Deadlift

It may look intimidating or scary for a beginner, but follow the simple guidelines and you'll have it down in no time!

Proper form is key - without this, you can get injured, mess up your back, and you won't be getting the full benefit of the workout or working your muscles properly.

How to do a deadlift:
The deadlift is a great exercise to help develop the hamstrings and the lower back. The exercise is done by pulling the weight off of the floor and then standing with your legs straight and your shoulders back. To keep pressure off of your spine and lower back muscles it is important to keep your back straight.

You really want to concentrate on sitting back as if sitting in a chair when you are deadlifting. You want to get a good grip on the bar and can also use some straps to ensure your grip on the bar.

Once you have a reverse grip on the bar (one hand over, one hand under) you want to drive the weight from your heels through your legs.

In the down position you want to have your thighs parallel to the floor. You should have your knees directly over your feet. Make sure your knees aren't past your toes or behind your heels. You want to keep your butt low to the ground in the downward position.

If you have too much weight on the bar for you to handle a tale tell sign is that your back will be rounded. Make sure this doesn't happen or injury can occur.

In the next portion of the movement it is very important to execute the movement with power. You want to use your glutes and quads and explode the weight off of the floor. You want to think of the movement more as a push than a pull movement. Your lower body muscles should be doing the work, not your arms and traps.

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