How to Do Deadlifts in 5 Steps (Perfect Your Form)

How to Deadlift Like a BOSS – Introduction

To learn how to do deadlifts properly, you must perfect your deadlift setup.

What is the best way to set up your deadlift?

The traditional deadlift is seemingly one of the most straightforward exercises to do in the gym.

However, it is also one of the most dangerous if your form is incorrect and you strain your lower back.

Mess with the deadlift, and you can hurt yourself.

Believe me, I know from personal experience, and I’m still paying for my mistakes.

I hope this guide will help you avoid them!

Getting the setup right is critical for your success and safety—especially for protecting your lower back and posterior chain muscles.

Therefore, learning how to achieve proper form will keep you safe and allow you to continue increasing the amount of weight you can lift, which will, in turn, help you get leaner, fitter, stronger, and live better.

That is the whole point of deadlifting in the first place—strengthening your entire body and core strength for everyday life.

This article focuses on the 5-step deadlift setup to help you maximize your comfort and safety while learning to deadlift.

Note: additional links are included in this article for just about every technical detail you need for a safer and stronger lift.

Focus on Form

Make sure your form is as perfect as possible—your lower back depends on it.

Bad form can be a major issue, especially for your lower back.

If you’ve ever had back pain, you know how incapacitating it can be.

Preventing a lower back injury is critical for anyone doing deadlifts, especially when handling heavier weights.

How much weight you lift is not the primary goal.

Your first goal is proper deadlift technique and setup position.

Proper form deadlifts will strengthen your back, posterior chain muscles, and the rest of your body.

The deadlift is one of the most powerful compound exercises you can do to get fit and healthy in both body and mind.

It works your entire body—from your upper back to your core muscles—making it a full-body exercise when done with correct form.

Combine deadlifts, a powerful pull exercise, with pushups, a simple push exercise, and you’ve got the foundation for minimalist training that gets results.

Learn to lift safely and consistently with proper form, and you’ll enjoy the benefits of deadlifts for strength training and everyday life.

how to do deadlifts properly — **Rich “Hashi Mashi” learning to deadlift at 56 – Vanderbilt Y, New York City**

Use This Deadlift Setup Based on Starting Strength

With that in mind, I tried a new way of setting up the deadlift some years ago.

I had been setting up by using the Romanian deadlift as a cue.

Before I reached down to the bar, I imagined that I was doing a Romanian deadlift variation.

The purpose of that was to keep my glutes and hamstrings activated.

Active glutes and hamstrings engage your posterior chain muscles rather than the small muscles of the lower back only.

Well, that seemed to be going okay till I felt a bit of a twinge in my lower back.

Immediately, I looked for a new deadlift setup because back pain meant that I still did not know how to do a proper deadlift.

Fortunately, I came across a tutorial by Alan Thrall, a powerlifter and strongman from California.

Starting Strength, the classic barbell training book by Mark Rippetoe, is the source of Alan Thrall’s 5-step setup video for the conventional deadlift.

I tried out this 5-step deadlift setup, and all I can say is—so far, so good!

Even more than that, I can say that my deadlift workouts have felt great, both in the lifting and lowering phases—especially in terms of back stability and correct form.

And I can report to you that three months later, I added over 100 pounds to my barbell deadlifts.

I started with 10-pound bumper plates on the Olympic bar, which is 65 pounds total—perfect for lighter weight practice while maintaining the standard barbell height.

Start with a lighter weight, focus on setup position and form, and you’ll increase safely and effectively.

So far, so good; always respect the deadlift.

See The 10 Best Strength Training Books Available Today for more fantastic choices.

Warming Up

First, as with any strength training workout, make sure that you warm up.

Because if you do not have time to warm up, then you do not have time to train.

Do not lift weights without a minimum of 5-minute warm-up to boost circulation and improve your range of motion.

Do jumping jacks, inchworms, and floor bridges to warm up.

Or, at the minimum, do 3 – 5 minutes of cardio on:

Good, now you can focus on the setup.

See How to Warm Up for Deadlifts Properly in Four Easy Steps for a more comprehensive treatment of the most important part of your workout!

#1. Feet Starting Position

If you are a beginner, start with low weights.

The best way to do this is to use an Olympic barbell with 5 or 10-pound Olympic bumper plates.

Using Olympic bumper plates will keep the barbell at the standard height of 8.25″ off the ground, even if you are not yet ready for 45-pound plates.

This height will help you to keep your back in a neutral position and avoid strain on your lower back and posterior chain muscles.

Note: If you are a taller lifter, some additional deadlift form tips can help you get into the most advantageous position.

After digesting this article, see How to Deadlift for Tall Guys: The Best Tips to Power Your Lifts for more details.

Put a 5, 10, or 15-pound Olympic bumper plate on either side of your barbell.

If you are not a deadlift beginner, still start with moderate weights.

For intermediate to advanced lifters, moderate weights start with 45-pound plates on each side.

Setup for your stance

Walk up to the barbell.
Do not move the barbell with your shins.
Place your feet under the barbell, so the barbell is midfoot.
Your shins should be approximately one inch away from the barbell.
According to Starting Strength, when the barbell is an inch away, this will be midfoot for every person on the planet.
Do not worry about your body type; make sure the bar is midfoot.
If you are wearing long sweats, you can also check your foot position from the side, which is one reason to wear shorts and deadlifting socks instead of long workout sweats.
I am a big fan of deadlift socks.
They help protect your shins from painful scrapes and bruises.
Keep your feet a bit narrower than shoulder-width unless you are a taller lifter.
In that case, a wider stance up might be more comfortable, as explained in Deadlift Form Tips for Tall Guys
Let your toes rotate outwards about 30 degrees or one o’clock.
(If 0 degrees is 12 o’clock and 90 degrees is 3 ‘o’clock, then 30 degrees is 1 o’clock).

At this point, your feet are in the right position:

The bar is midfoot.
An inch away from your shins.
Your feet are about shoulder-width apart or narrower.
Your feet rotate outwards 30 degrees or 1 o’clock.

#2. Grip

With your hands at your side, bend forward and grip the bar.
Bend over and reach down towards the bar with straight legs.
If you need to bend your knees a bit, do so.
Use a double overhand or mixed grip as you grip the bar just outside your legs.
I recommend continuing to use a double overhand grip until you cannot.
While a mixed grip will generally help you to lift more weight, it does come with the risk of injury to the biceps of your underhand gripping arm.
For maximum safety, always imagine your hands as hooks and your arms as long solid chains.
Never bend your arms to lift the weight, as that pressure could result in a tear of your biceps.
Your grip should be about shoulder width.
Do not move the barbell either forward or backward.

At this point, your feet, legs, and hands are in the right position:

Your hands are around the bar with an overhand grip.
Your arms are right outside of your legs.

Rich “Hashi Mashi” Deadlifting at 64

#3. Shins

The third step of the setup will put your hips in the right position.

Bend forward a bit at the knees till your shin touches the barbell.

Do not move the barbell.

At this point, your feet, legs, hands, and hips are all in the right position:

The bar is midfoot.
Now, your shins are touching the barbell; that is it.
And your hips are in the correct position.

#4. Set Your Back

Here is where you flatten your back.
You want to get your back into a neutral spine position immediately after you touch your shins to the barbell.
Engage your core while lifting your chest and taking a deep breath.
A nice cue is to imagine showing off whatever logo you have on your t-shirt.
You should feel that as you lift your chest, your back will flatten out.
Another tip is to imagine that you are bending the barbell around your shins.
This cue will help you engage your lats.

At this point, you are in a solid position to start your lift.

My back felt strong and stable using this technique.

I think yours will too.

Remember, the key is to lift your chest after your shins come in contact with the bar.

Now your back setup is complete.

#5. Drag

Drag and pull the barbell up against your body.

You want the barbell to stay in contact with your body during the entire lift.

Wear long pants or get a pair of deadlift socks.

I wear socks together with long pants.

I tried them out yesterday, and they were great; I wore shorts and could easily see the bar over midfoot.

Or another option is to use deadlift shin guards.

Keep your body tight, in the position you had it in when you lifted your chest.

As you pull the bar up, do not just think about lifting the weight with your arms or back.

Instead, think about driving your feet through the floor to the other side of the planet!

Fuel the power of your lift by pushing your feet against the floor.

You can think of the deadlift as a vertical leg press, except you are holding a weight in your hands.

Now you understand why rowing is such an excellent deadlift accessory exercise and vice versa; deadlifts are a fantastic way to power your rowing.

Your skeletal muscles are voluntary, which means you need to think about what you want to do to activate the appropriate muscle(s).

You drag the bar up against your body while pushing your feet against the floor.

As the bar passes over your knees, make sure to squeeze your glutes together and use your hip drive to stand up straight using proper hip hinge mechanics.

You should NOT feel the lift in your back.

If you feel the lift in your glutes and hamstrings—on the back of your body—you are using proper deadlift form.

Deadlift Setup Mnemonic – FGSBD

For Goodness Sake, Begin Deadlifting!

F – feet,
G – grip,
S – shins,
B – back, and
D – drag.

That is an easy mnemonic to remember the 5 step setup.

If you have a better one, please let me know.

In the meantime, remember the mnemonic the next time you deadlift at the gym or home.

This 5-step setup also aligns with the proper deadlift technique taught by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

How to Do a Barbell Deadlift | Proper Form & Technique – NASM

Common Deadlift Mistakes

Here are some of the most common deadlift mistakes I’ve made or seen over the years—so you can avoid them.

You’re welcome!

#1. Wearing the wrong shoes

Squishy sneakers are the enemy of good form.

You want flat-soled deadlift shoes for maximum stability and power when driving against the floor.

I go over the best options in this deadlift shoe guide.

If you don’t have deadlift shoes and the gym is okay with it, lift in your socks.

#2. No shin protection

If you’re doing the deadlift right, the bar scrapes your shins.

I like Moxy deadlift socks under jeans when lifting at home.

You can also check out the best shin guards if you need more protection.

#3. Doing touch-and-go deadlifts

This one hit me hard.

I used to bounce the bar and go rep after rep—until I ended up with brutal lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) that took me out for four months.

Reset on every rep.

No bouncing.

Trust me.

#4. Lifting with your arms

Deadlifts are not curls.

If you try to lift with your arms instead of your hips and legs, you’re putting your biceps (especially the underhand one in a mixed grip) at risk.

Think of your arms as hooks latched onto the barbell.

Push through the floor, then drive through your hips.

#5. Not engaging your lats

If you don’t lock in your lats, your back rounds, the bar swings forward, and your lumbar spine might take a beating.

A good cue is to imagine holding a ball or orange under your armpits—tighten those triceps and protect your pits.

Or my favorite: imagine bending the barbell around your shins to help engage your lats.

That one makes a big difference for me.

Final tip: If you’re just getting started, the trap bar deadlift might be a better option.

It puts less pressure on your lumbar spine and helps you keep a straight back.

See 11 Trap Bar Benefits for more.

How To Do a Deadlift Properly – Wrapping Up

Watch Aaron Thrall Demonstrate the 5-Step Deadlift Setup

How do you set up your deadlift?

Do you have a better way of learning how to do a proper deadlift?

What’s Next?

If you’re not quite ready to lift with a barbell, no worries.

You can still train the same muscle groups using a dumbbell deadlift.

It’s a great option if you’re working out at home or want to focus on light weights before building up to heavier lifts.

And one final word of caution—don’t rush into pulling heavy weight without warming up or gradually building your strength.

That’s one of the fastest ways to get sidelined.

Start light, master your form, and earn your way up.

You’ll thank yourself later.

For a deeper dive into the muscles worked and why the deadlift is so effective, check out my full guide: 7 Greatest Deadlift Muscles Worked That Can Change Your Life.

How to Do Deadlifts in 5 Simple Steps (Perfect Your Form)

How to Deadlift Like a BOSS – Introduction

Focus on Form

Use This Deadlift Setup Based on Starting Strength

Warming Up