6 Common Deadlift Mistakes

The deadlift is probably my favorite exercise. There is something incredibly badass about walking up to a heavy bar and picking it up. You are totally on your own – no spotter, no power rack or bench, no fancy equipment – just you and the weight. I’ve been known to grind out a challenging deadlift for up to 10 seconds. Heavy deadlifts are a true testament to your grit, mental toughness, and all-around physical strength. I love coaching others up to their first big deadlifts because it’s one of the most empowering things you can do in the gym.

My personal best deadlift, 150 kg in April 2014

These days more and more people are catching on to the fact that deadlifts are awesome. Unfortunately, as deadlifts become more popular, the prevalence of bad technique has increased. Deadlifts are one of the most commonly butchered exercises I see at the gym. Because of the nature of the movement, poorly executed deadlifts repeated over and over at heavy loads set you up for acute injuries or chronic pain down the road. It’s important to understand proper form and fix any bad habits before they cause damage.

In this article, I share some of the most common deadlift mistakes I see with new clients and people around the gym. I’ve included plenty of videos and photos to show you what what a proper deadlift looks like and help you spot form errors.

If you are a new lifter, I always recommend spending some time working in-person with a qualified coach to help ensure you are moving properly. Be smart and never train through pain. See a physician if you have any medical concerns.

Mistake #1: Choosing the wrong deadlift type for your body

Sometimes bad deadlift form results from choosing a setup that doesn’t work for your body or skill level. The conventional deadlift is not the best choice for the average gym goer. In order to safely get into a conventional stance you need a great degree of hip mobility. If you sit at a desk all day, there’s a good chance your mobility is lacking. Additionally, some body types are simply not well-built for this position.

If conventional pulling feels all wrong, there are two alternatives I recommend. If your gym has a trap bar (also known as a hex bar), try that first. The higher handles positioned outside the body make the trap bar a very user-friendly implement. You can also try switching to a sumo stance with a regular barbell. A sumo stance is more upright and therefore requires less hip mobility.

Finally, some people simply shouldn’t be deadlifting from the floor at all. If you are very tall, have very poor mobility, or are dealing with lower back issues, you should choose a top-down or elevated deadlift version. Options include Romanian deadlifts, rack pulls, or block pulls.

I wrote a whole post on choosing the right deadlift for your body type if you want more options and information.

Mistake #2: Not setting the upper body correctly

I can predict if someone is going to round their lower back during the deadlift by how they position their upper back, shoulders, and arms during their setup. If you can get your upper body locked in, you greatly reduce the chance of your form breaking down as you start to pick up the bar.

First, you want to pull your shoulders back and down. Do not allow the shoulders to be rotated in toward your chest or elevated toward your ears. Think about keeping the chest tall and pulling your shoulder blades into your back pockets. If you had writing on your shirt, someone standing across the room should be able to read it throughout the entire lift.

Incorrect: rounded upper back and internally rotated shoulders

Next, you want to get the muscles of your middle back firing. Think about squeezing an orange in your armpits. You should feel some activation running from you armpits down to the bottom of your rib cage. Keep the bar pulled close to your body (more on this below).

Finally, your arms should be completely locked out throughout the lift. Yanking the bar up with bent arms is a great way to aggravate the tendons of the shoulders and biceps. Instead, think about engaging the triceps as you would in the bottom of a tricep pressdown. This ensures your elbows are completely extended.

Incorrect: unlocked arms

During the deadlift, the muscles of your upper body help by firing in this tight, immovable position. They should not be actively flexing or changing position. Once you have successfully followed these steps, your upper body should remain locked in this position throughout the lift.

Mistake #3: Letting the bar get away from you

The bar should should be held tight against your body throughout the entire deadlift. Keeping the bar close allows you to properly tap into the power of your legs and ensures that your spine doesn’t handle too much of the load. If you let the bar drift out in front of you, you greatly reduce your chances of completing the lift and increase the risk of injury.

Incorrect: bar too far away from the body

When you set up, pull the bar in tight against your legs. This should happen somewhat automatically when you establish upper back tightness and proper shoulder position in your setup. Think of your body as a tight wedge and focus on squeezing your armpits against your sides. Maintain contact with your legs as you complete the lift and don’t allow the bar to drift out in front of you.

If you are someone whose hips shoot up at the top of your deadlift, bar position and upper back tightness are likely the culprits. If you can keep the bar pulled tight against your body as you initiate the lift, you will have more success moving your body as one unit. This was a huge game changer for my own deadlift.

If you are struggling to keep the bar close, try using the following drill. Attach one end of a band to the barbell and the other end to a power rack or some other immovable object in from of you. A strong partner can also assist you by holding the other end of the band. Now, try to complete the lift without letting the band pull the bar away from you. This teaches you to actively pull the bar into your body.

I’ve also found supersetting light sets of straight arms pulldowns in between sets of deadlifts helps clients activate the lats and learn what a tight position feels like. Focus on squeezing the armpits and holding the flexed position for one second.

I recommend wearing long socks, leggings, or pants on deadlift day. Dragging the bar up unprotected legs can lead to bruising or cuts on your shins. You never want to compromise form because you are worried about something cosmetic.

Mistake #4: Turning the deadlift into a squat

This tip is especially relevant for conventional and trap deadlifting since sumo deadlifts are inherently a bit more squat-like. When you set up for a conventional or trap bar deadlift, be careful not to dip your hips too low. Your deadlift should not look like a squat. In a squat, the torso is more vertical and the knees are out over the toes. In a hip hinge (deadlift), the torso should be more bent and the shins should be mostly vertical. This position is more advantageous for picking up a object from the floor as it allows you to properly tap into your posterior chain (back, hamstrings, and glutes). You will never be able to deadlift much weight if your deadlift is closer to a squat than a hinge.

Incorrect: deadlift looks like a squat. Notice the very low hip position and more vertical torso angle

You may be making this mistake if you are constantly banging the bar into your knees. Spend some time drilling your hip hinge mechanics to learn how to properly reach back and load your posterior chain. If you can’t get into a good hinge with a conventional stance, switch to a sumo stance.

This video shows another drill you can use to improve the bar path during your deadlift by pushing back more from the hips.

Mistake #5: Hips too high at the start of the pull

Think of this mistake as the inverse of the previous tip. Some conventional and trap bar pullers set up with their hips so high that their torsos are parallel to the ground. This position reduces the power of the legs and places excess demand on the spine to complete the lift.

To fix this, set tension in the upper body and then sit the hips back slightly until you feel the point of peak tension in the hips and hamstrings. The strongest hip position is generally somewhere between this torso-parallel setup and the squat setup addressed in the previous tip.

Incorrect: hips too high. You need to sit back slightly from this position to maximize recruitment of the legs. 

This mistake can also occur with sumo deadlifting. In the sumo position, always try to stay as vertical as possible. Think about dropping your hips directly over the bar rather than hinging them back behind you.

Mistake #6: Not using the glutes at lockout

The lockout, or finishing position of the deadlift, is crucially important for maximizing the effectiveness of the lift. The main force driving you into lockout at the top of the deadlift should be your glutes. I frequently see people leaning into the top of the deadlift, over exaggerating the lockout by pushing the hips forward and hyperextending their lower back. This is a dangerous position for the spine when under heavy loads.

Watch this video for a visual representation of what improper and proper lockouts look like:

I always recommend doing a warmup with a few glute activation drills before you deadlift. Sometimes I have clients perform additional sets of bodyweight or band glute bridges in between sets of deadlifts. If you want a big deadlift (or just a nice butt), it’s also a good idea to spend some time specifically building strength in the glutes. My favorite exercises for this are barbell hip thrusts, barbell glute bridges, 1-leg hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, 1-leg deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and back extensions.

Another lockout mistake is shrugging your shoulders and using your upper body to help you pull the bar up at the top. Earlier I discussed the importance of setting tension in the upper body and not allowing it to move at all throughout the lift. If you are a shrugger, record your lifts or have a partner watch you to keep you honest. Think about keeping the shoulders pulled into your back pockets and not allowing them to drift up toward your ears.

Incorrect: shrugging at lockout

Smarter, Safer, Stronger

Deadlifts are a fantastic exercise that almost everyone should perform. However, it’s crucial to use good form in order to stay safe and make better gains.

The six most common deadlift mistakes are:

1. Choosing the wrong deadlift variation for your body type. Sumo deadlifts, trap bar deadlifts, or elevated deadlifts may be a better choice than conventional deadlifts for many people.
2. Not setting the upper body correctly. Prevent rounding of the lower back by starting with proper position of and tension in the upper back.
3. Letting the bar get away from you. Keep the bar right against your legs throughout the entire lift.
4. Turning the deadlift into a squat. Make sure you can hip hinge properly before attempting conventional deadlifts.
5. Positioning the hips too high. Always sit back slightly to maximize recruitment of the legs.
6. Not using the glutes at lockout. Squeeze your butt hard as you stand up but don’t push the hips so far forward that you arch your lower back. Never shrug at the top of the deadlift.

Want to get better at squatting and deadlifting? Download your free copy of my mini ebook, Squat and Deadlift School below.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems like the ones above, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.