Conventional Deadlift
Quick Information
Category
Powerlifting
Difficulty
Intermediate
Equipment
Barbell, Weight Plate
Primary muscle group
Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Erector Spinae
Secondary muscle groups
Quadriceps, Lats, Trapezius, Forearms
Movement pattern
Bilateral Hip Hinge
Training goal
Maximal Strength
Sport
General Athletic Development, Powerlifting
Overview
Purpose. Pull a loaded barbell from the floor to a standing lockout — the most complete test of posterior-chain and whole-body strength.
How it fits the system. An intermediate-level bilateral hip hinge entry in the Powerlifting section, programmed to develop maximal strength. Related work in the library: Safety Bar Box Squat and Block Pull.
Primary muscles
Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Erector Spinae
Secondary muscles
Quadriceps, Lats, Trapezius, Forearms
Movement pattern
Bilateral Hip Hinge
Equipment
Barbell, Weight Plate
Difficulty
Intermediate
How to Perform
- Stand with the mid-foot under the bar and the shins about an inch away.
- Hinge down and take a grip just outside the knees.
- Pull the slack out of the bar, set the lats and lift the chest.
- Take a breath, brace, and push the floor away with the legs.
- Keep the bar dragging up the legs as the hips and shoulders rise together.
- Stand tall and lock the hips, then return the bar under control by hinging back.
Coaching Cues
- Pull the slack out before you pull the weight.
- Squeeze the bar into the legs to keep it close.
- Think push the floor away rather than pull the bar up.
- Finish with the glutes, not by leaning back.
Common Mistakes
- Letting the hips rise before the bar leaves the floor.
- Rounding the upper back and losing the lats.
- Jerking the bar off the floor with slack in the arms.
- Hyperextending the lower back at lockout.
Progressions & Regressions
Progressions
Hip hinge with a dowel, then Romanian deadlift, then block or rack pull, then deadlift from the floor.
Regressions
Elevated (block) deadlift, trap bar deadlift, or a kettlebell deadlift with a shorter range.
When to Use It
When to use
As the first heavy lift of a session, on a day with enough recovery either side of it.
When not to use
When the athlete cannot hold a neutral spine at the start position, or in the days immediately before a competition.
Programming
3 to 5 sets of 1 to 5 repetitions at 80 to 90 percent, with 3 to 5 minutes of rest between sets.
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