Straight bar off the floor

Deadlift

Bar over mid-foot. Grip. Brace. Push the floor away. Stand tall. Set it down like an adult. This is not a yank with your arms.

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Hunter: I still give people a trap bar first. When the hinge is quiet, a straight bar is allowed. If the last rep rounded into a question mark, I do not add plates.

Cues

Bar over mid-foot. Shins close. Not so close you scrape a story into your skin on purpose.
Hinge down. Grab the bar. Back flat enough to brace, not a shrimp.
Take the slack out. Brace like a poke in the stomach.
Push the floor. The bar travels up your legs. Arms stay long.
Stand tall. Squeeze. Do not lean back. Lower with the same path.

Setup

Conventional stance is the default on this page. Mixed grip is optional later if the bar rolls. Straps are allowed if grip dies first. 5x5 uses one hard set of 5 on B day. Rest a full 3 minutes. Plate calculator for the load you can see.

Trap bar first

If you have not pulled a hex bar yet, start there. You stand in the load. This page is the straight-bar version. Log the name you actually pulled. Do not copy a conventional number onto a trap-bar week.

5x5 B day

Squat, then overhead press, then this. One working set of 5 when the program says so. Warm-up sets still happen. Only the working set needs to be heroic in the log. If you miss reps, repeat the weight next time.

RDL is not this lift

A Romanian deadlift starts from the top and never sits on the floor. This deadlift starts on the floor. Both are hinges. They are not interchangeable in Engine. Name them.

Common misses

Squatting it into a leg press. Rounding to start. Yanking with the arms. Hitching at the knees. Bouncing reps. Also: dropping from lockout in a gym that did not ask for that.

FAQ

Sumo or conventional?

Conventional is this page. Sumo is a different stance. Pick one for a block.

Shoes?

Flat soles. Running shoes that bounce are a bad platform. Barefoot only if the gym allows it and the floor is clean.

When do I pull a max?

After you own 5 clean reps. The 1RM tool is an estimate, not a dare tonight.

Log deadlifts in the free Vitality Engine. Count the plates. Do not estimate from a photo.

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