Conventional Deadlift

The conventional deadlift starts with a hip-width stance, feet roughly under the hips, bar over mid-foot. The pull is a leg press combined with a hip hinge — the initial movement drives the floor away, then the hips lock out at the top. Thinking of it as a "pull" leads most people to round over and jerk the bar; thinking of it as a push-until-the-bar-passes-the-knees-then-hinge produces better mechanics.

The setup is where the lift is won or lost. Before the bar leaves the floor: hips set so the shins are near-vertical, lats packed to protect the lower back, bar touching the shins, big breath and brace. A rushed setup is the most common cause of a missed pull or a tweaked back.

Sumo deadlifting is a legal alternative with a wider stance and more vertical torso. It is not cheating — it trains different leverages and may suit wider-hipped lifters or those with limited hip flexion. Both conventional and sumo are valid choices; most programs do not require a specific stance.

Accessories that carry over to deadlift: Romanian deadlifts for hamstring length under load, paused deadlifts just below the knee for the sticking point, rack pulls for overload, belt squats for quad strength without spinal loading.

• Bar over mid-foot — not touching the shins, not rolled forward
• Hinge to grip: hips drop until shins touch the bar
• Pack the lats — "protect your armpits"
• Push the floor away until the bar clears the knees
• Drive hips through at the top — do not hyperextend the lower back
• Lower under control — it is still a training stimulus on the way down

• Bar drifting forward off the body — leads to a longer moment arm and a harder pull; keep bar dragging up the shins
• Hips shooting up without the bar moving — hips and bar should rise together in the first phase
• Lower back rounding vs. upper back rounding — upper back rounding is common and often fine under moderate load; lower back rounding is the one to address
• Jerking the bar — take the slack out of the bar (feel it get heavy before it breaks the floor) then apply force
• Standing too tall at lockout — hip lock is enough; leaning back overloads the spine

• romanian deadlift→
• hip hinge→
• squat→