mode will plan around it.