Continuing on with blogs on form, this week I will discuss the heavy hitter known as the deadlift. Suzie, my physiotherapist wife, reports that this is the exercise that brings in the most low back complaints from weightlifting.

It is an excellent multi joint, multi muscle functional exercise so it is good to include it in a regular strength program.

Here are the steps for a proper deadlift:

1.       Stand with your mid foot under the bar – some people advocate doing deadlifts without shoes as shoes have a rise that throws your balance forward. The choice is yours.

2.       Place your shins about an inch away from the bar, hinge at the hip and grasp the bar with a shoulder width grip.

3.       Keeping your back flat, chest up and the hip hinge – this is the key piece, if you round out your back, you will be visiting Suzie – contract your glutes and quads, lift the bar and stand up.

4.       Staying in control, slowly lower back down to the start position.

This all sounds simple but as I mentioned, Suzie says it is the number one exercise that brings in low back patients who get injured weightlifting. It is imperative that your back stays flat, if not you put tremendous pressure on the spinal discs.

Lift light until you master your form and then increase your weight.