How to Barbell Deadlift With Proper Form

THERE ARE FEW more direct expressions of strength than the deadlift. The movement is as simple as anything else you'll find yourself doing in a gym: You pick a heavy load up off the ground, then you put it back down (or drop it with a resounding crash, if you're working on just one rep and you're in that type of training space). Gauging success doesn't take a long checklist of requirements to be met, especially if you're simply performing the movement for your workout rather than in a competition.

You either lift the weight up to the point of lockout, or you don't. This staple exercise isn't just useful for powerlifters looking to pile on as many plates as possible to their barbells to break new PRs and world strength records. Regardless of your chosen implement (barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or trap bar), the deadlift is also one of the most reliable compound movements for building big-time muscle.

It's a tremendous exercise for developing the posterior chain. The biggest muscles of your body are involved in the deadlift, with your lower body—glutes, hamstrings, quads—providing much of the work. But your upper body muscles like the erector spinae, traps, and even your forearms (since you need a vise-like grip to hold the heavy loaded bar) are essential to completing reps, too.

As simple as the deadlift is conceptually and as uncomplicated it looks to the untrained eye, putting the movement into practice is more technical than just stepping up to a platform, grabbing the bar, and letting it rip. There are some important form cues to follow—especially once you begin working with heavier weights. Like many other physical feats, there are a surprising number of subtleties that separate an effective and successful rep from an ineffective and potentially dangerous one.

There's more to the deadlift than just brute strength. To make the most out of your hard work, you'll need to nail the technique, too. FOLLOW THESE FORM cues to learn how to do the barbell deadlift properly.

Let Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. and senior fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM-CPT guide you through the exercise's subtleties, saving you from the bad habits that are keeping you from unlocking your fitness potential. Once you've read the step-by-step directions, follow along for some higher-level tips from Samuel to dive deeper into the exercise. BEFORE YOU APPROACH the barbell (or dumbbells or hex bar) and prepare to pull, there are a few things you should know to deadlift properly (and therefore, safely).