Deadlifting is an exercise that can seem daunting at first. There is lots of information out there including all the ways you can injure yourself.
But fear not! I am here with my top 3 deadlift cues to get you started.
Before we delve in, I would always suggest practicing the movement with kettlebells first before you start with a barbell which will be inevitably heavier. You can also have a go at using a range of bars such as a straight barbell or trap bar and a range of stances including conventional, sumo and semi sumo to find the bar and foot position that works best for you.

  1. ‘Take the slack out of the bar’
    This allows you to take tension out of the barbell before lifting it off the floor. There will be a tiny gap between the barbell and the weight plates and it is this gap you want to eliminate when removing the slack from the bar. It is a gentle tug upwards (you may hear a click) without lifting the weight off the floor at all. This helps to maintain tension and drive through your feet as you lift the bar.
  2. ‘Squeeze lemons under your armpits’
    I mean, it doesn’t have to be lemons, oranges or limes, would do…but give me the juice!!! This cue helps to maintain tightness in your lats. I always get clients to think about engaging their lats by sitting them back and down (putting them into your back pockets) and then squeezing lemons underneath your armpits. Keeping your lats engaged will help to keep tension throughout the movement.
  3. ‘Drive the floor away’
    It is easy to pull the bar too much with your arms causing more rounding in the back than we would like. To help eliminate this I use this cue. Once you have taken the slack out of the bar and engaged your lats, you want to think about driving the floor away. We are pushing hard through our feet, through the floor in order to get the bar up off the ground. This gets more important the heavier the barbell gets. Your lower body will inevitably be stronger so you need that power from your legs to drive the weight up. Imagine you are leg pressing the floor away.
    Hope that helps.
    Go give them a practice, always with lighter weight to begin with until you perfect your form.
    Happy Deadlifting!