MASTER CLASS: THE BARBELL DEADLIFT

What’s in a name? If it happens to be “deadlift,” then a whole bunch of fear and loathing among the lifting gen pop.

- MICHAEL BERG, NSCA-CPT

The moniker is apt, though. Not that a deadlift will literally kill you, but if you’re doing it right, you’ll be dead tired afterward. Deadlifts engage every major muscle group in your body, especially those in your posterior chain, including the calves, hamstrings and glutes up through your spinal erectors, lats, traps and shoulders.

To help you make the most of every rep, we’ve assembled four elite training experts and gleaned their insider tips on form, function and everything in between. At the end of this master class, you’ll be able to bring your deadlifts back to life and resurrect your progress.

BEFORE LIFTING, CHECK YOUR ALIGNMENT; YOUR SPINE SHOULD BE STRAIGHT FROM HEAD TO TAILBONE.

NO. 1 | SETUP

Place a barbell on the floor in the center of an Olympic platform or in a designated area in the gym with rubber or reinforced flooring. Clear the space around you of extra equipment, then load your plates on each side and secure them with clips. Whenever possible, use rubber Olympic lifting plates, aka “bumper” plates, rather than smaller metal/rubber-coated plates. Bumper plates are easier on the equipment and the floor if you drop the bar, and they also raise the bar higher off the floor, decreasing the distance you need to lift the weight.

NO. 2 | ASSUME THE POSITION