Do you want to learn how to deadlift proficiently and in turn, prevent injury while performing this movement? Whether you’re deadlifting to get stronger, become a powerful athlete, get bigger or to help you lose body fat, these 4 cues will help you maximise the benefits from deadlifting.

“Big Toe, Pinky Toe & Heel”

This cue applies to more than just the deadlift but it is an important one. Create a triangle with points of contact with your feet between your big toe, pinky toe and heel. This creates a stable base and a nice arch to pull off.

“Pull yourself down with the slack”

To me this is the most important cue of them all. Next time you go to the gym, add a plate to the bar and lightly pull the bar without the plates coming off the ground. You’ll see, hear and feel the bar move slightly. If you go to deadlift and haven’t taken this slack out, the bar will move before any of the weight, moving you out of position usually result in hips shooting up too early and/or a rounded back posture. Both of which is less than ideal and could potentially lead to injury. ‘Pulling’ yourself down into position using the slack of the bar not only resolves this issue but also creates tightness in your setup allowing you to pull the weight in your most advantageous position.

“Push the floor away or down”

I like this cue for a couple of reasons. 1) It can feel daunting having to pull a heavy weight up until you are standing tall. Pushing the floor away gives the perception the bar doesn’t have to move as the floor moves instead. 2) Actively pushing the floor away engages a greater use of the legs rather than pulling up with your back.

“Jail Squeeze”

One of the first cues I got taught for my lower body movements and works every time. As the bar passes your knees, you want to thrust your hips forward and “jail squeeze.” Meaning you want to squeeze your bum as hard as you can to prevent any mishaps if you were in the shower in jail. This creates a strong finish and a strong hip extension to finish the pull as you are actively engaging the strongest muscles for hip extension, the glutes.

Give these a go on yourself or your gym partner next time you’re deadlifting and let us know how they feel!