To increase your deadlift, set up the same way every rep, brace hard, take the slack out of the bar and push the floor away. Fix your grip with chalk, a hook or mixed grip, or straps for training sets, and pull heavy once or twice a week.
This is general training information, not medical advice. If you have pain or an injury, see a qualified professional.
How should you set up for the deadlift?
- Bar over the middle of your foot
- Grip just outside your legs for conventional, inside for sumo
- Shins to the bar, hips down until your arms are straight and your back is flat
- Shoulders slightly ahead of the bar
Stronger By Science's deadlift guide explains setup in detail.
How do you brace and take the slack out?
Big breath into your belly, abs tight. Then pull up on the bar just enough that it clicks against the plates and your body tightens, before the plates leave the floor. Jerking a loose bar is the most common way to lose position.
What does push the floor away mean?
Think of driving your feet through the floor and standing up, not pulling with your arms. Keep the bar close to your legs. Lock out by squeezing your glutes, not by leaning back.
How do you stop your feet sliding on deadlifts?
Sumo pullers in particular lose force if their feet slide. Flat shoes or deadlift slippers help. PRGRIP's guide to feet slipping on deadlifts has more fixes.
How do you fix your deadlift grip?
If the bar slips out of your hands, your back is not the limit. Options:
- Chalk. The best simple fix, if your gym allows it. See best way to chalk up for deadlifts and our list of which gyms allow chalk.
- Hook grip. Thumb under the fingers. Painful at first, very secure.
- Mixed grip. One palm forward, one back. Strong, but alternate which hand is which over time.
- Straps. Great for training volume. Not allowed in powerlifting meets.
- Grip work. Heavy holds, farmer's carries.
PRGRIP's post on grip giving out on the deadlift goes deeper on this.
Should you pull conventional or sumo?
Both are legal in powerlifting. Conventional uses a narrow stance and more back. Sumo uses a wide stance and more hips and legs, with a shorter range of motion. Body proportions matter. Try both for a few weeks with lighter weights and see which feels stronger.
How do you fix common deadlift problems?
- Back rounds off the floor: brace harder, take the slack out, lower the weight, add paused deadlifts.
- Slow off the floor: deficit deadlifts, more quad strength.
- Stuck at the knees or lockout: block pulls or rack pulls, Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts.
- Bar drifts away from your legs: engage your lats, as if bending the bar around your shins.
- Hips shoot up first: start with your hips slightly higher so they do not rise before the bar moves.
What are the best accessories for the deadlift?
- Romanian deadlifts for hamstrings and glutes
- Paused deadlifts for position off the floor
- Deficit deadlifts for speed off the floor
- Block pulls for lockout
- Barbell or dumbbell rows for upper back
- Back extensions for the spinal erectors
- Farmer's carries for grip
PRGRIP's RDL vs deadlift guide covers the Romanian deadlift in detail.
How often should you deadlift?
Deadlifts are tiring. Many lifters do best with one heavy pull a week and one lighter variation. Most of the programs in our programs comparison follow that pattern.
What equipment helps you deadlift more?
A platform, a stiff bar and a gym that allows chalk make heavy deadlifts easier. A gym that bans drops and chalk makes them harder. Read what to look for in a deadlift platform gym, or filter for gyms with platforms.
Common questions
How can I increase my deadlift fast?
Fix your setup, brace hard, take the slack out of the bar and solve your grip. Then pull heavy once a week with a lighter variation and add Romanian deadlifts and rows.
How often should I deadlift?
Many lifters do well with one heavy session a week plus one lighter variation.
Why does my back round when I deadlift?
Usually a weak brace, a loose setup or a weight that is too heavy. Lower the weight and practice taking the slack out before you pull.
Is sumo or conventional deadlift better?
Neither is better for everyone. Both are legal in powerlifting. Try both and pick the one that suits your build.