Deadlifts. Love them or hate them, they’re one of the most universally helpful movements found inside of a training program.

A deadlift is a hip-dominant movement (whereas a squat is a knee dominant movement) and its function is to help us get better at picking things up off of the floor.

Yep. That’s the most universally helpful application of a deadlift.

They’ve soared in popularity due to their promise of a juicer booty- which is great- hey, if that’s what it takes to get women to lift, whatever- I’m all for it.

Due to its increase in popularity, like with any good things, this means they’ve also been BUTCHERED. It’s kind of like a game of telephone… as the train goes on, the intended message gets more and more skewed.

There are dozens of deadlift variations and hundreds of other hip-dominant movements as well.

Some deadlift variations include but are not limited to:

RDL (barbell, KB, DB, banded)
Sumo deadlift (barbell, KB, DB, banded*)
B-Stance*
Single Leg deadlift*
Single Leg RDL*

If you’re new to refining your biomechanics or lifting in general, starting with a KB may afford you the most ease and the quickest mastery prior to you moving on to heavier weights with a barbell.

The most common myth associated with deadlifts is that they are bad/dangerous for your back. The opposite is true, actually. The weaker your back is, the more susceptible it is to injury. This includes working on both mobility and stability of the spine.

While moving with a neutral spine 100% of the time is unnecessary and also unhelpful, there are some techniques and best-practices to follow when performing specific movements so as to get the intended benefit.

Conventional deadlifts, unlike a Jefferson Curl, are meant to be performed with limited spinal movement, which comes as a result of motor control, coordination, and understanding the correct techniques as well as what to avoid.

In this less-than-5 minute video clip, I walk you through some of the common mistakes I’ve seen over the past 14 years of my career as a fitness and movement professional.

Watch the conventional deadlift tutorial here: