Compound full-body lift
Conventional Deadlift
The conventional deadlift lifts a barbell from the floor to a standing lockout by extending the hips and knees. It builds whole-body pulling strength, especially in the posterior chain.
- Primary muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings, Spinal erectors
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Secondary muscles worked
Quadriceps, Lats, Trapezius, Forearms, Core.
Setup
- Stand with mid-foot under the bar, feet about hip-width apart.
- Hinge and grip the bar just outside your knees.
- Drop the hips until the shins meet the bar; set a neutral spine and lift the chest.
- Pull your lats tight and take the slack out of the bar before pulling.
How to do the Conventional Deadlift
- 1
Set tension
Squeeze the bar and pull slack out so the bar is loaded against the plates.
- 2
Push the floor
Drive through your feet and push the floor away rather than yanking the bar.
- 3
Keep it close
Drag the bar up the legs; hips and shoulders rise at the same rate.
- 4
Lock out
Finish by squeezing the glutes with a tall, neutral torso — do not lean back.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the lower back under load.
- Letting the bar drift away from the shins.
- Hips shooting up before the bar moves.
- Hyperextending or leaning back at lockout.
Notes by experience level
Beginner
Learn the hip hinge with Romanian deadlifts and start light.
Intermediate
Progress load gradually and reset each rep from a dead stop.
Advanced
Add deficit or paused pulls to strengthen the bottom position.
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