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.


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