Deadlift: The 7 Most Common Mistakes

The deadlift is one of the most complete exercises, that allows you to work on several muscles simultaneously. 

Although the deadlift can strengthen the lumbar area, legs, and torso, it also has many other benefits, including:

• • Improving body posture;
• • Developing strength;
• • With a single movement, you can work several muscle groups: the legs, thighs, core, arms, back and shoulders;
• • Preventing injuries, due to muscle strengthening;
• • Helping to relieve - in some cases, even eliminate - lower back pain;
• • It requires little equipment and can be easily adapted to various circumstances;
• • Increasing body stability.

However, there are very common mistakes that give him a negative connotation and can even cause some injuries.

Here’s what you need to know to avoid them!

The 7 most common deadlift mistakes

1. Not warming up appropriately 

A very common mistake, even before performing the deadlift, is warming up incorrectly. It is not enough to do a few minutes of walking or running on the treadmill to be ready to deadlift.

You should also do movements that help mobility and activate the muscles that will be working during the performance of the deadlift.

This mistake is one of the most common and one of the main reasons for deadlift injuries.

2. Bad feet position 

Maybe you never thought about this detail, but the position of the feet is something extremely important to a well-done deadlift.

So, how should you do it? 

A lot of people position themselves too far back, which leads to an overload of the lower back when you try to lift the bar of the ground, causing pain in the lower back. 

Therefore, the feet should be positioned so that half of the foot - the front part - is under the bar.

As for the width: You should place your feet at hip-width.

3. Bending the back

Often there is the so-called “rounding of the lumbar”, that is, during the performance of the deadlift, there are many who wrongly bend the spine, as if forming a curvature that should be avoided at all costs.

We have some good news for you, don't worry!

It's easy to not make this mistake! And, of course, to avoid the pain and injuries that it can bring.

When placing your hands on the barbell, you should keep your chest elevated and straight. It may seem like a counter-natural movement and even difficult to implement, especially for someone who's a beginner, but this is the right way to position yourself.

In addition, you need to focus on lifting the bar using the strength of your legs, not your back. Pretend that your feet are pushing the floor down as a mental cue to help you use your legs more.

4. Moving the bar

You already know how to position yourself in relation to the barbell - read that phrase again: how you position yourself, which means that it's you who moves to the right place and not the barbell.

You should only pick up the barbell when you're going to deadlift. All other movements of the bar are unnecessary and can even be harmful.

5. Gripping the bar incorrectly 

So, when you're ready to grab the bar, how do you do it?

Place your feet in the correct position, and grab the bar just outside hip-width apart. About 2-3 centimeters more than the width of your hips.

This is the correct grip width to get the exercise done right.

6. Wrong hip position

This mistake can happen in one of two ways: Either by placing your hips too high or by placing them too low.

So how should you place your hips to perform the deadlift correctly?

At the beginning of the exercise, your knees should be slightly bent, and your legs should never be completely straight. 

Then, place yourself in the correct position, push with your legs. 

On the other hand, you should also not put your hips too low, after all, you're not doing squats.

7. Contracting the shoulders

This behavior is done almost unconsciously, but be aware that it's inefficient and can be quite dangerous.

The maximum force to perform the deadlift movement should be on the leg muscles and not on the shoulders.

Now the excuses are over!

You already know the main mistakes to avoid when deadlifting.

However, if you still have any doubts, this video can be useful. Plus, if you feel any difficulty or pain, you can always ask the personal trainers at your gym for help.