Deadlift

4 × 5-8  ·  Equipment: Barbell & plates

Muscle groups: Back · Legs & glutes

How to do deadlift

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart under the bar, toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Hinge your hips and bend your knees, gripping the bar at shoulder width with a flat back.
3. Set your posterior chain: chest up, core braced and bar close to your shins.
4. Push the floor away with your legs while raising your chest, keeping the bar close.
5. Stand tall by extending your hips without hyperextending your back.
6. Lower the bar under control by hinging, letting it slide down your thighs.

Mistakes to avoid

• Never round your lower back: if you lose the neutral curve, drop the bar.
• Do not pull the weight with your back; the drive must come from your legs and glutes.
• Avoid locking out with a hyperextended lower back or throwing your torso backward.
• To avoid injury, load only what you control and stop the set the moment technique breaks.

Progression

• Perfect your technique with moderate loads first; prioritize control over heavy weight.
• Add 2-5 kg per session only if you keep a neutral back through every rep.
• Alternate strength weeks (more load, fewer reps) with control weeks (paused sets).
• Once you complete 8 clean reps, increase the load and drop back to 5.