Assuming you are healthy enough to do so, everyone should learn to deadlift. What is the deadlift, you ask? While the name sounds ominous, the term deadlift refers to lifting a “dead” or still weight from the ground to a standing position without the use of momentum. In athletics, this beginning deadlift position also called the Universal Athletic Position, is the most common ready position for almost any sport. It is the starting point that allows for the most efficient expression of movement and explosiveness. It consists of a flat back and slightly flexed hips, knees, and ankles. In addition, the deadlift is also one of the only exercises performed without the benefit of first having an eccentric, lowering phase. Examples of exercises that begin with an eccentric phase are the bench press and the squat, where the weight is first lowered then lifted. These exercises are easier in some regard because a small amount of energy is stored in the tendons and muscles, and they are primed for the concentric lifting phase that follows. A deadlift, however, only relies upon pure strength.

So, what does this have to do with the average person? Well, if you’ve ever lifted a box, stood up out of a chair, or lifted anything at all for that matter, you’ve deadlifted in some fashion. Since that is the case, you might as well do it properly. You’ll not only avoid injury but able to perform daily tasks at a much higher level, thus improving your quality of life.

There are many deadlift techniques a person can perform, but most will depend upon the shape of the object you are trying to lift. Two basic positions that are relevant to activities of daily living concern the position of your hands. These are a “sumo” style, where your hands are placed inside of your feet, and a “conventional” style, with a narrower stance and your hands placed outside of your feet. With either technique, your prime movers, or main muscles involved, are the muscles of your lower back, your hips, and your thighs.

A couple of things to note when deadlifting or picking up anything for that matter are that the core musculature of the midsection should be braced or tightened to protect the spine and aid in the transfer of momentum throughout the movement. In addition, it is absolutely essential that you begin each lift with the proper posture to avoid injury and master technique.

Start by standing near the object or weight you want to lift. The farther away you are, the less leverage you have, and essentially the heavier the object becomes. For a sumo-style deadlift, your feet should be slightly wider than your hips and pointed slightly outward. Your feet should be hip-width for a conventional style deadlift, with your toes pointing forward and your hands placed outside of your feet. Keeping your feet flat, look straight ahead, then bend your knees and hips. This will allow you to keep your back in the proper alignment. As you drop your hips, keep the muscles that run along your spine tight. This will aid in stabilizing your back and keeping you injury-free when performing this exercise. You will want a flat, relatively straight back. Your positioning will resemble the stance of a linebacker in American football, as well as many other sports, getting ready to make a play. Grab the object with both hands; drive off the floor, standing up into a fully erect position. Continue to focus on your posture and braced core musculature throughout the set if you are performing multiple repetitions.

There are some common mistakes and things to watch out for when deadlifting or lifting anything in general. If you find that you are leaning forward excessively, you may be at risk for a lower back injury and need to adjust your line of sight by looking straight ahead. Conversely, looking straight down may cause you to drop your head. This, in turn, will cause you to drop your shoulders and so on until you are leaning forward, thus causing improper technique, excessive use of the low back muscles, and possibly low back strain. Remember, you want to incorporate the large muscle of the thighs, and this requires you to bend your knees as much as the movement allows.

Another common mistake is raised heels and/or inward heel movement. If your heels are rising as you drop your hips to the floor or if they are creeping inward with each repetition so that your feet end up turned out excessively, you may not be evenly distributing your body weight on your feet. You are likely placing too much weight on the front of your feet. A possible cause of uneven weight distribution may be an excessively vertical upper back. Remember, you want a flat back for the deadlift, not one that is perpendicular to the floor as you squat. Another potential contributor to heel movement is over-tightness in the hip flexors, hip external rotators, hamstrings, and/or outer thigh muscles. Over tightness of these muscles can create a misalignment in the skeleton, causing improper mechanics and a disruption of proper technique. You may simply need to improve the flexibility of these groups.

Dave Bellomo is currently accepting new online fitness clients. For more information, message Dave at dave.bellomo@gmail.com or Bellomo Fitness on Facebook.