How to Deadlift Conventional Style

Conventional Setup

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart
  • Shins should be lined up with the smooth sections of the bar
• Point your toes out very slightly
• Align the bar over your toes or midfoot
• Hinge/reach back with your hips and bend knees keeping your back completely flat
• Bend ankles to touch your shins to the bar
• Grip the bar right outside of your legs
  • The inside of your arms should be touching the outside of your legs
  • Using an alternated grip (dominate hand overhand and non-dominate hand underhand) will provide a stronger grip on the bar
• Your shoulders/armpit should be slightly over the bar

Pull

• Brace by filling your lungs with air, closing your glottis, pushing your abdomen out, and tightening your back
  • Pinch your shoulder blades down and in
  • Slightly arch your lower back
  • Pull the slack out of the bar
• Stand up by pushing your hips into the bar
  • Focus on squeezing your butt while keeping your chest up and your back flat
  • Keep the bar as close to your body as possible while pulling
    • The bar should drag across your shins

Downward Movement

• Make sure to lockout
  • Stand tall and upright with the weight
• Once you have locked out, try to maintain the same strong, braced position to put the bar back on the ground.